The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Quick Stop Weekend Shopping Guide – your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

It’s amazing when the myth of a man overtakes the reality, and it’s unfortunate that the myths held about comic book artist/writer John Byrne so often skew negative – because the reality is far from the grotesque image of an egocentric madman continually perpetuated across the ‘net. In truth, Byrne is one of the most influential artists still working today, whose work has shaped not just one, but three generations of artists and fans (yes, he really has been around that long now). He’s also incredibly articulate and, yes, opinionated about comics as an artform, and comic books as an industry (he also tends to be correct in his assessments). Those views, and his reflections on his career, can be found in the massive interview that accompanies dozens of sketches, pages, and other miscellaneous art spanning Byrne’s 30+ year career that’s collected in the latest volume of Twomorrows’ always must-buy Modern Masters series (Twomorrows, $14.95 SRP). I can’t wait to see their upcoming volumes on Walt Simonson and Mike Wieringo.

Ya gotta love it when a TV series kicks its DVD release schedule into overdrive, as the often long, lingering wait becomes a rapid-fire completion of a show’s run. Case in point is Roseanne, which mere months after its last release is already streeting the sitcom’s fourth season (Anchor Bay, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP). A wedding in Vegas, reduced breasts, an alien abduction, birth control, and bowling are just a few of the highlights, including one of the show’s most memorable Halloween outings (Dan & Roseanne’s infamous trick on the neighbors). Bonus features include video commentaries with Roseanne on select episodes, an interview with the domestic goddess, and an interview with Alicia Goranson (Becky) and Michael Fishman (DJ).

To most, Terry Jones is best known as 1/6 of the Monty Python troupe. To some, though, he’s also earned a reputation as a self-trained historian and presenter of some of the most engaging historical documentaries to come down the pike. In fact, his documentary on the Crusades is a must-see for anyone who wants an accurate portrait of that centuries-long series of conflicts, from not just a religious, but also social perspective. The thing that makes Jones’ documentary work so wonderful is his ability to not only look at history in a new way, but present it as an entertaining tale involving flesh & blood people no different than you or I. His latest project focuses on the millennia of misinformation about the peoples we’ve come to lump together as Barbarians – the savages that destroyed the once mighty Roman empire, center of learning, culture, and history’s societal touchstone. But, of course, that’s all bollocks propaganda, as you’ll discover in both the documentary series and its accompanying book (written with Alan Ereira), Terry Jones’ Barbarians (BBC Books, $29.95 SRP).

I doubted that Monk would recover from its previous season’s shake-ups, but the ship finally began to right itself in season four (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$59.98 SRP). It still wasn’t up to the genius of its first season, but I could watch Tony Shalhoub read the phone book backwards, and his OCD detective is still a classic television creation. The 4-disc set features all 16 episodes, plus featurettes on the writing process and how to be a writer for the show.

As the title so blatantly sets out, 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America (History Channel, Not Rated, DVD-$39.95 SRP) collects together a batch of acclaimed directors to detail the 10 often-overlooked events that proved to be pivotal, from something as small as a local rebellion to a few bullets that assassinated a President at a World’s Fair. It’s a fascinating look at the waves of historical causality. The set also contains a behind-the-scenes featurette.

In 1966, Jackie Gleason decided to being back The Honeymooners – but this time, it was in color. Art Carney returned as Ed Norton, but both Alice and Trixie were recast, there were musical numbers, and the vibe wasn’t quite the same (as you might well imagine). You can get a 9-episode sample via The Color Honeymooners: Collection 1 (MPI, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP).

While I found his book on the art of the storyboard to be interesting, my heart really belongs to Don Bluth‘s latest book, The Art of Animation Drawing (DH Press, $14.95 SRP). Maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for the artistry behind hand-drawn animation, or just that The Secret of Nimh still holds a place in said heart. Either way, Bluth’s book is informative, easy-to-understand, and engaging enough to be a useful tool for anyone wishing to dive in and try their hand.

Yellowbeard (MGM/UA, Rated PG, DVD-$14.94 SRP) is one of those glorious comedic clusterf***s that collapse under a their sheer directionless weight and a desire to throw in everything, plus the kitchen sink (see 1941). A slapstick high seas pirate adventure, it’s largely a Cheech & Chong vehicle – with John Cleese, Eric Idle, Marty Feldman, Graham Chapman, Peter Boyle, and Peter Cook thrown in for good measure. In fact, this was the flick that killed Feldman, as he died during production. So did the film.

As much as my rational mind tells me to look away from the cultural trainwreck on display, any time I’ve run across an episode of Fear Factor, I simply can not look away from the sad state of societal decay I see before me. It’s ludicrous, often disgusting, and entirely mesmerizing. The 2-disc complete first season set (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$29.98 SRP) features all 9 episodes, hosted with welcome condescension by Joe Rogan.

Speaking of Civilisation (BBC, Not Rated, DVD-$79.98 SRP), Sir Kenneth Clark’s globe-trotting epic documentary series – first broadcast in 1969 by the BBC – has also made its way to DVD. With the notion of charting the “history of ideas as illustrated by art and music,” is journey from the fall of the Roman Empire to the (then) present day, examining Europe’s greatest landmarks and charting the development of Western European culture. The 4-disc set also features an interview with Sir David Attenborough about the series, a photo gallery, and a companion booklet.

Finally figure out all those Mr. French jokes your smug pop culture-savvy friends continue to hurl at you with the complete first season of Family Affair (MPI, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), which starred Sebastian Cabot as the English manservant of bachelor architect Bill Davis (Brian Keith), whose loner life is unexpectedly saddled with the three children of his brother and sister-in-law when they die in a plane accident. Soon Davis and French take to the brood, and a family is born. An you can get all those Mr. French references. The 5-disc set features all 30 episodes plus an interview with Kathy Garver.

Peter Falk’s shuffling, rumpled detective returns in the fifth season of Columbo (Universal, Not Rated, DVD-$39.98 SRP), featuring all 6 telemovies plus a bonus episode of Mrs. Columbo (“Caviar With Everything”).

The Cult of the Suicide Bomber (Disinformation, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP) is a riveting documentary examining the origins and evolution of the suicide bomber, hosted by former CIA agent Robert Baer (whose book See No Evil was the basis for Syriana). Reaching back to the very first modern suicide bomber, a 13-year-old martyred in the Iran-Iraq war, it’s a story that we live with daily in today’s Middle East.

Patricia Routledge’s suburban PI is back in the third & fourth series of Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (Acorn, Not Rated, DVD-$59.99 SRP each). Think of it as a witty, Brit Murder She Wrote and you won’t be far off.

Dogged by showrunner changes and a mid-stream shift in tone and focus, Commander In Chief (Buena Vista, Not Rated, DVD-$29.99 SRP) – focusing on the administration of President Mackenzie Allen (Geena Davis) – just never captured the audience that it had with a relatively strong debut last season. This 2-disc set collects the first 10 episodes but not a bonus feature in sight.

I don’t know what it is, but sometimes you can’t help but laugh hysterically at a clearly over-the-top gorefests that have, for some reason, passed into cult status. A trio of those laughably bloody baddies have just hit DVD – Blood Bath, Shockheaded, Funny Man (Subversive Cinema/Heretic, Not Rated, DVD-$19.95 SRP each), which even stars the god of working Brit actors, Christopher Lee. All three flicks feature audio commentaries and behind-the-scenes materials.

So there you have it… my humble suggestions for what to watch, listen to, play with, or waste money on this coming weekend. See ya next week…

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