Brian VanHooker

Brian VanHooker is a New York-based writer specializing in pop culture, food, and in-depth oral histories. He was a staff writer at MEL and has bylines at Inverse, SFGate, Screen Rant, Men's Health, Maxim, and more. Brian is the co-creator of the comic book series "Barnum & Elwood" and co-wrote and co-directed the pilot "The Tramp" starring John O'Hurley. He also hosts a podcast about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles called "Turtle Tracks" and was once called a "good guy" by Mr. T. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and check out his personal website.

Interview

45 Years Ago, Marvel’s strongest superhero changed the course of TV history

You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry...

By Brian VanHooker
Feature

Night of the Sentinels: The oral history of X-Men: The Animated Series’ risky debut

The creators of X-Men: The Animated Series reflect on their pilot episode and how everything came together.

By Brian VanHooker
The Superhero Issue

How to kill a superhero

The writers behind some of the most iconic deaths in superhero history reveal their secrets.

By Brian VanHooker
Retrospective

45 years ago, Marvel released its most unwatchable superhero show ever

There is literally no reason to watch the 1977 Spider-Man series.

By Brian VanHooker
Slam dunk

Godzilla vs. Charles Barkle — The oral history of the most epic sneaker ad ever

“We also kept him busy by teaching him how to drive the forklift, which he really enjoyed.”

By Brian VanHooker
Opinion

HBO Max dropping Batman: Caped Crusader is actually good for DC fans — here’s why

It’s the perfect opportunity for Batman fans to prove David Zaslav wrong

By Brian VanHooker
Another!

60 facts you didn’t know about Marvel’s Thor

#37: Frog Thor was originally going to be a duck.

By Brian VanHooker
Peter Palmer

60 facts you didn’t know about Spider-Man

#50: Spider-Man’s birthday is August 10.

By Brian VanHooker
The Inverse Interview

Zurg creator reveals the Marvel villain who inspired Lightyear’s nemesis

The original version of Emperor Zurg was way scarier than what we saw in Toy Story 2.

By Brian VanHooker
Turtle Power!

The oral history of The Last Ronin, the biggest TMNT comic since 1984

In an Inverse exclusive, the creators behind The Last Ronin reveal the story behind their dystopian Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles epic.

By Brian VanHooker
The Viking Issue

44 Years Ago, Marvel redefined its mightiest avenger — and changed superheroes forever

The oral history of 1978’s What If? #10 (aka, the first time Jane Foster picked up Mjolnir).

By Brian VanHooker
Wolverine Week

The oral history of Wolverine, the unlikely superhero who saved the X-Men

Inverse catches up with Wolverine’s most important storytellers from every era to share the behind-the-scenes history of Marvel’s most captivating mutant.

By Brian VanHooker

The oral history of The Infinity Gauntlet, Marvel's game-changing comic event

30 years ago, Marvel redefined comics and superheroes forever. Here’s how.

By Brian VanHooker
Long read

Beast Wars redefined Transformers. 25 years later, it might happen again.

Inverse catches up with the writers and actors behind the beloved CGI Transformers cartoon ahead of its 2022 big-screen debut.

By Brian VanHooker
Feature

Spielberg’s raptor

How Jurassic Park led to (and then ruined) the director’s chance to have a dinosaur named after him.

By Brian VanHooker
Video Games Issue 2021

25 years ago, Indiana Jones met C-3PO in a game no one remembers

That’s just one wild detail about Indiana Jones and his Desktop Adventures.

By Brian VanHooker
Cowabunga?

How Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles changed the world’s turtle ecology

By Brian VanHooker