Innovation How rivalry between two Japanese companies in the 1950s led to the world's best pencils Ellsworth Toohey

art supplies Conservative pundit discovers white crayons exist, demands answers from Crayola Ellsworth Toohey

1970s Dig this old-school illustration demo by car designer Hideo Kodama Bob Knetzger

art supplies Sakura pen and brush pen set Mark Frauenfelder

art Interested in hand-lettering? Here's a book for you Mark Frauenfelder

useful stuff Beloved metal-body Rotring 600 mechanical pencil on sale Mark Frauenfelder

Reviews Excellent low-cost brush pens for art and calligraphy Mark Frauenfelder

useful stuff Great deal on a LED tracing light box Mark Frauenfelder

stationery The perfect stocking stuffer is this Japanese company's new clear eraser John Struan

art supplies 7-pack of disposable fountain pens in assorted colors for $12 Mark Frauenfelder

art supplies Good colored pencil set Mark Frauenfelder

art supplies Micron pens for drawing Mark Frauenfelder

art Charcoal sketching is more fun Mark Frauenfelder

arts and crafts Modeling clay sets my daughter's imagination free Jason Weisberger

Boing Boing Gadgets Want to cut back on screen time? Start with this $112 old-school flip phone (MSRP $269.99) Boing Boing's Shop

mystery A ship found drifting in the Pacific was still afloat but all 25 passengers had vanished Ellsworth Toohey

religion A cargo cult in Vanuatu has been waiting for an American named John Frum since the 1930s Ellsworth Toohey

powders No whey? Protein shortage looms Jason Weisberger

iran Cuba is bracing for a U.S. invasion Séamus Bellamy

gadgets Free Universal Construction Kit: 3D-printable adapters to connect Lego, Duplo, K'Nex, Stickle Bricks and other systems Rob Beschizza