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)
Iron Giant Bolt Replica
The Iron Giant Bolt is a life-sized replica of the wayward flashing piece of The Iron Giant, as seen in the film. 6″ in length, with a flashing light feature, and authentic details from the film, it’s the perfect-sized piece to display at home and to show that there’s always hope in the end.
DC Through the 80s: The Experiments
For the first time, DC offers a retrospective of the 1980s, a monumental decade that introduced some of DC’s all-time bestselling titles. DC Through the 80s: The Experiments explores the experimental adventures of some old and new DC properties that changed the comic book industry.
Motörhead: The Rise Of The Loudest Band In The World
Dive into the world of Motörhead’s wild 40-year career with this officially authorized, fully illustrated graphic novel crafted by award-winning animation studio Fantoons.
‘It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ Pumpkin-Shaped Vinyl Release
This fall, Craft Recordings will celebrate Halloween with a collectible, pumpkin-shaped vinyl album featuring Vince Guaraldi’s evocative music from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Pressed on orange wax, the 45-RPM LP features 17 selections from the 1966 animated TV special, including the timeless “Linus and Lucy,” “The Great Pumpkin Waltz,” and the ghoulish “Graveyard Theme.
For the First Time Since Early 2020…
I’ve grown quite accustomed to our new Covid-19 reality. As things open up more, I find myself anxious about what I should be worried about. Randall Munroe from xkcd.com brilliantly illustrates “This is actually the first time I’ve___________ since early 2020”
Star Wars: Darth Vader Steampunk
Standing triumphantly, Darth Vader takes on a unique steampunk appearance in the work entitled “Industrial Empire”. World-renowned artist Adi Granov created this exclusive illustration in collaboration with Lucasfilm just for Kotobukiya!
Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection
Alien Invasions! Haunted Pianos! Sentient Monster Trucks! Arrow Video is proud to present the first-ever collection of works by Bill Rebane, the epitome of an independent regional filmmaker who built his own studio in the wilds of Wisconsin. He acted for Hitchcock, he searched for the arms of the Venus De Milo, he turned a VW Beetle into a giant spider and he’s still at work today!
The Art and History of Popeye
Hermes Press is celebrating the art of Popeye, the longest-living pop culture comic strip character. The Art of Popeye: A Masterwork of the Medium by R.C. Harvey is a must for fans. Popeye was created by Elzie Segar, the character comes and goes like a wave that hits the shore. 2021 is one of those years, another book titled The Art of Popeye Artists and Comic Strippers’: Versions of the Spinach-Eating Superhero edited by comic book archivist Craig Yoe comes out this year from Clover Press.
New LEGO Ideas Typewriter
The LEGO Group has revealed the new LEGO® Ideas Typewriter set which is set to delight the most seasoned wordsmiths and fans of all things vintage. Designed by LEGO fan, Steve Guinness from Chester, UK, as part of the LEGO® Ideas platform, the LEGO Ideas Typewriter is based on a contemporary typewriter model of a bygone era, including the one used by LEGO Group founder Ole Kirk Christiansen.
Crocs Collaborate With Balenciaga for Stiletto Clogs
Crocs Balenciaga heels have caught the fascination of the world. Fans of the shoes are divided down the middle. All I can say it would be pretty hard to mow the lawn with Crocs Balenciaga heels. Piers would be off-limits.
Record Store Day Poster From Dogfish Head
Record Store Day is just a few days away. As an audiophile, I get excited each year when this day comes. There is music for everybody. This is the month my ears celebrate with joy. There is so much music and merch out there. The Dogfish Head poster is a thing of beauty. Ryan Besh channeled into the essence of Robert Williams and came out with a beaut this year. Well done, sir!
The TCM Library – “Summer Movies: 30 Sun-Drenched Classics”
Summer Movies is your guide to 30 sun-drenched classics that—through beach parties, road trips, outdoor sports, summer camp, or some intangible mood that brings the heat—manage to keep summer alive year-round. Packed with production details, stories from the set, and more than 150 photos, the book takes an in-depth look at films from the silent era to the present that reflect the full range of how summer has been depicted on screen, both by Hollywood and by international filmmakers.