Pop Culture
Comic-Con 2016
Our favorite time of year has arrived – it’s finally Comic-Con time! The Curio & Co. year basically revolves around these five days in San Diego: we’re either gearing up for Comic-Con or coming down from it. During Comic-Con we connect with old friends and meet new friends. We get...
Skipping Comic-Con
Taking a break from the big show Summer is upon us, and for most of us that means a trip to San Diego for Comic-Con. However, for the first time since 2010, the Curio & Co. staff will be taking a break from the mega convention. But don’t worry:...
What makes packaging work
When thinking outside the box just isn’t enough Packaging designers, like burlesque performers, know that pulling off the wrapping as fast as possible isn’t always ideal. Good packaging can help tell a story. Not only does it provide ample space to squeeze in a little more information about the...
Collecting Autographs
Celebrity spotting is like the IRS – get an autograph as a receipt or no one will believe you. Although fame seems terrific from the outside, most of us would probably choose to hold on to our privacy and anonymity rather than face screaming fans and a wall of paparazzi....
Time for a game night
Grab some friends and deal up some fun. One of my favorite parts of the terrific Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenebaums is the scene where Chas Tenebaum pulls his father aside to have a heated word with him, and they step into the game closet to talk. It’s...
An ode to imperfections
In a digital world, “to err is human” is starting to mean a lot more. I know that my 3rd grade teacher would disagree, but I think sloppiness can often trump perfection. Just take registration in older comics. Putting together comics in the past required skills that few possess...
The History of Tarot
Card reading (for fun and profit) has a long history, but maybe not as long as you think. The Pennyland Handbook of Cartomancy that was given to the amusement park employees at the fortune teller tent instructed staff to “Explain that this deck has been passed down from seer...
Bringing back postcards
Nothing says vacation like a “Wish you Were Here” postcard to friends or family. Margie has a wall of postcards behind her desk that is the envy of all the office. She has a lot of pen pals and they dutifully exchange postcards on a regular basis. Wherever she...
Old, older, oldest
When recreating an object that has had many different lives, you have to ask yourself: Which history do you want? It was fun watching the production come together for the Musterberg Tarot Cards. It started with going back through the Pennyland archives, which were made available to us by...
Collecting animated history
Cartoons may have been thought of as entertainment for little kids, but selling animation art is all grown up. Animation art today is big business, with original production art from major studios such as Disney or Warner Brothers fetching high prices at auctions from fine art sellers like Christie’s...
Comic-Con 2015: Where to find us
Going to Comic-Con this year? Stop by and say hello! Comic-Con International is the highlight of the pop culture year – it’s Christmas and the Super Bowl and the Oscars all rolled into one. And we can’t wait. First of all, it’s the most important entertainment trade show in...