Stephen King's The Pop of King EW Column: 2005

Stephen King's The Pop of King EW Column: 2005

Author: Bloody FM March 7, 2026 Duration: 2:06:10
In June 2023, The Losers' Club began discussing Stephen King's EW column The Pop of King on their Patreon. What was initially going to be one full-length episode has since become a subsection of The Stephen King Archives that sees the gang dedicating one episode to one full year's worth of columns from King. What started with 2003/2004 -- an episode we unlocked for you last year (look it up) -- has since grown to four more installments, the latest being on 2008. Today, we're dusting off the second of five episodes in the series as a way to shed light on this project. So, in this episode, which was recorded way, way back in 2024, Randall Colburn, Rachel Reeves, Dan Pfleegor, and Justin Gerber dial things back to 2005 and zero in on King's comically acerbic reviews, recommendations, and takedowns to discuss how that era of culture resonates now. Topics include King's prophetic belief that stars don't sell movies, stories do, his bizarre hatred of DVD extras, his warning to the creators of Lost to not fuck up the ending (lol), his complicated thoughts about the work of Bret Easton Ellis, his annoyance with fancypants critics and their disdain of popular fiction, and his favorite (and our favorite) movies, books, and music of 2005. Want more? Become a member of The Barrens -- patreon.com/thebarrens -- to digest all of The Pop of King (so far) and stay tuned for more episodes as time wastes away and makes us all old.

For anyone who’s ever gotten lost in the sprawling, interconnected universe of Stephen King, there’s a dedicated and surprisingly fun guide waiting for you. That guide is The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast, an award-winning weekly series from Bloody FM. Since 2017, this podcast has served as a chronological deep-dive into King’s entire bibliography, from Carrie to the latest release. But it’s far from a dry literary analysis. The hosts-the self-proclaimed Losers-approach each book, film, and adaptation with a blend of genuine critical insight and warm, irreverent humor. They’re the kind of fans who can passionately debate the themes of The Dark Tower while also laughing about the author’s famously unpredictable Twitter presence. When you listen, you’re essentially pulling up a chair to a lively, informed conversation among friends who love this world as much as you do. Episodes regularly feature deep discussions that read between the iconic pages, but they also keep you updated on everything happening in King’s Dominion. That means breaking down the latest Hollywood headlines about adaptations, parsing through his endless forthcoming projects, and examining how his vast body of work intersects with broader arts, film, television, and even history. It’s a comprehensive and consistently engaging resource for both the Constant Reader and the newly curious, making the immense landscape of King’s imagination feel a little more like home. This podcast has built a community around a shared obsession, one detailed and delightful episode at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Definitive Stephen King Book Ranking: #22-17 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54:10
Behold, The Definitive Stephen King Book Ranking! This year, the Losers are counting down Stephen King's published novels -- specifically, novels (no collections) -- from worst to best. For September, the Losers turn the…
The Talisman & Black House Revisited [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:09:49
We're weeks out from the release of Stephen King and Peter Straub's highly anticipated third Talisman novel Other Worlds Than These. In anticipation, the Losers dust off the two preceding tomes: 1984's The Talisman and 2…
The Resident Evil Episode (Patreon Clip) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:48
Oops! All Tangents is a free-flowin' conversation based on a topic either topical or submitted by our patrons. In anticipation of Zach Cregger's Resident Evil, Mike, Randall, and Mac head to Raccoon City to talk about qu…
The Stacks: What We're Reading in September 2026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:20:49
Randall and Jenn are back in the Stacks to preview spooky season's most intriguing books, including new releases from Gwendolyn Kiste, Alma Katsu, Tanavarie Due, Stephen Graham Jones, and Jane Schoenbrun, as well as nonf…
Stephen King Dollar Baby Deep Dive: “That Feeling..." [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:42
In a new series, the Losers will be exploring the Dollar Baby world by interviewing filmmakers who’ve been through the process. In this episode, Julia Marchese and Jenn Adams speak to filmmaker Paul Inman who adapted Eve…
The Definitive Stephen King Book Ranking: #28-23 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:06:36
Behold, The Definitive Stephen King Book Ranking! This year, the Losers are counting down Stephen King's published novels -- specifically, novels (no collections) -- from worst to best. For August, the Losers cycle throu…
Unofficial Stephen King Adaptations (Patreon Clip) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:58
An Unofficial Stephen King Adaptation is a horror story that feels indebted to King’s work in some way, whether spiritually connected through subject or monster, or treading similar thematic ground. In the latest Patreon…
Danse Macabre: Peter Straub's Julia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:50:17
The Summer of Straub continues as the Losers head to London and discuss Peter Straub's 1975 classic horror novel Julia.
Danse Macabre: Peter Straub's Ghost Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:40:20
The Summer of Straub continues as we dust off our past Danse Macabre episode on Peter Straub's iconic 1979 horror novel Ghost Story. Originally recorded in May of 2022, return to Milburn, New York with Losers Michael Rof…
Stephen King Books Begging for an Adaptation (Patreon Clip) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:32
Look, you don't have to tell us: We know Stephen King has written a lot of books. We've read them all! What still surprises us, though, are how many of those books are still collecting dust when it comes to Hollywood Kin…