The Eternals (Volume 1) #11.

A full-size replica of Robert Picardo’s Meg Mucklebones from Ridley Scott’s 1985 fantasy epic "Legend".

Flesh and Blood (stylized as Flesh+Blood) by Paul Verhoeven.

Verhoeven's first English-language film.

15th century brutality, superstition and politics, Verhoeven style.

This film wasn't a smash hit, probably owing to it being outrageously dirty (and its immensely depressing depiction of 15th century life), but it was critically acclaimed.

Inspired Berserk creator Kentaro Miura.

Would you take a job as a professional hermit (also known as a garden hermit or ornamental hermit)? Yes, believe it or not, this was a real job in the Victorian era. In 18th and 19th century England, Scotland and Ireland, aristocrats placed ads like this in papers: "Wanted - Ornamental Garden Hermit". The profession required you to become a human ornamental folly on the grounds of a wealthy family estate whilst living in a cave or cottage, turret or hole, contemplating the human condition and enchanting the occasional passerby with your presence at the behest of the landowner. The less like a young English aristocrat you looked, the better. So they were often elderly men with long beards and loose clothes, resembling garden gnomes. Talk about a dream job! Who WOULDN'T want a gig like this? It's the Victorian equivalent of a Walmart greeter.

Everyone knows about the Salem Witch Trials, but have you ever heard of the European werewolf trials?

Between the 15th and 17th centuries, individuals across Europe, including countries like Switzerland, Germany and France were accused of lycanthropy, wolf-riding and wolf-charming (wolf-charming meaning they used magic to summon a pack of wolves to attack someone).

The most famous case of someone being charged with lycanthropy took place in 1598. German farmer Peter Stumpp was accused of using witchcraft to turn himself into a wolf and go on a killing spree that led to the deaths of two pregnant women and 14 children. The worst part is they said he ate his victims while in his wolf form. After being stretched out on the rack, Peter admitted to all of the accusations, said he'd been practicing magic since he was 12 years old and that he used a magical belt the devil gave him to take his wolf shape. After his admission, Peter was executed on the wheel where he was skinned alive, had his limbs broken, his head chopped off and his body burned.

Paprika (パプリカ) by Satoshi Kon.

Based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Japanese author Yasutaka Tsutsui.

At once playful and nightmarish. Incredibly prophetic. Prefigures our modern virtual world.

A feast for the eyes.

Merry Little Batman by Mike Roth.

Saw it and loved it!

The Ronald Searle-esque art style is amazing!!

An animated superhero film full of personality and genuine invention!!

The Eternals (Volume 1) #1.

"The Day of the Gods".

Fun Fact:

Humans have been astral planing a LOT longer than we thought.

Researchers analyzed hair strands from a burial site in Menorca and detected scopolamine, ephedrine and atropine. Atropine and scopolamine are naturally occurring substances in the nightshade plant family that cause hallucinations and altered sensory perception, while ephedrine is a stimulant taken from certain shrubs and pines that boosts excitement and physical activity. Before this discovery, we'd only found indirect evidence of psychedelic use in ancient cultures. The cave that the analyzed hair strands were taken from was first occupied around 1600 BCE and featured a chamber that was used as a funeral space until around 800 BCE. It's estimated that 210 individuals were laid to rest here, but only certain people had their hair dyed red, placed in containers and sealed in a chamber further back in the cave. We don't know what made these individuals so special that their hair had to be preserved but we are certain that a major psychedelic discovery was just made in Spain.

Fun Fact:

Zeus was even more popular than you realized.

There's actually a temple in Egypt that was dedicated to Zeus. I'm not making a word of that up. It's not dedicated Osiris, not Set, not even Horus. A temple dedicated to Zeus.

Apparently, the site was originally found in the early 1900s when French Egyptologist Jean Clédat found ancient Greek inscriptions referring to a temple to "Zeus Kasios". Kasios being the local Syrian Mountain where Zeus was worshiped at one point, but the temple wasn't excavated until recently. They've also found inscriptions in the area that tell of the Roman Emperor Hadrian renovating the temple as recently as the second century. The team of archaeologists are continuing to explore the site and personally, I can't wait to learn more about what they dig up.

L'Homme qui rit, The Man Who Laughs: A Romance of English History (or By Order of the King/On the King's Command) by Victor Hugo.

A poignant, profound and tragic story. 

One of my top ten.