Sandbox World | The Stories Behind Pop Culture

Entertainment

The cover of 'Mutts Sunday Funnies Volume 2' features a light tan background. On the left, a black and white cat (Mooch) and a white dog (Earl) are napping on steps outside a house with blue curtains. On the right, the title 'Patrick McDonnell MUTTS SUNDAY FUNNIES Volume 2' is displayed, with a small blue dog (Earl) singing happily at the bottom right, and a thought bubble with a cat (Mooch) in the upper left.

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.

Captain Kirk, wearing a Roman-style toga and laurel wreath, kisses Lieutenant Uhura, who is dressed in a white gown. Kirk's eyes are closed and his face is angled towards Uhura, whose dark hair is styled in a large bun. Their hands are clasped, and the mood is romantic.

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.

A Ripley's Believe It or Not! cartoon features a black and white Rockhopper penguin with a yellow crest on the left, looking right. Below it, a dark fish with a wide mouth swims in dark water with white specks. The text above reads: 'SCIENTISTS DEBATE WHETHER NORTHERN, EASTERN AND SOUTHERN ROCKHOPPER PENGUINS ARE SEPARATE SPECIES, SEPARATE SUBSPECIES OR JUST ONE SPECIES.'

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.

The cover of the book 'Street Fight: Mean America & the War on Sesame Street' by Michael Davis features Big Bird sitting on a stool, holding a small cardboard sign that reads 'Save our street'. Big Bird, a tall, yellow, feathered character with an orange beak and legs, looks directly at the viewer with a slightly concerned expression. The background is dark and appears to be an urban setting with some light sources from above.

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?

The book cover for 'Unseen Places' by Anna Kodé features a light blue background. In the center, an orange sphere with a single black eye and a small orange band around it is encircled by a thick, spiraling orange line. The title 'Unseen Places' is in large blue letters at the top, followed by the subtitle 'Rediscovering the Art of Observation' in smaller black text, and the author's name 'Anna Kodé' in large black letters at the bottom.

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, a man with short, wavy gray hair, looks directly at the viewer with a serious expression. He is wearing a blue and white striped suit jacket and is leaning forward with his arms crossed on a dark surface. Behind him, a large, bright red book titled "SLEEPING BEAUTIES: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up" by David Byrne is prominently displayed.

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.

Snoopy, the white beagle from Peanuts, stands on a bright yellow background, looking down with a happy, expectant expression. His paws are clasped together in front of him, and he is surrounded by three red dog bowls filled with different kinds of food.

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.

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.

A black and white promotional poster for a Netflix documentary titled "Who Is Martin Mull?" features a man in a suit, but his lower body is replaced with a collage of images. The man, Martin Mull, has light hair and a mustache, wearing a patterned suit jacket and tie with a dog's face on it. He holds a small, decorated guitar in his left hand and rests his right hand on his hip. His legs are replaced with various images, including a dog's head, a woman's legs in boots, and a chair. The title "WHO IS Martin Mull?" is in a yellow and red retro font at the bottom, with "ONLY ON NETFLIX" below it.

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.

A black and white still from the film 'The Ghost and Mrs. Muir' shows Gene Tierney as Mrs. Muir and Rex Harrison as Captain Gregg. Mrs. Muir, on the left, looks up and to the right with a thoughtful expression, wearing a light-colored dress with a lace collar. Captain Gregg, on the right, looks down at her with a serious expression, dressed in a dark coat and sporting a beard. They appear to be on a ship, with a window showing the ocean in the background.

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.

A vintage movie poster for "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla" features a large, brown, furry gorilla with its arm around a smiling woman in a red floral bikini top and sarong. To the right, an older man with a stern expression, Bela Lugosi, looks forward, while the bottom left corner shows a close-up of a man in a green hat looking up in fear. The poster also includes smaller images of men in suits and a woman with a gorilla, along with the film's title and cast names in colorful text.

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.

A collage of black and white stills from various horror films featuring Bela Lugosi, surrounding a central graphic that reads "BELA LUGOSI'S STINKERS" in dripping green and yellow letters. The central graphic depicts a overflowing trash can with film reels, banana peels, and crushed cans, all covered in green slime. The surrounding stills show Lugosi in different roles, including a man in a suit and fedora looking menacing, a scientist with a woman on an operating table, a man with a werewolf, and Lugosi as Dracula. The overall mood is campy and humorous, celebrating Lugosi's lesser-known, B-movie horror roles.

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.

Food & Life

A screenshot of the 'Don't Cook That' website, featuring a light background with dark red and yellow text. The main headline reads: 'Recipes people really printed. Recipes you really shouldn't make.' Below, a description mentions 'Beer brewed from sulphuric acid. Bread risen with hydrochloric acid.' On the right, a card titled 'TODAY'S TERRIBLE IDEA' displays 'Beer of Sulphuric Acid' with a skull and crossbones icon and a warning to 'CALL POISON CONTROL.' An elderly person with glasses and a winter hat sips from a glass of dark liquid, looking serious. The website's footer shows '144 RECIPES VERIFIED,' '48 REAL COOKBOOKS,' and '1831-1929' as the date range.

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.

A box of "Paris Zoo Buddies" chicken-shaped animal nuggets sits open on a wooden table next to a plate of seven cooked nuggets, a small bowl of ketchup, and a glass of milk. The red box features cartoon animals (giraffe, elephant, hippo) and a drawing of a man with a thumbs-up, advertising "Chicken-Shaped Zoo Animals" and "10g Protein." The nuggets on the plate are in various animal shapes, including a giraffe, elephant, and hippopotamus, with one partially eaten.

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.

A cream-colored poster for a play titled "A Morning with Ernie Bushmiller." The title is in large, bold red letters at the top. Below it, in smaller black text, it reads: "A Play by TOM GAMMILL," "Starring TOM GAMMILL & LAUREN SERVIDEO," "Directed by OWEN KLINE," and "Produced by MARK & STEVE O'DONNELL." On the right side of the poster is a black-and-white cartoon drawing of a man from the chest up, smiling with a pencil tucked behind his ear. He wears a collared shirt and a polka-dotted tie. In the bottom left corner are two smaller black-and-white cartoon figures: a girl with a bow in her hair and a boy in a checkered cap, both smiling.

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.

The Odd & Curious

A vintage-style poster for Houdini, featuring multiple illustrations and text. The top left shows Houdini escaping handcuffs, with text 'EUROPE'S ECLIPSING SENSATION HOUDINI THE WORLD'S HANDCUFF KING & PRISON BREAKER'. The top right depicts spirits and a medium, with text 'Do Spirits Return?'. The center features a smiling portrait of Houdini and large text 'HOUDINI SAYS NO - AND PROVES IT 3 SHOWS IN ONE MAGIC - ILLUSIONS - ESCAPES - FRAUD EXPOSED'. The bottom shows a group of men pulling on chains and a large padlock, with text 'JESSE L. LASKY HOUDINI 'THE GRIM GAME' A PARAMOUNT-ARTCRAFT PICTURE'.

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.

Three bottles of red wine stand on a wooden surface in front of a sunny vineyard. From left to right, the labels read: 'Old Old Coffin Dodger Cabernet Sauvignon,' 'Middle-Old Geezer Merlot,' and 'You So Old Fossil Cabernet Franc.' Each label features a different design related to aging, such as a skeleton running with a scythe, a vineyard landscape, and a cluster of grapes.

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.

A vintage red spherical stereo player with a silver handle on top sits on a wooden floor against a wooden wall. The front of the player features a black control panel with a radio tuner, volume and tone knobs, and a slot for an 8-track tape, which currently holds a 'Boston' tape.

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.

A promotional image for 'Rocktober' by Rhino Records, featuring a black and white banner with 'ROCKTOBER' in a jagged, rock-style font and 'RHINO' below it. Below the banner, three colored vinyl records are displayed. From left to right: a red vinyl with the album cover 'Love' by Love, a red vinyl with the album cover 'Forever Changes' by Love, and a blue vinyl with the album cover 'The Monkees Present Micky, David, Michael' by The Monkees.

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.

A tall, precarious stack of music CDs in their jewel cases stands upright against a white background. The stack leans slightly to the right, with the top CDs appearing to be on the verge of toppling over. The spines of the CDs are visible, displaying various album titles and artist names in different colors and fonts.

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.

The Eternal Struggles of the Howling Man

Who is this irresistible creature who has an insatiable love for the dead? Why it is Rob Zombie, the king of kitschy-cool horror rock and he is back with The Eternal Struggles of the Howling Man from his upcoming seventh solo studio album, The Lunar Injection Kool-Aid Eclipse Conspiracy.

Swatch “Mickey Mouse” Keith Haring Watch Collection

There was a time when Swatch was a juggernaut. Apple Watch has taken over that market. Swatch has teamed up with the estate of Keith Haring and Walt Disney in a timely fashion to give us the Mickey Mouse watch as illustrated by Keith Haring. This is a great buy for Keith Haring fans.

Why Bother trying, Charlie Brown?

In the seventies, everyone was crazy about peanuts, the comic strip about depressed children that showed that life was pointless and effort was futile.

action comics pop comic covers superman vinyl figure

Superman Action Comic Pop! Comic Cover Figure

Funko is creating a line of figures with a famous Comic Cover of a selected superhero. The inauguration concept debuts with the greatest appearance of all. Action Comics #1, with the introduction of Superman from 1938. This is a winner idea, Funko has enjoyed success with their Pop Album Covers lineup.

Werewolves on Wheels

A biker gang visits a monastery where they encounter black-robed monks engaged in worshipping Satan. When the monks try to persuade one of the female bikers, Helen, to become a satanic sacrifice the bikers smash up the monastery and leave.

Yellow Submarine animator Ron Campbell dead at 81

I am saddened to hear that Ron Campbell, the animator of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine has passed away at the age of 81. Animation Magazine did a great tribute to him.

They Came From Beyond Space

Here is a movie with a great poster, but very little money for the film budget. It is based on the book “The Gods Hate Kansas” by Joseph Millard. The disc artwork is amazing but what is inside is quite the opposite.

PICO-8 Tiny Console

Get ready to have hours of fun with this tiny console by the name of PICO-8. No need to spend hundreds of dollars on games. PICO-8 is loads of fun for a fraction of the cost.

What the duck?!

A comic book cover variant from All-New Captain America #6, 2015. Declan Shalvey pays homage to Andy Warhol’s famous Campbell’s soup can lithograph.

Photopea: Free Online Photo Editor

Ever wanted a free Photoshop clone without downloading any new software? Well, Photopea is your answer, the graphic editor is web-based and very easy to use. You will right at home if you are a Photoshop user.

Photopea is a web-based raster graphics editor used for image editing, making illustrations, web design or converting between different image formats. Photopea is advertising-supported software.

Ditko Shrugged: The Uncompromising Life of the Artist Behind Spider-Man

Steve Ditko emulated his creations, he was a man of mystery and that suited him fine. He co-created both Spider-Man and Doctor Strange with Stan Lee. He had a beef with Stan Lee, he always believed he was also the originator of the famous Marvel Method way of storytelling. Stan Lee always said that he was the sole creator of the method.

Exploring Gotham City

Gotham unlike Metropolis and other superhero cities has a character of its own. It is not a mere backdrop but an essential component of each character in the Batman universe. Gotham is tied to the origin of each character, it is a raison d’etre for all the characters. Heroes are born to protect Gotham and villains born to extract the riches from Gotham.

Entertainment

The Mrs. Roper Romp gains momentum each year globally

Is Miffy Japanese? The Truth Behind This Iconic Bunny’s Origins

Culture

The Origin of Good Grief and Charlie Brown’s Famous Phrase

Who knew that the Maltese Falcon is worth 4.1 million

Food & Life

Who Is the Winking Chef on Pizza Boxes?

Halloween Watch: I Married a Witch

The Odd & Curious

Word of the Week:

SNACKSTUME