The Mostly-Complete Dino Drac Archives.

Five Retro TV Commercials, Part 22!

I’ve been encoding old VHS tapes like crazy lately, collecting more commercials than my computer and two external hard drives can reasonably handle. This article is a small step in clearing the cache, but it’s mainly an excuse for me to gush about giant squid and microwave pizza. Hurri

Ninja Turtles: The Sad Story of Scrag.

I’ll warn you: This article is such a deep cut that only extreme fans of the original Ninja Turtles cartoon stand any chance of finishing it. The rest of you should just come back tomorrow. So, let’s talk about Scrag. An impossible mix of Duckie and Annie Lennox, Scrag wore a pair of t

That one super creepy episode of Sightings.

Back in October of 1992, SIGHTINGS aired an episode about alien abductions. The shots of space aliens looming outside bedroom windows pretty much ruined my life as a kid, but I loved that episode all the same. Let's revisit it!

Tiny Tributes to Minor Monsters, #3!

In this edition of Tiny Tributes to Minor Monsters, I gush about Karg, Grey Gorillas and even the Fun Fruit Trees. Oh, and Super Shredder too. Can't forget him.

Five Retro TV Commercials, Part 21!

Today is my birthday. I thought I’d celebrate by writing about Regis Philbin’s old Harvest Crisps commercial. You do you, I do me. Burger King’s Burger Bundles! (1987) I’ve never been wild about Burger King. As a kid, I’d only eat there out of geographical convenience or beca

1980s Junk Food Spotted in INTRUDER!

If you’re into ‘80s slasher flicks and you’ve never seen Intruder, stop it! It’s so good. Set in a supermarket for what ends up being a literal graveyard shift, it’s gory and tense, but more surprisingly smart and funny. It’s also a chance to see oodles of legit 1980s groce

Purple Stuff: The Best Super Bowl Commercials!

I’m not a big football guy — shocker, I know — but I always look forward to the Super Bowl. Hey, it’s an excuse to waste a day eating garbage food while snarking on social media. What’s not to love? Course, I’m really in it for the commercials… which just happ

Tiny Tributes to Minor Monsters, #2!

Welcome to the second edition of Tiny Tributes to Minor Monsters, starring creatures of all sorts and from all walks. Picking which five monsters to feature is always the hardest part. Am I in the mood for giant spiders, or is it a techno-organic robot hitman kind of day? If I take both, w

Video Store Adventure #7: California Video!

So last year I told you about six video stores that were somehow still in business. Me and Jay went all over Jersey and Pennsylvania to find them, and I was convinced that we’d hit every last one within reasonable driving distance. Fortunately, I was wrong! Welcome to California Video, s

Dino Drac’s January Funpack!

You know what solves the post-holiday blues? Retail therapy. Course, I might just be saying that because I have something to sell you. You never know with me. LIMITED TIME ONLY! UNITED STATES ONLY! Dino Drac’s January 2018 Funpack is finally here! I’m late-as-heck this month, so this o

Tiny Tributes To Minor Monsters, #1!

Here are five tiny tributes to five minor monsters: Drakulon, Creature of Doom! Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot (1968) It blows my mind that Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot — the American edit of Japan’s Giant Robo — never became big-on-the-internet. In the series, Johnny

Five Retro TV Commercials, Part 20!

I’ve been digging through stacks of home-recorded VHS tapes, searching for more old TV commercials. It’s seriously one of my favorite things to do. I even wear a special outfit. Below: Another batch of retro TV commercials. This time, they’re all from the ‘90s, when grunge was big

Spooky Unsolved Mysteries Segments, Part III!

At just around this time last year, the classic, Robert Stack-hosted episodes of Unsolved Mysteries began streaming on Amazon, Netflix and beyond. It was pretty much the best thing about 2017. …but if you stopped paying attention after the big launch, boy, you’ve missed a lot. Amaz

11 Things I Loved About 2017.

2017 was meme-level ridiculous, but I’d rather remember the good parts than the bad parts. Even if those good parts mostly involved sushi and Zima. Below are eleven things I loved about this year. I hope you can find at least as many things that you loved about it, too. Give it a sho

Christmas Memories in Crayon.

I drew pictures representing five Christmas memories, and then wrote about them. I’m super good at never going viral. Just to get this out of the way: Yes I draw like I’m five and no it’s not for effect. Underneath the Christmas Tree! I used to love laying under the Christmas tree. I

Classic Christmas Commercials, Volume 11!

I wanted to sneak one last edition of Classic Christmas Commercials onto Dino Drac before THE BIG DAY, which is now approaching so rapidly that it might actually be January by the time I finish this paragraph. Below: Five more Christmas commercials from 1987, featuring ALF, Garfield and S

Ancient Holiday Appetizers, Part 5!

Well, it’s that time again. Time to make the weird old appetizers. I grew up surrounded by recipe books that were published many years before I was born. They fascinated me as a kid, and they still do now. Not every dish is appetizing, but there was such a colorfully crude artistry to it

Classic Christmas Commercials, Volume 10!

A reader donated over seven hours’ worth of Christmas specials, all taped off television back in 1987… with every commercial left intact. Yes! (Thank you, Robin!) Everything in this edition of Classic Christmas Commercials is from that tape, so imagine them breaking Rudolph and Frosty�

Dino Drac’s December Funpack!

I want you to think of this month’s Funpack as “Christmas morning in a box.” From collectibles to candy to reading material to classic stocking stuffers, Dino Drac’s December Funpack is guaranteed (well, the fake sort of guarantee, anyway) to make your month merrier. (And also guar

2017’s Best Holiday Junk Food, Part 1!

Below: Five of this year’s hottest holiday junk foods, from punny M&M’s to THE BEST POSSIBLE SLURPEE. Nutmeg & Cinnamon Triscuit! I love Triscuits but I hate writing about them, because deep down I know that you shouldn’t pluralize them that way. If I want to refer to sev