MUTTS Sunday Funnies: Why Patrick McDonnell Belongs Among the Greats
Patrick McDonnell’s new MUTTS Sunday Funnies Volumes 1 and 2 collect his Sunday comic strips from 1994 to 1998 in beautifully presented hardcover editions.
Entertainment
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.
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.
Street Fight: Mean America and the War on Sesame Street by Michael Davis
Michael Davis's Street Fight explores the corporate battles behind Sesame Street, the show's changing creative direction, and a bigger question: did we carry its lessons about kindness and acceptance into adulthood?
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.
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
Street Fight: Mean America and the War on Sesame Street by Michael Davis
Michael Davis’s Street Fight explores the corporate battles behind Sesame Street, the show’s changing creative direction, and a bigger question: did we carry its lessons about kindness and acceptance into adulthood?
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 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.
MUTTS Sunday Funnies: Why Patrick McDonnell Belongs Among the Greats
Patrick McDonnell’s new MUTTS Sunday Funnies Volumes 1 and 2 collect his Sunday comic strips from 1994 to 1998 in beautifully presented hardcover editions.
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.
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)
7th Voyage of Sinbad Cyclops Tricycle
There is no way that Sinbad will defeat Cyclops if he owned a tricycle. Just to be clear, if you plan to cycle please wear a helmet. And just like that, Cyclops came and went. The officially licensed Cyclops Tricycle from THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD by M1GO rolled off quickly with a blink of an eye. One giant eye that is.
Revised and Expanded Edition of Eddie Muller’s Dark City
If you watch Noir Alley and read Eddie Muller’s Dark City revised and expanded edition, you will be blasted with a cornucopia of information about the origins and politics of the Film Noir from all the creators. The creators lived lives as complicated as their characters. Muller’s book is more than a picture book, it’s the top book on Film Noir movies. Muller has single-handed created a Film Noir universe, from actors to writers, many jumped from movie to movie. Dark City is a great read into old Hollywood and a genre long gone, often imitated, never duplicated. I never put down Dark City, Muller is a wordsmith of the highest caliber. This is the definitive book on Film Noir.
LEGO Bass
YouTuber Burls Art built an insane bass out of 2,000 LEGO pieces with an epoxy resin fingerboard and bridge-concealed piezo pickup.
50 Years Ago Jim Morrison Died
It was 50 years ago that Jim Morrison died. Morrison’s death is still shrouded in mystery. His legend grew 9 years later with the release of No One Here Gets Out Alive by Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugerman and The Doors’ Greatest Hits album in 1980. The celebration of the Lizard King still continues as The Collected Works of Jim Morrison was released this month.
Lagree Fitness Partners with Lagreeing At Home For On Demand, Live Class Platform
Lagree Fitness today announced its partnership with Lagreeing at Home; the exclusive on-demand and live class platform for the Lagree Microformer workout machine. Backed by Sebastien Lagree, the founder of Lagree Fitness, classes will be led by co-founders of Lagreeing at Home and certified Lead Lagree Microformer Trainers, Heather Perren and Lexi Heinzer, among others. Clients new and old can begin Lagreeing at Home today on the #1 Virtual Class Platform for the Lagree Microformer.
Oh, the Places You’ll Boldly Go!
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal of a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Dr. Seuss/”Star Trek” mashup book “Oh, the Places You’ll Boldly Go!” wasn’t protected from Dr. Seuss Enterprises LP’s copyright infringement claims by the fair use doctrine.
DuckDuckGo Best Private Search Engine
DuckDuckGo has been growing bigger in the past 12 months. The search engine emphasizes protecting searchers’ privacy. You can get seamless privacy protection on your browser for free with one download. DuckDuckGo has become the #2 search engine on mobile devices, they are above Yahoo, Bing, and Firefox. This is huge news for the company.
The Dog Days of Comics: The Dog Show Two Centuries of Canine Cartoons
Man’s best friend has always had a presence since the beginning of newspaper comic strips. Celebrate your favorite canine comic strip character as The Ohio State University Libraries presents The Dog Show: Two Centuries of Canine Cartoons.
Fantastic Four No. 1: Panel by Panel
The first issue of Fantastic Four by legendary creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced fans to a now-iconic team of Super Heroes—Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Human Torch, and the Thing—ushering in the modern Marvel Age of comics. Chip Kidd uses an original copy of the comic book (which initially sold for ten cents and now sells for astronomical prices in good condition) to present the classic story in a whole new way that is sure to engage both lifelong fans and the latest generation of Marvel enthusiasts.
Omnis Temporalis: A Visual Long-Playing Record by Seth
Seth’s acclaimed graphic novel George Sprott has now inspired a modern opera by artistic director and musician Mark Haney. Captured on a classic vinyl record with sumptuous and over-the-top design by Seth, Omnis Temporalis: A Visual Long-Playing Record is part chamber music, part song cycle, and part audio drama. Haney’s unique project builds on Seth’s original picture novella while standing alone as a musical triumph.
Wally Wood Weird Science and Weird Science-Fantasy Jigsaw Puzzles
Renegade Game Studios’ jigsaw puzzle features art from the EC Comics’ seminal series Weird Science with art by Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Famer Wally Wood.
Toys: 100 Years of All-American Toy Ads by Jim Heimann and Steven Heller
Taschen is at it again with their new whopping 528-page hardcover book on all-American toy ads from the past 100 years. Toys: 100 Years of All-American Toy Ads by Jim Heimann and Steven Heller celebrates toy ads from various print forms.