The Reagan-Era Game That Feels Like It Was Made for 2026

This 1985 game simulated the long-term effects of a right-wing agenda. Four decades later, its dystopian vision feels prescient.

Mar 22 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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January 2026

The Event that Birthed Battle Bots

Read the story of the epochal 1989 Critter Crunch robot competition ... in zine form!

Jan 25 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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October 2025

The First Movie Vampire Was a Woman

Before Dracula or Nosferatu, Theda Bara was the first supernaturally sexy screen siren

Oct 19, 2025 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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The Father of all Pop Culture Zombies

This travel writer introduced the undead to America. He also ATE HUMAN FLESH.

Oct 5, 2025 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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September 2025

The Origin Story of All Comic Book Mutants

How a 1953 article in Mechanix Illustrated spawned a new, atomic-powered breed of superhero

Sep 14, 2025 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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August 2025

How newspaper comics created pop culture

A Q&A with Peter Maresca about the chaos and brilliance of 130 year-old Sunday funnies

Aug 17, 2025 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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April 2025

Forget the Winter Soldier—check out this IRL 16th-century cyborg

Wave hello to Götz of the Iron Hand. Over 500 years ago, this fierce knight sported a fearsome articulated prosthetic

Apr 29, 2025 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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Before the Humane AI Pin, There Was the Power Glove

The 2024 virtual assistant and the 1989 wearable controller both promised a radical new form of interactivity. One problem: neither actually worked

Apr 24, 2025 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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The 45th Anniversary of Gaming's First "Easter Egg"

The console game Adventure popularized the practice of burying hidden features in media

Apr 6, 2025 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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Mickey Mouse is a serial killer now... and that's a good thing

The 1928 incarnation of the character stars in the gory new slasher flick Screamboat. Welcome to public domain, Disney!

Apr 2, 2025 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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March 2025

How Andor Got its Backstory from a Tabletop RPG

In 1987, 'Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game' added vital details to the sci-fi universe that are still used today in movies, games, novels, and streaming…

Mar 23, 2025 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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December 2024

The TV Cowboy Who Built the Modern World of Merchandising

75 years ago, Hopalong Cassidy became the first superstar of the small screen. Then he built a gargantuan product licensing and sponsorship empire.

Dec 19, 2024 • Pop Cultural Precursors

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