Curio & Co. looks at new Lancome spokesperson, classic cartoon character Betty Boop. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Betty Boop selling Lancôme mascara

November 27, 2012

A match made in licensing heaven Starting this Saturday, December 1st, Betty Boop will be selling Lancôme’s Hypnôse Star mascara in Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. With Ms. Boop’s famous peepers,...

Curio & Co. listens to classic Thanksgiving folksong Alice's Restaurant. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

A Thanksgiving Dinner that Couldn’t Be Beat

November 22, 2012

“You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant” There are few Thanksgiving dinners more memorable (or which have sold more records) than the one – or actually two...

Curio & Co. looks at classic Disneland ride Adventure Through Innser Space. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Adventure Through Inner Space, 1967

November 17, 2012

A little amusement park ride that made a big impact on a kid. I loved Adventure Through Inner Space; it was my all-time favorite ride at Disneyland. It might seem...

Curio & Co. looks at packaging. Envelope with Bunchy and Oberfaffendorfer ads. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

To You from Curio & Co.

November 9, 2012

We all know not to judge a book by its cover, but sometimes that cover can sure put your mind at ease. When you order one of...

Sadie Hawkins Day

November 3, 2012

How a comic strip launched a high school tradition There’s something especially charming about fictional traditions that catch on in the real world. Though with Sadie Hawkins Day, the...

Curio & Co. looks at Halloween candy. illustration of Pumpkins. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Traditions that involve candy are the hardest to break. Ahhh, Halloween. When witches prowl the moonlit skies, and ghouls materialize in deserted graveyards, when jack-o’-lanterns howl with fiendish delight....

Curio & Co. looks at popular Franco-Belgian cowboy comic book Lucky Luke. Photo of Lucky Luke Banner. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Lucky Luke, the Belgian Cowboy

October 20, 2012

The myth of the cowboy and legends of the Wild West play a huge role in defining American cultural identity. Though the historical timeline of the Wild West was...

The dying art of film

October 15, 2012

Should we send flowers? Here at Curio & Co., we’re obviously vocal supporters of the past and its media. We love getting lost in 60-year-old animation (don’t worry Jax,...

Curio & Co. looks at giclee prints. Prints of Mantagons form 1960's Spaceman Jax TV series by Pud Film. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

What do Mickey Mouse, Spaceman Jax and “Carrie Ann” by The Hollies have in common?

October 15, 2012

Giclée prints. By the time “Carrie Ann” hit radio stations in 1967, Spaceman Jax and the Galactic Adventures had been off the air for several years. And it would...

Curio & Co. looks at vintage Remington typewriters. Photograph of dusty typewriter. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

The mighty Remington typewriter

September 29, 2012

The pen, they say, is mightier than the sword. But as the 19th century came to a close, at least one weapons manufacturer was hedging its bets. By...

Curio & Co. looks at vintage travel posters. Closeup photo of vintage austrian travel ad. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Is it Summer Vacation Yet?

September 22, 2012

What better way to reflect on the past summer than to look at some posters of summer vacations long past? Though the beginning of autumn is upon us,...

Curio & Co. relaxes with a 1960s Lava Lamp. Photograph of colorful lava lamp. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

In appreciation the Lava Lamp

September 15, 2012

Nothing says 1960s psychedelia like a Lava Lamp. Though the black light posters may have long since been rolled up and put away in the attic, the Lava Lamp...

TV Guide Fall Preview Issue

September 7, 2012

When leaves begin to turn and kids head back to school, you know it’s time for a new TV season. TV viewing habits have changed a lot in the...

Curio & Co. looks at classic vintage lunchboxes to go back to school. Photo of retro lunch box from Land of the Giants. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Thinking inside the box

August 31, 2012

Forget “You are what you eat,” for school kids, you are what you eat out of. When we were kids, Back to School Sales were the harbinger of...

Curio & Co. looks at vintage fairground organ music boxes. Photograph. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

And the “band” plays on

August 24, 2012

It’s hard enough to make a living as a musician, without having to compete with machines for jobs. Fairground organs were the first juke boxes, providing music for parks...

Curio & Co. looks at classic children's program Sesame Street. Photo of plush Ernie and Elmo. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

The Sesame Street Generation

August 17, 2012

“Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?” How to get to Sesame Street? Easy, just head straight back into your childhood. There is little that’s warmer...

Curio & Co. enjoys candy from old-time vending machines. Photo of gum ball vending machines. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

All for just 25 cents

August 10, 2012

Can you buy social harmony out of a vending machine? A strange phenomenon has been taking place in the past year or so, and it has nothing to...

Curio & Co. looks at kids' favorite snacks. Photo of Cheez-it boxes. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Tasty “snax” from childhood

August 4, 2012

Forget the counting, there’s no spelling for taste! When you’re a kid, you know you’re in for a treat if a product name uses non-standard spelling. Froot instead of...

Curio & Co. takes the classic VW Bug Herbie for a spin. Photograph of an old run down Herbie VW bug. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

A well-loved Love Bug

July 28, 2012

Hollywood is fickle, even for a plucky little car that wears its heart on its fender. The recent Pixar films might wish you to think otherwise, but no other...

Curio & Co. watches classic 80's film American Dreamer. Movie Poster. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

American Dreamer, 1984

July 19, 2012

Turns out, imagined intrigue is just as dangerous as the real thing. Some films will just always remind you of home, either because you watched them as a child...

Curio & Co. at Comic-Con 2012

July 11, 2012

Pack your bags, we're heading to San Diego, California! The uneven bars have the Olympics, dogs have the Westmister Kennel Club. For the entertainment industry, the big show is Comic-Con...

Curio & Co. salutes the vintage summertime Slip 'n Slide. Slip 'n Slide vintage advertisement. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Slip 'n Slide, 1961

July 6, 2012

Nothing says “summer” like a trip down the Slip ‘n Slide. You need a running start to get the best slide – at least six steps and then a loud...

Curio & Co. looks at vintage Sears Catalogs. Photo of Sears and Roebuck catalog. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

The Sears & Roebuck Catalog, 1893-1993

June 26, 2012

From clothing to carriages and bridles to beaver traps, if it wasn’t in the catalog, it probably didn’t exist. In the late 1800s, it was difficult for rural Americans...

Curio & Co. at the American Library Association

June 20, 2012

You can’t avoid “overdue” jokes at the biggest library conference. Here at Curio & Co. we love a good library. Shelves and shelves of books, helpful staff who can...

Curio & Co. goes to Rat Pack Las Vegas. Photo of Flaming Signage lights in the night. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Rat Pack Vegas: Ocean’s 11 (1960)

June 15, 2012

Hitting the town with Frank, Dean and Sammy There’s probably no crime that elicits more sympathy than robbing a casino. When the house always wins, a person can develop...

Curio & Co. celebrates post office boxes and the lost art of letter writing. Vintage USPS post office PO boxes. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Please Mr. Postman

June 7, 2012

In this world of technology, is there anything better than receiving real mail? NASA may be the coolest government agency (hello, space food!), but the post office is still...

Gadabout Time Machien User's Manual in the Believer Magazine published by McSweeney's. Cover of Believer Magazine with quote on Gadabout review. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Gadabout TM-1050 in Believer Magazine

June 1, 2012

The Gadabout hits newsstands this month in a review by Stephen Burt. Our favorite literary magazine, The Believer, has published a review of the Gadabout TM-1050 Time Machine Manual...

Curio & Co. listens to hit comedy album The Button-down Mind of Bob Newhart. LP Cover of The Button-down Mind of Bob Newhart. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, 1960

May 24, 2012

Comedy gold, one phone call at a time. Bob Newhart is certainly the world’s most successful former accountant. His debut comedy album, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, was the...

Lights, camera, popcorn!

May 16, 2012

Celebrating the real star of the silver screen. Popcorn and entertainment have long been partners. As early as 1870, popcorn was a common staple at stadiums and parks in...

Curio & Co. reviews the classic 1960s film with Audrey Hepburn and peter O'Toole. Czech Movie Poster of How to Steal a Million. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

How to Steal a Million, 1966

May 9, 2012

A terrific how-to for film or fashion. How to Steal a Million is a perfect film. It’s a heist caper, first of all, and those are always perfect. (I’ve...

Modern, stone-age branding

May 1, 2012

The Flintstones characters are (bed)rock-solid salesmen. The Flintstones haven't gone out of popularity since they first came on screens in 1960, so the characters have graced a wide variety...

Curio & Co. watches Saturday Night Fever with Jasper Fforde. Background image of John Travolta & Karen Lynn Gorney dancing in Saturday Nigh Fever with Lego posing the some way in foreground. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Schrödinger’s Saturday Night Fever

April 23, 2012

At last, the scientific community has made sense of the John Travolta “classic.” It’s a familiar story: you exit the cinema with a friend after seeing the latest cinematic...

Curio & Co. looks at German poster for the E.T. videogame by Atari. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

E.T., the flop

April 10, 2012

Take one mega-blockbuster, put it in the hands of the leading video game manufacturer, and you’ll end up with a sure-fire winner, right? E.T. opened in June 1982...

WonderCon 2012 Round-up!

March 29, 2012

Who couldn't use a dose of Stan Lee? WonderCon's always got you covered. What a terrific WonderCon! Many die-hard WonderCon fans were worried about the show's move from San...

Curio & Co. discussion panel at WonderCon, Mork toy and Dinosaur promotional image for Curio & Co. panel discussion. Curio and Co. www.curioandco.com

Ready for WonderCon?

March 16, 2012

The books are boxed and our bags are packed; Anaheim Convention Center, here we come! The excitement level at the office is rising as we get ready for WonderCon...

Curio & Co. panel on the Myth of Nostalgia at WonderCon

Curio & Co. discussion panel at WonderCon

February 20, 2012

Join us for a discussion on ‘The Myth of Nostalgia’ We’re thrilled to be putting together a discussion panel at this year’s WonderCon – and we hope you all...

Congratulations to Wired.com Geek Dad winner!

February 14, 2012

Congratulations to Larry from Pennsylvania, the randomly selected winner of the Gadabout TM 1050 User’s Manual. Thanks to our Geek Dad friends at Wired.com for hosting the contest –...

Franco-belgian comicTintin is in a jar, photo by Curio & Co.

Angoulême International Comics Festival in France - with Tintin, Asterix and Art Spiegelman!

February 11, 2012

A week of French food, French wine, and French comics – Vive la bande dessinée! You would hardly think the small town of Angoulême could hold such a big...

Curio & Co. team up with the Geek Dad folks at Wired.com to bring you a Gadabout User's Manual.

Win a Gadabout User’s Manual from Wired.com!

February 6, 2012

Let's face it - we've all thought about using time travel to win contests. Our GeekDad friends over at Wired.com are hosting a contest to give away a copy...

Curio & Co. in Angoulême

January 23, 2012

We travel to France for the largest comics festival in Europe. Angoulême is France’s capital of comics, animation and visual arts. The city is home to the Angoulême International Comics...

Curio & Co. celebrates the birthday of famed anime director Hayao Miyazaki.

Happy Birthday Hayao Miyazaki!

January 5, 2012

Grab a slice of birthday cake to celebrate our favorite anime director. January 5th is the 71st birthday of Hayao Miyazaki – writer, animator and director working in the...

Curio & Co. wonders what happened to this old Batman and Robin collectible.

Holy rhyme scheme, Batman!

January 2, 2012

A poem for a Robin figurine Robin, dear Robin, where have you been? You're beat up and scratched, with a faded grin. I only mention it because we all care,...

Curio & Co. remembers Family Circus creator Bil Keane

We'll miss Bil Keane

November 10, 2011

The Family Circus lost its ringleader, and the Sunday Funnies lost its heart. Since 1960, The Family Circus has brought sweet family moments and childlike humor to 1,500 newspapers...

Is It 'Cause It's Cool? Affective Encounters with American Culture - Conference Button

Salzburg, 'Cause It's Cool'

November 8, 2011

The Sound of Music was in the air Over the weekend, Mr. Druthers attended a conference in Salzburg on Is It 'Cause It's Cool?' organized by University of Vienna &...

Stormtrooper costumes at Lucca Comics and Games 2011

Boba Fett clones everywhere!

November 2, 2011

Costumes Costume Costumes It seems that there's absolutely no way of going to a trade show/comic convention without being ambushed by Boba Fett clones. Stormtroopers are everywhere! Lucca Comics and...

Lucca Comics

October 27, 2011

Curio & Co. is headed to Lucca Comics - will we see you there? Lucca Comics and Games is one of the most popular comic conventions in the world,...

Curio & Co.'s Gadabout time machine user's manual

Who's up for a contest?

October 26, 2011

They say there's not such thing as a free lunch, but they didn't say anything about free collectibles! Our friends over at Kollectible Kulture are hosting a contest to...

Frankenweenie (1984) Still - Directed by Tim Burton

Frankenweenie 1984-2012

October 24, 2011

Oh no he's not R.I.P., he's rising from the grave on Oct. 5, 2012 Woo-hoo! Tim Burton is coming back to stop motion animation. From the Frankenweenie short to a...

The faces and bodies of Frankenstein's monster

October 18, 2011

38 faces & 42 interpretations, adaptations of Frankenstein's looks Charles Ogle was the first face of Frankenstein for the first adaptation of Frankenstein (1910), which believe it or not it...

The Shining (1980) - poster design by Saul Bass

Saul Bass - The Shining (1980)

October 17, 2011

Saul's work shining again and again and again Continuing looking at Saul Bass's work. Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's book The Shining is a masterpiece of modern horror. We started connecting...

Guerre Stellari (Star Wars) 1977 - poster by Michelangelo Papuzza

Guerre Stellari for A Fistful of Dollars

October 14, 2011

Not the poster you were looking for As Louis Smeedley was doing research on our recent post "Is Star Wars George Lucas's Fantasia?" he came across this Italian poster...

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes - poster illustration by Robert McGinnis

Sherlock Holmes, Private Life or A Game of Shadows

October 13, 2011

Elementary Watson! So we were doing research looking at Billy Wilder and then the new Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows caught our eye. It will be hitting theatres on December...

Love in the Afternoon (1957) - Poster design by Saul Bass

Another Saul Bass home run - Love in the afternoon (1957)

October 12, 2011

SAUL CONTRIBUTION TO THE FILM INDUSTRY AGAIN. Selling a movie with the name of the cast is not news - producers, distributors, and investors push it all the time....

One, Tow, Tree (1961) - Poster design by Saul Bass

Saul Bass Designer Galore - One, Two, Three (1961)

October 11, 2011

Saul Contribution to the Film Industry. How about some basic design! Saul Bass really knew his A, B, C's of design, and he's definitely showing it in One, Two, Three (1961)...

A good time for toys

September 20, 2011

Don’t you just love it when two of your favorites come together? We couldn’t be more thrilled that Swiss watchmaker Swatch has teamed up with vinyl art toy specialist...

Comic-Con 2011 Round Up - Part 2

August 11, 2011

Everywhere you looked at Comic-Con 2011, you were surrounded by legends. We all had our “you won’t believe what just happened to me” moments. Mr. Druthers discovered that he and...

Comic-Con 2011 Round Up – Part 1

August 3, 2011

Fans of Comic books, films, and the popular arts invaded San Diego again, in a big way. Comic-Con gets bigger every year. Between all the panels and the costumes and...

Curio & Co. presents a time machine manual

Time for something very different

July 22, 2011

Need a little extra time in your day? We might just be able to help. The buzz you’ve heard is true. Yes, we’ve got a 1950s manual for a Cudworth-Hooper...

Something for everyone at the big show

July 20, 2011

THE BEST PART OF COMIC-CON? THE STARS? THE COSTUMES? THE GOODIE BAGS? For us at Curio & Co. the highlight of the summer is always Comic-Con. There’s so much...

Has Comic-Con still got it?

July 13, 2011

With several big studios skipping the ‘Con this year, has Hollywood lost interest in comic fans? Blogs have been a-buzz since the New York Times published a story last...

Summertime Splash

July 8, 2011

Well, the days are longer, Margie’s obsessing about the temperature, and we’re packing for Comic-Con – so it must be summer! From tiny squirt pistols to water balloon bandoliers,...

Souvenirs and sweet memories

June 29, 2011

What do you bring back from your travels for friends and family? Jay recently came back from Eastern Europe and brought back some fun chocolates and candy bars for everyone...

Finding Frank and His Friend Eisner Nominee

Thanks for your support.

June 17, 2011

Voting for the Eisner Awards has closed, and we wanted to thank all of your for your support of our nominated book, Finding Frank and His Friend. We’re really...

Friends help your collections add up

June 3, 2011

Sometimes you start a collection, sometimes they’re started for you. Margie never intended to collect calculators. But one day when she discovered an error in Jay’s expense report that...

It takes all sorts (or Allsorts?)

May 25, 2011

One man’s treasure, so they say, is another man’s junk. Collecting pop culture – especially when they’re cult objects – means collecting things other people think are, well garbage. ...

Exhibition at the British Library "Out of this World"

Back to the Future of the Past

May 12, 2011

An upcoming exhibition at the British Library looks at our past visions of the future through the history of Science Fiction. From technological utopias to robotic uprisings, Science Fiction gives...

Just our cup of tea!

May 6, 2011

The cutest little vinyl toys, along with their custom-brewed friends, are on tour now. Don’t miss the Mini Tea Tour if you can help it! Lunartik’s Mini Tea Tour...

Don't forget to vote!

April 26, 2011

The history of election ballots and voting machines is a lesson in ingenuity. The humble election ballot has a rich history – starting with the ballota, or “small colored...

Finding Frank and his Friend nominated for Will Isner Award 2011 - Best Graphic Album — New

“It’s an honor just to be nominated.”

April 12, 2011

We’ve been hitting the cake pretty hard since the Eisner Award Nominees were announced last week and Finding Frank and His Friend was among the books chosen. The nominees...

WonderCon wrap up

April 4, 2011

Mondays are no one’s favorite day of the week, but when it means no more WonderCon, a Monday is especially disappointing. We had such a great time in San...

Come see us at WonderCon!

April 1, 2011

We arrived to absolutely beautiful weather in San Francisco – lots of sun and the bluest sky. It’s a good thing that there’s so much to see at the...

On a Secret Mission

March 4, 2011

At Curio & Co. we take silly very seriously. After all, most of what we collect so passionately – animation artwork, movie memorabilia, comic books and more – were...

Planning a day off at San Francisco’s WonderCon?

February 24, 2011

We can’t wait to visit our favorite City by the Bay for this year’s WonderCon. The conference promises to be terrific – have you seen the list of special...

Making Connections at Comic-Con

February 9, 2011

As the recent ticketing fiasco demonstrates, Comic-Con is getting a little crazy. There are so many people there that it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle, and it’s...

Curio & Co. Frank and His Friend Good Stuff

Best of Frank and His Friend

February 1, 2011

Pouring over the new images in Finding Frank and His Friend, we’ve started reminiscing about our favorite ones from the past. We asked some of the folks around the office...

European Hershey Candy Bar for Margie at Curio & Co.

Sweets for the Sweet

January 18, 2011

Margie likes her candy bars. A lot. But she makes a point not to eat them “just because” or “whenever she wants to”. Instead, she seeks out new candy bars...

Laramie recommends: Vienna

January 13, 2011

It’s raining lightly in Vienna as I write this. But isn’t that the best weather in which to poke around in small shops? Ned and I are in Austria for...

A New Look for the New Year

December 4, 2010

When your business is collecting, you’ve got to update the system every few years. Take Ned’s record collection: he’s got more LPs than anyone around (a copy each of the...

Car Grill - At Curio & Co. we love design form the past present and future, and we understand that devil is in the details

What Happened To The Details?

November 30, 2010

Cars don’t have amazing grills anymore. Men don’t wear dapper hats. Homes aren’t constructed with those great built-ins. What happened to all the details? Here at Curio & Co., we...

Frank and his Friend - Clarence 'Otis' Dooley - meet the invisible man

Finding Lost Treasures

November 30, 2010

Thinking about these illustrations from Frank and his Friend hiding in the garage for the last 30 years still has us reeling. How many times did we close the Completely...