Sandbox World

Twenty-five years ago, in what feels like a previous life, I sold rye bread to some of Montreal’s most legendary smoked meat institutions: Schwartz’s Deli, Lester’s Deli, Snowdon Deli, and Jarry Smoked Meat. Let me tell you something. Smoked meat delis are tough clients. They always wanted the best deal and usually the cheapest rye bread they could find. Every bakery in town was fighting for…

I pre-ordered Nancy For All Seasons months ago, and I have been looking forward to it ever since. The second volume in this outstanding series collecting Ernie Bushmiller‘s timeless and beloved Nancy is finally on the way. As Sluggo would say, who’s lit now? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ernie Bushmiller is one of the most underrated cartoonists who ever lived. Nobody approached…

I have been waiting for this. The official trailer for season three of Silo is finally here, and I can honestly say this is my favorite television show right now. Very few series pull you into their world the way Silo does. Once you start watching, you’re completely immersed in its mysterious underground society. The episodes move at such a pace that binge-watching becomes almost…

I am genuinely shocked by the news that Marjane Satrapi, the acclaimed author of Persepolis, has died at the age of 56. Around the world, people are sharing heartfelt tributes and memories of an artist whose work changed the way many of us viewed both graphic novels and modern Iran. According to her family, she died of “sadness” a little more than a year after the death of her husband, Mattias…

I actually own the original The Making of Space: 1999 paperback that was published in 1976. It has been one of the few substantial books available about the classic science fiction series in North America. For years, Space: 1999 fans have had limited options when it comes to behind-the-scenes books, which is a real shame considering the show’s enduring popularity and influence on television…

For anyone who grew up in Montreal, food trucks still feel like a relatively new addition to the city, even though they’ve now been back on our streets for more than a decade. What many people don’t realize is that Montreal banned food trucks for an astonishing 66 years. The prohibition began in 1947, driven by concerns over hygiene, litter, and pressure from established restaurants that didn’t…

Two of my favorite movie soundtracks come from Clint Eastwood films, and both were scored by the legendary Lalo Schifrin, the same musical genius who gave us the unforgettable Mission: Impossible Theme. Schifrin first teamed up with Eastwood on Coogan’s Bluff, directed by Don Siegel. It was the beginning of a creative partnership that would later give us Dirty Harry, but this first collaboration…

Montreal traffic once again forced me to improvise. With yet another closure affecting the Mercier Bridge, drivers were scrambling to find alternate routes around the island. The Décarie Expressway was packed, so I slipped onto the service road on my way toward Mount Royal. I drove past Orange Julep, and it was absolutely hopping. There are not too many restaurants shaped like giant spheres,…

Are you looking for a fine dining experience at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Dorval? How about a way to avoid the frequent traffic congestion and exchange it for a relaxing experience? Well, then I have something to share with you. Recently, I had to pick up family at the airport. Their flight landed at 8:48 pm. These days, it is pretty much a roll of the dice getting to the…

Remember that wild story Donald Trump used to tell at rallies? The one about being trapped on a sinking electric boat with a battery sparking in the water while a hungry shark circles nearby? His solution was always the same: he’d take his chances with the electricity because, in his words, he wasn’t getting anywhere near the hungry shark. Well, that impossible choice has now become a board…

When I was young, one of my favourite books was Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. I would spend hours getting lost in the stories and staring at the incredible illustrations by Steele Savage. Now and then, though, I would stumble across something even stranger on television: a little cartoon called Luno the White Stallion. The premise felt like pure childhood wish fulfillment. A small marble Pegasus…

Something magical happens when a book arrives at exactly the right moment. Don’t Call It Art: 10 Ways to Create Like a Kid Again grew out of Austin Kleon’s experience acting as a “studio assistant” to his two young sons. Watching them create without rules, expectations, or fear of failure helped him finally put into words an idea he had been exploring for more than a decade. As someone who owns…

Something is captivating about revisiting Leadbelly, Gordon Parks’ 1976 portrait of blues legend Huddie Ledbetter. This is not a comfortable film, nor should it be. It throws you into a world of chain gangs, racism, violence, and hard-earned resilience, all held together by the power of music. Decades after its release, it remains a film that lingers in your mind long after the screen goes…

Nothing is more exciting, terrifying, and emotional than releasing your very first book into the world. It honestly feels like sending a part of yourself out into the universe and hoping people understand its heart, its weirdness, and every fragile emotion packed inside. That is exactly the energy surrounding Manual for How to Live Magnificently by Ernie Wang, a debut collection that feels…

I had an absolute blast with season one of X-Men ’97, and after watching the new trailer for season two, I am fully locked in all over again. This thing looks completely insane in the best possible way. The time-travel chaos, the giant emotional stakes, the gorgeous animation, and all the deep-cut comic book references are exactly why this revival works so well. It feels like the creators…

There is something wonderfully ridiculous about seeing Weird Al Yankovic sitting at a keyboard made out of actual bananas. Honestly, it feels like the exact kind of chaotic energy the world needs right now. To launch his Bigger & Weirder Tour, Al dropped a social media video where he plugs a bunch of bananas into a tiny synthesizer kit and starts playing music directly off the fruit itself. Yes,…

Grendizer is one of those rare anime properties that quietly changed the world without always getting the credit it deserved. Created by Go Nagai, the series completely reshaped the mecha genre and helped push Japanese animation into global pop culture long before anime became mainstream in North America. While Japan initially treated it as more of a continuation of the Mazinger universe, the…