Mental Floss

POP CULTURE





Toynk/Amazon

Do you know someone who loves all things horror? Now's the time to show them you care with one of these spooky gifts.

Michele Debczak


Lyceum Theatre, London, 1897, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

For one of literature’s most enduring works, Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' didn’t receive much of a turnout when it was first adapted for the stage: A total of two people showed up.

Kirstin Fawcett








Liia Galimzianova/iStock via Getty Images

The adult novelty item has a surprisingly rich history involving organized crime, food science, and the difficulties in patenting the name "Candypants."

Jake Rossen


Scream Factory

In the early 1980s, Stephen King and George Romero got together to make a movie inspired by the gross-out horror comics they’d loved as kids. The result was 1982's 'Creepshow,' which was recently turned into a new series for Shudder.

Matthew Jackson








JuliScalzi/iStock via Getty Images

What keeps us coming back to old cartoons, movies, and the '90210' reboot? The same reward system in the brain that responds to eating great food or winning money.

Jake Rossen