Austin Museum of Popular Culture

05/31/2026

One week from today, AusPop opens Poddy Rules the World, a major retrospective celebrating the art, influence, and wonderfully unruly imagination of Gilbert Shelton. We have been working closely with Gilbert's nephew, Gavin Shelton, to bring this dream into reality.

Today, Gilbert turns 86! Happy birthday, Gilbert, and thanks for the reminder that sometimes the freaks really do inherit the earth.

Long before Austin became a cultural destination, Gilbert was helping invent the underground comix movement. From Wonder Wart-Hog to The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, his characters have devoted fans around the world. More than six decades into his career, Gilbert remains one of the most influential cartoonists to ever come out of Texas.

Beginning June 7, step into Gilbert's world at 506 North Congress Avenue, just a few blocks from the original Vulcan Gas Company, Austin’s first counterculture HQ.

📍 June 7 – July 19, 2026
📍 506 North Congress Avenue, Austin
🎟️ FREE admission Monday–Saturday

Every Sunday, we'll host a special ticketed event featuring panel discussions, refreshments, and stories from the artists, writers, friends, and family members who have shared Gilbert's remarkable journey.

Opening Day Panel, Sunday, June 7:
Jason Mellard, Gavin Shelton, Leea Mechling, and Kate Salzman

Tickets are available through Eventbrite, "Poddy Rules the World: Gilbert Shelton’s Underground Comix & Art". https://bit.ly/42Wi4kk

(Pssst… AusPop members: check your email for a special discount code.)

And while you're here, feast your eyes on what may be the coolest exhibit poster this side of the river, created by and inspired by the countless worlds Gilbert Shelton has brought to life.

This project is supported in part by an Austin Live Music Fund Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music, & Entertainment.

This project is supported in part by Humanities Texas. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities Texas.

05/31/2026

Please join me in wishing a HAPPY BIRTHDAY today! 86 years young! I just got off the phone with him in Paris and he sounded great.

If you’re in Austin, TX this summer I hope you’ll come out and see the retrospective exhibition at the Austin Museum of Popular Culture at 506 Congress Avenue.

05/28/2026

It is national hamburger day. Freddie Krc, Gavin Shelton and I are at Dirty's, naturally!!

05/28/2026

AusPop’s board president FREDDIE KRC has a fun story to share as we prepare for our upcoming Gilbert Shelton exhibit.

“In February 2002, while on a six week European tour drumming for Austin singer/songwriter Calvin Russell, I spent my days off wandering Paris near the Arc de Triomphe. One afternoon, a storefront window full of psychedelic posters led me into a shop called The Troc.

Inside, the owner heard my Texas accent, asked where I was from, and then asked if I knew Gilbert Shelton. He introduced himself as Gilbert’s business partner and shared that Gilbert had once been commissioned by the French Soccer League to create a poster for an important match. The artwork? The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers lounging on a soccer field, smoking from a ho**ah made from a soccer ball, while total chaos erupted in the stands behind them. Unsurprisingly, the poster was rejected.”

There you have it folks, proof that one French soccer league’s trash is another Austin museum’s trésor!!! come see all the fine details for yourself at our Poddy Rules The World Exhibit from June 7 through July 19!

The exhibit is free to the public Monday–Saturday, 10am–5pm. Sundays feature ticketed events with short films, panel discussions, and refreshments. Tickets are available through Eventbrite (link in bio). 506 N Congress.

Supported in part by an Austin Live Music Fund Grant from Austin Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment, and Humanities Texas. Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities Texas.

05/26/2026

We are just under two weeks away from the opening night of AusPop’s Gilbert Shelton retrospective exhibit, ! Deep in the heart of downtown Austin! Just a couple blocks from the original and historic Vulcan Gas Company, this exhibit housed in 506 North Congress, will be up from June 7 through July 19, 2026! Free to the public Monday through Saturday!

***SUNDAYS, we will host a special ticketed event featuring a panel discussion, refreshments, and more!! That’s June 7, 14, 21, 28, and July 5, 12, 19!

SUNDAY JUNE 7, panel discussion featuring Jason Mellard, Gavin Shelton, Leea Mechling, Kate Salzman

Purchase tickets through the eventbrite link in our bio, or search “PODDY RULES THE WORLD” on eventbrite.com.

MEMBERS, please check your email for a special member discount code!

Also, feast your eyes on the coolest exhibit poster EVER, created by and the many mind creations of Gilbert Shelton himself.

05/23/2026

Cat. Sorta belonged to Fat Freddie.

Come see the exhibit, Poddy Rules The World: Gilbert Shelton's Underground Comix & Art, right downtown at 506 Congress.

When? It all kicks off June 7th. The exhibit is a gathering of art created by Gilbert Shelton that hasnt been shown in this comprehensive manner before and you'll have 6 weeks to immserse yourself.

Free Monday through Saturday (10am to 5pm), Sundays (1pm to 5pm) are ticketed events with speakers, panels discussions, film, curated music and refreshments.

www.auspop.org

05/15/2026

Here's the latest episode of Gavin Shelton's radio show Poddy Rules the World with music that will get you ready for the upcomibg exhibit featuring the One and Only Gilbert Shelton. The fun starts June 7th!

Listen to Poddy Rules The World ! 5-14-26 by 96.3 FM Ohm Radio

05/13/2026

Boys and Girls, listen to this and get a jump start on the really big Gilbert Shelton exhibit that we'll open June 7. Find out more about the man, his art and the times- directly from Gilbert by way of Eddie Wilson and Dr. Jason Mellard.

“A Cartoonist’s View of Underground Characters” with Gilbert Shelton

“Chet Helms and Jack Jackson and some others, and then I bought a printing press. It was our idea to print rock posters. That was a big thing at the time. Nobody knew how to run our new printing press and our posters were really crappy, but then we discovered that printing on the comic books didn’t have to be good printings. We shifted over to comic books at Ripoff Press. (Dave Morty) was running the small printing press and he had long hair. This is not a good idea for a printer. And the printing press caught him by the air and pulled him in, but it wasn’t powerful enough to crush him. And after 30 minutes, the postman came in with the mail. After a few minutes, Morty was able to instruct him how to find the off sweat, and he was able to pull his hair, where that name comes from.” Gilbert Shelton

This episode of Austin Roots features an in-depth conversation with legendary underground cartoonist Gilbert Shelton, creator of Wonder Warthog, the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, and Not Quite Dead.

Guest: Gilbert Shelton - Underground cartoonist and creator of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers

Production Team:
Host, Eddie Wilson - Armadillo World Headquarters founder
Host, Dr. Jason Mellard - Cultural historian
Editor, Renee O’Connor 
Music Mixing, Matt Carlson
Producer, Renee O’Connor
Producer, Sandra Wilson
Executive Producer, TSSI
Music by Jake Andrews Music
Production assistant, Miles Muir
Production consultant, Katey Psencik

05/13/2026

right around the corner....June 7 marks the start of almost 2 months of fun with AUSPOP and our partner in crime, Gavin Shelton, as we celebrate Gilbert Shelton and his comix & art.

05/08/2026

Hey there! Give a listen to Gavin Shelton's latest installment of his radio show Rules The World

Listen to Poddy Rules the World - May 7th 2026 by 96.3 FM Ohm Radio