Articles

Character Model Department stamp Pud Film - Curio & Co.

Perfect Role Model

October 2, 2018

WHEN A LOT OF ARTISTS ARE WORKING ON THE SAME CHARACTER IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE OR SHORT, IT’S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THE CHARACTER LOOKS THE SAME IN EVERY SCENE. ENTER...

Curio & Co. plays classic board game Candy Land.

Candy Land (1949)

September 17, 2018

Kids and Candy, what could be a better mix? Probably the first board game for most kids is Candy Land. Created in 1949, Candy Land is a standard “racing game”,...

Curio & Co. looks at why kids love obnoxious candy, and some of the worst vintage candy offenders.

Rooty Toots Candy

April 7, 2014

For parents, experiences with sweet candy can tour sour pretty fast. Candy companies seem to be especially out to get parents. It’s bad enough that they get kids sugared up...

Curio & Co. looks at how classic films can continue to appeal to new generations.

Classic films or old films?

March 31, 2014

Will future generations be able to watch black and white films at all? It’s interesting to go back through film history and see how the art form has changed with...

Brought to you by Sunnington Morn

March 24, 2014

Where would Saturday morning cartoons be without cereal manufacturers? For most of us growing up, Saturday mornings meant sitting in front of our favorite cartoons with a bowl of sugary...

Curio & Co. looks at classic comics adapted from popular 1960s vintage animated TV shows.

Ringer Comics

March 13, 2014

Is it still a re-run if it’s in another medium? I’ve been re-reading some old Ringer Comics from the sixties. Though written for kids, they hold up really well reading...

Curio & Co. looks at bloopers in films and where to get them!

When it’s okay to miss the mark

March 3, 2014

Bloopers prove that the best part of something might be the mistakes. Uncontrollable laughter, forgotten lines or pranks or practical jokes by fellow cast members. For me, the Special Features...

Curio & Co. looks at the importance of fan clubs like that for classic vintage TV cartoon Spaceman Jax and the Galactic Adventures.

Fan Club Fanatic

February 24, 2014

Are you in or are you out? When you’re a kid, a sense of belonging is so important. You yearn to be included as part of the group, and being...

Curio & Co. Looks at future technology through the eyes of the 1960's.

Living like the Jetsons

February 17, 2014

The 21st century – the same as it’s always been. Watching old episodes of the Jetsons, I’m really struck by how similar life seems today as it was for the...

Curio & Co. looks at the challenges faced by only children as seen in the classic newspaper comic Frank and His Friend.

Frank and His Friend: A real “Whodunit”

February 5, 2014

Place the blame wherever it will stick When you’re an only child, it’s a little hard not to take the blame for everything that gets broken around the house –...

Curio & Co. looks at heroes from animated TV shows, and why Spaceman Jax might be the best role model for kids.

Spaceman Jax: Born Hero

January 20, 2014

If this guy can come out on top, then there must be a chance for the rest of us. Spaceman Jax is still a perfect hero for kids. He’s dimwitted...

Curio & Co. considers the glamour of travel in the past with the Gadabout Time Machine User's Manual.

Gadabout in Style

January 3, 2014

Is it still possible to travel with a modicum of glamour? With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season behind us, we’ve been thinking a lot about travel....

Curio & Co. looks at changing toy trends, with classic comics from Clarence 'Otis' Dooley.

The toy of the moment

December 13, 2013

Putting your finger on the pulse of the toy industry can be pretty tough. Buying presents for kids is usually pretty easy. Find out what the most popular toy of...

Curio & Co. looks at idyllic childhood days outdoors with classic comic Frank and His Friend.

Growing up outdoors with Frank and His Friend

November 22, 2013

Is it possible to offer kids today the kind of childhood seen in our favorite comics? These days, it seems like kids spend a lot of time indoors, and what...

Curio & Co. looks at the timeless battle over bath time with classic comic Frank and His Friend.

Bath time battles with Frank and His Friend

November 8, 2013

What is it about bath time that sends kids into a panic? Our favorite comic, Frank and His Friend, beautifully captured some of the best memories of being a child:...

Curio & Co. look at classic Frank and His Friend comic and think about breaking the rules as kids.

Frank and His Friend – In trouble again

October 26, 2013

No lamps were harmed in the making of this comic, exactly. Any comic about childhood imagination is also going to have to touch on the flip side of all that...

Curio & Co. looks at classic Sunday Comics and nostalgia with the popular Frank and His Friend newspaper comic strip.

Sundays with Frank and His Friend

October 19, 2013

One of the best parts of the weekend was being able to see all your friends from the funny pages in color. As a kid, Sundays were pretty bittersweet. You...

Curio & Co. looks at Clark Kent getting ready to be Superman

Why does Superman have a job?

February 27, 2012

Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound… but don’t quit your day job. One thing that’s never made sense about superheroes is why...

Curio & Co. wonders about Mickey Mouse and his white gloves, by looking at a classic vintage Mickey Mouse Watch.

Mickey Mouse - The gloved one

January 17, 2012

Mickey Mouse seems like an easy-going guy: approachable, friendly, somewhat freewheeling. So why the formal white gloves? Mickey Mouse has worn white gloves since 1929, when he appeared in Opry...

Curio & Co. watching Disney instant classic animated holiday special Prep & Landing.

Prep & Landing, 2009

December 24, 2011

You think your job gets stressful around the holidays. It's not a surprise that one of the best animated holiday specials of the last few years was produced by John...

Curio & Co. watches classic Muppet holiday special Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas.

Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas, 1977

December 23, 2011

Muppets and Christmas - what could be better? Kermit and piggy may be the most famous Muppets, but little Emmet Otter has got to be the most adorable (just watch...

Curio & Co. watches classic Rankin/Bass holiday special Santa Claus is Comin' to Town.

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, 1970

December 22, 2011

You'd better watch out, you'd better not pout! Sometimes when people say "Christmas Special," they really mean a Rankin/Bass Christmas Special. With their recognizable visual style and their "Animagic" stop-motion...

Curio & Co. watches the holiday classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 1966

December 21, 2011

In Whoville they say - that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day. You have to appreciate how much effort the Grinch puts into his plans. From the...

Curio & Co. watches A Charlie Brown Christmas.

A Charlie Brown Christmas, 1965

December 20, 2011

“I NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS SUCH A BAD LITTLE TREE. IT'S NOT BAD AT ALL, REALLY. MAYBE IT JUST NEEDS A LITTLE LOVE.” The holiday season hasn’t really begun until...

Curio & Co. compares Mr. Spock to Dr. Spock.

Spock vs. Spock

December 16, 2011

Which one is Mr. and which one is Dr.? How to tell which Spock you've got. When you've got to make a tough decision - "Is this a Prime Directive...

Curio & Co. investigates Pet Rock - And they're already housebroken!

Pet Rock (1975)

December 7, 2011

It’s all in the packaging. Joking with friends over drinks, creator Gary Dahl decided that a Pet Rock was the ideal pet – they’re easy to take care of and...

Chia Pet (1982)

December 1, 2011

Ch-ch-ch-chia! The Chia Pet is our favorite Pop Culture “Pet” by far, and it’s an easy guess that these terracotta figurines that grew their own hair have graced kitchen counters...

The Game of Life (1960)

November 25, 2011

Be careful how you play it, it’s a game of Life or death. Going through the game closet, we pulled down the Game of Life – but didn’t play it. ...

Curio & Co. plays classic board games with Pop-o-matic.

Just a pop of the dice

November 24, 2011

Pop-o-Matic... it's how we roll. Nothing can seem simpler than rolling the dice to move colored pieces around a track. But leave it to Kohner Brothers to make even that...

Curio & Co. plays classic card game Mille Bornes.

Mille Bornes (1954)

November 23, 2011

Making highway travel all fun and games. Thinking of my favorite card game recently, Mille Bornes, got me thinking about how beautiful highways can be. Highways don’t get a lot...

Curio & Co. plays classic board game Operation.

Operation (1965)

November 22, 2011

Who needs medical school when you can practice at home? Operation – the game of careful hand-eye coordination, but fortunately no malpractice suits – was created by John Spinello as...

The best who-dunnit

November 18, 2011

It was Professor Plum, in the Ballroom with the Lead Pipe. One of the best all-time, classic games has got to be Clue (Cluedo outside of North America). The simplicity...

Trick or treat?

October 31, 2011

Whether you carry a plastic pumpkin or a pillowcase, it's time to score some sweet loot! For most kids, Halloween comes down to just one thing: Candy. And while the...

Curio & Co. looking at vintage foods - Jell-O

A light repast from the past

October 6, 2011

Vintage clothing? Check. Vintage posters? Check. Vintage food? Ch-what? Trends in eating and drinking come and go, and what was the fashion yesterday might seem a little – stale –...

One hit is all you need for a homerun

September 28, 2011

Sometimes one song says it all. Though sometimes dismissed as failures, one-hit-wonders demand respect. Finding the right combination of lyrics, melody and timing to garner a hit can be like...

Curio & Co. looks at transforming robots

The forgotten quick-change artists

September 1, 2011

A Gobot by any other name…A brief field guide to transforming robot toys. Coke vs. Pepsi. VHS vs. Betamax. Transformers vs. Gobots. Back in the 1980s, lines were drawn. Unfortunately...

A Sticky Love Story

April 22, 2011

Chewing gum sticks in our hearts, not just under the table. Our love affair with chewing gum probably dates back to the time of the Ancient Greeks. They chewed a...

Curio & Co. looks at a new way to channel Wonder Woman

“Get us out from under, Wonder Woman!”

April 15, 2011

Whether or not Wonder Woman was ever gone, she is certainly back in a big way. The upcoming TV show is definitely generating a lot of strong opinions –...

Curio & Co. - Spaceman Jax - Mantagons male and female - love at first tentacle

Shipping in the Stars

March 25, 2011

Or more accurately, Shipping in Space. As in, Spaceman Jax. There’s not a lot of Spaceman Jax fan fiction out there – but it’s out there and whatever your feelings...

We've got you covered

February 11, 2011

They say not to judge a book by its cover, but really, when it looks this good: why not? An effective design will catch your eye across the bookstore and...