The BBC Withheld Four Star Trek Episodes for 25 Years, and Big Bird Too
The BBC withheld four Star Trek episodes for years and rejected Sesame Street, even as British children watched the surreal favourite The Magic Roundabout.
Entertainment
The Weirdest Thing About Transformers: The Movie Was Its Soundtrack
Why was The Transformers: The Movie soundtrack so unusual? From Stan Bush and Weird Al to Orson Welles, its strange mix still works 40 years later.
The Pen Is Mightier Than Death: Believe It or Not!
Howie Noel, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, Dick Tracy and Charles Schulz reveal how legendary comic strips keep going after their original creators are gone.
Nancy Stole the Spotlight. Now Meet the Man Who Created Her.
You know Nancy. You might know Sluggo. But do you know Ernie Bushmiller, the cartoonist whose deceptively simple creation became bigger than its creator?
Unseen Places: The Joy of Discovering Something New by Anna Kodé
Anna Kodé’s Unseen Places explores observation, curiosity and the hidden stories of everyday life, from Italian construction watchers to bonobo apes.
David Byrne’s Sleeping Beauties: When Great Ideas Wake Up
David Byrne’s Sleeping Beauties explores forgotten ideas, overlooked inventions and artists who waited decades or centuries to be rediscovered.
When Snoopy Became Snoopy: A Trip Back to 1967
Peanuts: Your Choice, Snoopy takes us back to 1967, when Snoopy, Woodstock and the Flying Ace were becoming the characters we know today.
Mestra: The Forgotten Greek Myth Madeline Miller Revives
Madeline Miller returns with Mestra, revisiting a forgotten Greek myth about family, survival, transformation and the power to resist impossible odds.
The Mrs. Roper Romp gains momentum each year globally
The Mrs. Roper Romp, which originated in 2013 as the "Million Mrs. Roper March," is a lively and creatively themed bar crawl event that pays homage to the iconic character Mrs. Helen Roper from the popular 1970s television series "Three's Company."
Is Miffy Japanese? The Truth Behind This Iconic Bunny’s Origins
Is Miffy Japanese? No, this beloved bunny is Dutch! Learn about Miffy’s history, her 70th anniversary, the Hello Kitty controversy, and her lasting global legacy.
Culture
Unseen Places: The Joy of Discovering Something New by Anna Kodé
Anna Kodé’s Unseen Places explores observation, curiosity and the hidden stories of everyday life, from Italian construction watchers to bonobo apes.
David Byrne’s Sleeping Beauties: When Great Ideas Wake Up
David Byrne’s Sleeping Beauties explores forgotten ideas, overlooked inventions and artists who waited decades or centuries to be rediscovered.
Martin Mull Took Every Job Except Being Ordinary
Martin Mull was more than a television actor. From comedy and music to painting, his unusual career made him impossible to put in one box.
The Secret Origin of the Smiley Face
Harvey Ball created the iconic smiley face in 10 minutes for $45. Here is how a simple insurance-company design became a global symbol and an Acid House icon.
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir: What the Movie Changed
The 1947 classic The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is more than a romantic ghost story. Here's what the movie changed from the novel and why Captain Gregg may be more controlling than protective.
The Worst Movie You’ll Ever Find: Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla
Bela Lugosi, Jerry Lewis imitators, a gorilla suit and Hollywood controversy collide in this bizarre 1952 cult movie.
Bela Lugosi’s Worst Movies: When the Horror Legend Hit Rock Bottom
Bela Lugosi's worst movies reveal the strange, sad final chapter of the Dracula star's career, from Poverty Row productions to Ed Wood's films.
Ace in the Hole: The 1951 Movie That Feels Modern
Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole, starring Kirk Douglas, is a 1951 film about media greed, sensationalism and the public appetite for tragedy that feels remarkably modern.
The Origin of Good Grief and Charlie Brown’s Famous Phrase
Good Grief became Charlie Brown's signature saying, but its history began decades earlier. Learn the surprising origin of the famous Peanuts phrase.
Who knew that the Maltese Falcon is worth 4.1 million
Steve Wynn, Las Vegas hotel and casino billionaire bought the Maltese Falcon statue at a premium. He won the bid at the total price of a stunning $4.1 million.
Food & Life
Don’t Cook That: When Old Recipes Got Seriously Dangerous
Old cookbooks weren’t always harmless. Some mixed food, medicine and household chemistry in ways that can make Grandma’s apple pie look downright safe.
When Paris Ate the Zoo: The Strangest Menu in History
During the Siege of Paris, starving Parisians ate zoo animals. Here’s the bizarre story behind elephant, camel and kangaroo appearing on a Paris menu.
Why Does Your Jeans Pocket Have That Stupid Little Pocket?
That stupid little pocket in your jeans has a long history, from pocket watches and the real 5th pocket to its cheeky modern reputation as the condom pocket.
Why Did We Put Missing Kids on Milk Cartons?
Why did missing children’s faces appear on milk cartons? We look at the strange history behind the campaign, the kids who recognized themselves, Milk Carton 2.0 and Canada’s famous milk bags.
The Pen Is Mightier Than Death: Believe It or Not!
Howie Noel, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Dick Tracy and Charles Schulz reveal how legendary comic strips keep going after their original creators are gone.
Nancy Stole the Spotlight. Now Meet the Man Who Created Her.
You know Nancy. You might know Sluggo. But do you know Ernie Bushmiller, the cartoonist whose deceptively simple creation became bigger than its creator?
Exploring Calvin and Hobbes
Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes was always about the art. Now, original artwork from the beloved comic strip is going on tour, giving fans a rare look behind the panels.
Working at Wayne Enterprises Must Be Exhausting
What would it really be like to work at Wayne Enterprises? Discover the ordinary employees quietly helping Batman protect Gotham.
Who Is the Winking Chef on Pizza Boxes?
The winking chef on pizza boxes has a surprising origin. Learn how Gill Fox’s 1950s illustration became a timeless pizza industry icon.
Halloween Watch: I Married a Witch
I Married a Witch is a bewitching movie just right for Halloween. No need for blood and gore! No man can resist Veronica Lake in this enchanted romantic movie.
The Odd & Curious
The Famous People Who Died on Halloween
Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926, but he wasn’t alone. Explore the famous figures who died on October 31 and Houdini’s final escape pact.
How Did 81 Suddenly Become Young?
When did 81 become young? A funny look at aging, retirement, baby boomers and how our idea of old age keeps changing.
Scratch-and-Sniff Is Making a Comeback
Scratch-and-sniff was once everywhere, from Raspberries albums and MAD Magazine to John Waters’ Odorama. Now the strange little fad is making a comeback.
Forget Book Burning, This Guy Wants You to Chop Your Books
Matt Kirkland has a strange solution for giant books: chop them into smaller, manageable volumes. Chop the biggest books and why it might make sense.
The Weirdest Thing About Transformers: The Movie Was Its Soundtrack
Why was The Transformers: The Movie soundtrack so unusual? From Stan Bush and Weird Al to Orson Welles, its strange mix still works 40 years later.
The 8-Track Tape Died. Apparently Nobody Told It.
The 8-track tape ruled car stereos before cassettes killed it, but its strange legacy lives on in mixtapes, video-game cartridges and collectors.
Show Us the LOVE! Rhino Gives Arthur Lee and Love Another Spin
Rhino's Rocktober gives Arthur Lee and Love another spin with three limited-edition albums, but the real Love story begins with Forever Changes.
We Killed the CD. Now We’re Bringing It Back From the Dead.
We killed the CD, dumped the evidence and moved on. Vinyl is growing, CDs are surging and a new generation is discovering the music we thought we'd left buried.
![A retro-style illustration on a red background shows a man in a suit shouting into a megaphone on the left. To the right, the word 'SNACKSTUME' is written in large, bold, white letters with a black outline, resembling a comic book sound effect. Below it, a dictionary-style definition reads: '[snack-stoom] noun. A Halloween costume based on a snack or food product, usually designed to make the wearer look like a giant version of something you'd normally eat.'](https://i0.wp.com/sandboxworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/word-of-the-week-snacktume.png?fit=1600%2C776&ssl=1)
Meet Murph, Nerf’s first and so far only mascot
Nerf, the company known for its blasters that fire soft, foam darts at targets, now has its very own mascot named Murph. Hasbro, Nerf’s parent company, unveiled a new mascot, which is supposed to embody the fun and active play brand.
The Twilight World by Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog’s The Twilight World revisits Hiroo Onoda’s 30-year war and asks whether we all cling to private jungles of belief in life’s twilight.
From Bean To Bee: It’s Man Vs Bee
To bee or not to bee. Rowan Atkinson is at it again. The bees of the world are no longer safe. It’s man vs bee. Only one can stand victorious. This new 9-episode series from Netflix is sure to be a smash. Let’s hope the bee does not get smashed. The series was created and written by Rowan Atkinson and William Davies, directed by David Kerr and starring Atkinson, Jing Lusi, Claudie Blakley, Tom Basden, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Greg McHugh and India Fowler. Man Vs Bee is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on 24 June 2022.
Pumpkin-shaped LP of Vince Guaraldi’s soundtrack to “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”
On Halloween night, this pumpkin-shaped translucent orange LP will rise from sincere vinyl collections the world over and bring audible presents to all the good girls and boys. Previously thought lost to time: this album contains remasters from the original session reels for It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
U.S. Postal Service gives the stamp of approval featuring iconic Buzz Lightyear
“Go Beyond” is a pane of 20 stamps arranged in four horizontal rows of five stamps featuring the image of Buzz Lightyear, a Space Ranger marooned on a planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth. Greg Breeding was the art director using illustrations from Pixar Animation Studios.
Weird to Exist: Simple Comics About Complex Emotions by Alison Zai
Weird to Exist is divided into three intrinsic human acts—to exist, to love, to create—and ultimately touches on how weird it is to do all of that. Also included is Zai’s popular long-form comic Bee Real, which follows one little irritable bee’s enlightening mission to extinguish the sun. With sharp levity and emotional complexity, this colorful collection finds the fun in life’s hard truths.
LEGOLAND New York Resort celebrates the 90th Anniversary of LEGO
New York Resort kicks off a summer of epic celebrations today for the 90th anniversary of the LEGO Group. Awesome surprises include the arrival of a massive 20-foot-tall LEGO cake and exciting prize giveaways four days per week over the next two months. Families will have the opportunity to get the gift of building memories, with 90 surprise gifts per week ranging from LEGO Minifigures, to food, beverage, and retail discounts, to VIP experiences, to a free, all-inclusive stay at LEGOLAND Hotel!
Marvel Classic Black Light Collectible Posters Volume 2
The Marvel Super Heroes are back! Fans will light up with this second volume of the psychedelic, collectible portfolio featuring 12 frameable black light posters of celebrated Marvel Comics characters, such as Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Doctor Strange, and Black Bolt, illustrated by legendary artists including Jack Kirby, John Romita Sr., Gil Kane, and more.
The LEGO Story: How a Little Toy Sparked the World’s Imagination by Jens Andersen
The LEGO Story is the definitive story behind one of the most beloved brands on the planet, shown through the deeply personal lens of one singular family. Excellently written with ease and verve, it’s also a riveting cultural history of changing generations’ views of childhood and the importance of play. Richly illustrated with never-before-seen photos from the family’s private archive, this is the ultimate book for fans of LEGO, revealing everything you ever wanted to know about the brand.
ATuMan EG1 cordless rechargeable hot melt glue gun
If you ever used a glue gun, you know it can get aggravating with that electrical cord. Most of the time the glue gun cannot stand up. It can be frustrating if you use glue guns. The Kickstarter campaign for the cordless glue gun ATuMan EG1 is getting the attention of arts and craft enthusiasts.
Umbrella Entertainment collects Invisible sequels triple feature
Umbrella Entertainment has a triple feature of invisibility movies. They are collecting together The Invisible Man Returns (1940), The Invisible Woman (1940), and Invisible Agent (1942). I have it in good authority that if you do not get a copy that they will disappear quite fast.
Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius by Nick Hornby
New York Times best-selling author Nick Hornby of High Fidelity fame has a new book Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius that explores the duality of Prince and Dickens in their individual centuries. So far apart but yet so much alike.