Sandbox World

Did Casper inspire Harvey Comics’ Hot Stuff the Little Devil?

Chatfishing is the use of AI to write romantic messages on dating apps, sometimes making someone seem more charming or attentive than they really are.

Angine de Poitrine-inspired Halloween costumes were pulled from Party Expert stores after a reported legal threat.

Tiny Little Office offers a minimalist online word processor, spreadsheet, calculator and other tools without an account or subscription.

Patrick Foote of Name Explain explores English words packed with repeated letters, from a 45-letter medical term to possessionlessness and indivisibilities.

Waldo or Wally?

What is ragebait?

A personal look at Daniel Bukszpan’s Heavy Metal’s Big Four, exploring the music, rivalries and underground culture behind Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.

Why was The Transformers: The Movie soundtrack so unusual?

Martin Mull was more than a television actor.

David Byrne’s Sleeping Beauties explores forgotten ideas, overlooked inventions and artists who waited decades or centuries to be rediscovered.

The 8-track tape ruled car stereos before cassettes killed it, but its strange legacy lives on in mixtapes, video-game cartridges and collectors.

Harvey Ball created the iconic smiley face in 10 minutes for $45.

Why I hate Tweety Bird, from his treatment of Sylvester to his strange origins, boy-or-girl mystery, and the cartoons that make him look less innocent.

What is a Snackstume?

There is no evidence that Salem's accused witches wore the stereotypical pointy hat.

The 1947 classic The Ghost and Mrs.

Why is Halloween Is Grinch Night so strange?

Bela Lugosi, Jerry Lewis imitators, a gorilla suit and Hollywood controversy collide in this bizarre 1952 cult movie.

Before 24-hour TV, stations signed off for hours.

Rhino's Rocktober gives Arthur Lee and Love another spin with three limited-edition albums, but the real Love story begins with Forever Changes.

Old cookbooks weren't always harmless.

Peanuts: Your Choice, Snoopy takes us back to 1967, when Snoopy, Woodstock and the Flying Ace were becoming the characters we know today.

Anthony Bourdain’s Get Jiro!

Netflix Canada is bringing a collection of classic television to its streaming lineup, raising an interesting question: are viewers looking for nostalgia, comfort or simply something familiar to watch?

Madeline Miller returns with Mestra, revisiting a forgotten Greek myth about family, survival, transformation and the power to resist impossible odds.

When did 81 become young?

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.

We killed the CD, dumped the evidence and moved on.

Matt Kirkland has a strange solution for giant books: chop them into smaller, manageable volumes.

Why did missing children's faces appear on milk cartons?

Hollywood has been hiding the same ridiculous scream in movies for generations.

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.

Logan's Run still matters 50 years later?

Celebrity Bowling put stars like William Shatner, Bob Newhart and Alex Trebek on real bowling lanes.

Mo Willems is writing a book for grown-ups, sharing stories, artwork and a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind The Pigeon, Elephant & Piggie and more.

Fifty years after the Big Gulp arrived, bigger portions became a symbol of value, pop culture helped sell the idea, and shrinkflation has now turned the story upside down.

Yahtzee and Pringles come together in a snack-themed take on the classic dice game, complete with Mr.

A look at All The Right Movies, the book packed with behind-the-scenes facts, interviews and stories movie fans will love.

Vince Guaraldi’s It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown finally gets a complete soundtrack release, revealing a funky, electric side of his Peanuts music.

Netflix is bringing YouTube creators onto its platform, but the real prize isn't simply subscribers.

I discovered Mike Lowery through his Scotland sketchbook and quickly fell in love with his funny drawings, travel sketches and wonderfully weird ideas.

Superman’s Fleischer cartoons are 85 years old, but their incredible animation, Art Deco Metropolis and timeless sense of adventure still make them worth watching today.

Apple's new iPhone Duo starts at $2,999 in Canada.

An audiobook can be a 20-hour commitment, so the person telling the story matters.

Ritchie Blackmore recorded bass on five Rainbow tracks but never performed those bass parts live.

Your library card can give you free access to movies, comics, ebooks, audiobooks, newspapers and more, potentially saving you thousands every year.

Remember Atari's Asteroids?

Angine de Poitrine is a wonderfully strange Quebec math-rock duo.

The mysterious “E” in Wile E.