Mental Floss

POP CULTURE

Hulk smash complete sentences!

When Toy Biz released foam Hulk Hands in 2003, kids went into a violent frenzy. "He punched walls," one mother said of her son's behavior. "He punched furniture. He punched me. And when his 4-year-old friend, Lydia Cole, arrived, he punched her.”

Jake Rossen






Did I do that? Yes, Steve Urkel really did somehow get lost in space for the Family Matters series finale.

A surprising number of television shows have ended with the sudden appearance of dinosaurs, demons, and that tired old trope of shooting your lead into outer space.

Jake Rossen


Terry Pratchett in 1996.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Terry Pratchett’s first novel, here are some things you might not know about the architect of Discworld.

April Snellings
Hayao Miyazaki is the director behind acclaimed animated movies such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and The Wind Rises.

Director Hayao Miyazaki is responsible for some of the most beloved animated movies of all time—here are 11 things you should know about him.

Rudie Obias
Howard Johnson's was a beacon for hungry travelers.

In the 1950s, families didn't flock to McDonald's or Friendly's. They headed for Howard Johnson's, which lured them in with a bright orange roof, 28 flavors of ice cream, and French chefs preparing classic American food.

Jake Rossen






Madonna in 2016.

Madonna has been an innovator in music for four decades and counting, but doesn't mean she still doesn't get called for jury duty.

Jake Rossen










Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney star in Night of the Comet (1984).

Over the past near-90 years, zombies have given form to our fears of other cultures, loss of agency, communism, atomic warfare, race relations, capitalism, mass contagions, the space race, and, most importantly, our bone-deep fear of one another.

April Snellings