The Mostly-Complete Dino Drac Archives.

Visiting the house from Spookies!

Yesterday, I visited the house from Spookies. Stood right in front of it with the old VHS tape, like a big dummy: In real life, it’s the Peter Augustus Jay House, located in Rye, NY. It’s a preserved and protected landmark now, but it certainly wasn’t in the mid ‘80s, when Spoo

Purple Stuff Podcast: The Future Show!

The Purple Stuff Podcast is kicking off the new year with a trip to THE FUTURE! We’re looking at things that were either set in the future, or that just seemed futuristic in their time. It’s a super eclectic mix loosely bound to one vague subject, but hey, that’s us! Get set for an h

TMNT References in Television and Movies!

It’s tough to exaggerate how popular the Ninja Turtles were in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Batman may have been a bigger movie and The Simpsons may have been a bigger TV show, but the thing about the Turtles is that they hit into EVERYTHING. All at once, they had a white hot cartoo

Dino Drac’s January Funpack is here!

Time to launch the first Funpack of 2021! (And yeah, there are finally slots available for new subscriptions! As of this writing, at least!) UNITED STATES ONLY! LIMITED SUPPLY! I’m thrilled with how the January 2021 Funpack turned out, and I hope you will be too. It’s a strong mix of s

Five Retro TV Commercials, Part 38!

Let’s ease out of the holidays and into 2021 with some random TV commercials from 30 years ago. (That line played better in my head, but since nobody reads intros, better to be clunky now than later.) Rare TMNT PPV Promo! (1990) Here’s an extremely rare promo that ran on preview channe

Merry Christmas, from Dino Drac!

It’s nearing 2AM as I write this — technically Christmas Eve, but only barely. I’m running on fumes and bourbon, shocked that our “simple” stay-at-home Christmas has required just as much prep as any regular one. The gifts are wrapped. Everything except that weird bonsai tree

Ancient Holiday Appetizers, Part 8!

Time for my most important article of the year: Ancient Holiday Appetizers! Every December, I dig through old cookbooks looking for edible holiday thrills, no matter how out of style. This has been my favorite Christmas tradition of the past decade, full stop. I couldn’t imagine letting

Purple Stuff Podcast: Christmas Songs VI!

The Purple Stuff Podcast’s holiday tradition continues! For the sixth straight year, we’re ready to boost your playlists with another batch of our favorite Christmas songs! With so many volumes under our belt, this was a tall order! Me and Jay from Sludge Central dug deep to come up wi

Dino Drac’s December Funpack is here!

If you’re already a Dino Drac Funpack subscriber, good news: You’re among the only people locked in for the December Funpack! For the rest of ya: Subscriptions are maxed out for this month, but I will have a few spares to sell once I finish the first shipments. Skip to the bottom for i

Classic Christmas Commercials, Volume 18!

There are some big swings in this edition of Classic Christmas Commercials, so if you thought I’d be down to the dregs by now, THINK AGAIN. A Fruity Pebbles Christmas! (1986) I’ve covered this spot before, but in an ancient article that’s unrelated to this series. Forgive me for doub

2020’s Hottest Holiday Junk Food, Part 2!

I’m posting this on a Saturday night, which doesn’t strike me as the best time to launch thousand-word articles about milkshakes and peppermint bark. Oh well. It’ll still be here on Monday. Get set for the second edition of 2020’s Hottest Holiday Junk Food. If you missed the first

Classic Christmas Commercials, Volume 17!

Welcome to December! Like clockwork, the minor draft from the window I sit beside — endurable through most of the year — now has my right hand feeling like the discarded prisoner from Star Trek VI’s snow jail sequence. Most of the ads in this edition of Classic Christmas Comm

Toys from the 1992 JCPenney Xmas Catalog!

The holiday season is all about traditions, and one of mine is naming the best toys from old department store catalogs. Let’s head back to 1992, when the 47th and 48th hottest things going were Swans Crossing and 3 Ninjas. Behold, JCPenney’s 1992 Christmas catalog! Over 500 pages’ wo

The 2001 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Happy Thanksgiving week, everyone! The festivities may be muted this year, but you can still depend on a few of the usual traditions — like, say, the Purple Stuff Podcast’s annual review of an old Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! This year, me and Jay from Sludge Central have sele

Classic Christmas Commercials, Volume 16!

How about a new edition of Classic Christmas Commercials? Okay good, you approve! If you’re new to the site, this is where I gush about ancient TV spots that have some tie to Santa Claus, no matter how minor. The commercials below were rescued from old VHS tapes with incorrect labels. �

Dino Drac’s November Funpack is here!

Okay guys, I’m ready to show ya Dino Drac’s November Funpack, which IMO is one of the best ever — and certainly one that’ll help you get into the holiday spirit! Space is limited, so don’t wait long if you want in! UNITED STATES ONLY! LIMITED SUPPLY! It’s a huge dose of nos

2020’s Hottest Holiday Junk Food, Part 1!

I’ve collected several of this year’s hottest holiday junk foods, and by “collected” I mean “ate ravenously.” One good thing about the constant barrage of bad news is that you totally get a pass for eating garbage. Cut to a shot of me holding up the latest terrible newspaper wi

Brach’s Turkey Dinner Candy Corn!

You’ve heard of Brach’s Turkey Dinner Candy Corn, right? A whole Thanksgiving dinner in candy corn form? It’s as gross as it sounds! Me and Jay got our hands on a few bags for a Purple Stuff Podcast taste-test. (We haven’t released a minisode in years, and what better excuse than g

Dino Drac’s Holiday Highlights!

By this point in November, I’m usually a week deep into Dino Drac’s holiday season. Alas, in 2020, it’s been a struggle to find a moment when my trivial shtick wouldn’t seem tone-deaf. I’m not sure if we’re really there yet, but I gotta dip my toes in the water at least! Even b

Purple Stuff: CBS Halloween Specials, 1985!

It’s Halloween week, and we’re coming in with a big swing! In this special edition of The Purple Stuff Podcast, me and Jay from Sludge Central are diving into the 1985 broadcasts of Garfield’s Halloween Adventure *and* It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! They aired back-to-back