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FREE: When It Was Cool Newsletter - Hannibal, Hulk Hogan, Observer Awards, More (February 16, 2025)
I have played around with a newsletter for Patreons for a while now, testing it and tweaking it. I think it will be a positive for When It Was Cool to have a dedicated free newsletter with news on retro pop culture, historical pro wrestlers, comics and movies, toys, and more. I won’t promise this newsletter will be weekly because I only want to publish it when there is sufficient news for it but it will be multiple times per month.I have played around with a newsletter for Patreons for a while now, testing it and tweaking it. I think it will be a positive for When It Was Cool to have a dedicated free newsletter with news on retro pop culture, historical pro wrestlers, comics and movies, toys, and more. I won’t promise this newsletter will be weekly because I only want to publish it when there is sufficient news for it but it will be multiple times per month. Read More.
I Asked AI to Write An Article About 1800s Pro Wrestling and How It Has Change Until Now… This Is What It Wrote…
There are a few weird things that I consider myself an expert on. They are very different but, for whatever reason, I know a lot about them. The realm of expertise I am best known for, I suppose, is being an expert in professional wrestling, especially the evolution of pro wrestling. In fact, I literally wrote the book on it: DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer called my book, “the best book written on the era”. Read More.
Hell on Earth: When It Was Not Cool: The Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys Video
Join Karl and Tonya on this video we shot last year of the horrible Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys. Many of you who follow our When It Was Cool Podcast know that Tonya’s father was placed here when he was a child. It was later determined that the State of Florida beat, tortured, and killed numerous children there and hid their bodies in a graveyard deep in the woods almost a mile away. Check out our educational video on this little publicized injustice. Watch Here.
Gartlan Law- Aggressive Advocacy. Life Changing Results. Visit Dothan Personal Injury Lawyers - Gartlan Injury Law
Tonya’s Diner Presents: Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup Recipe
Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup: Cheesy hamburger potato soup is a dish that combines ground beef, potatoes, and melted cheese into one bowl! Each spoonful is a blend of textures and flavors, from the creaminess of the broth to the heartiness of the beef and potatoes. The melted cheese adds a savory richness that ties it all together, creating a dish that’s both filling and comforting. Get the recipe.
Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 46 - The Twenty-Fourth Appearance of Batman
The 23rd appearance of Batman was a mere mention of his name in the pages of All-Star Comics issue 3, we did not do a full article on that issue. His 24th appearance, however, was in Detective Comics issue 46 and featured the return of recurring Batman enemy Hugo Strange. The tone also continues the more swashbuckling approach to Batman’s character since taking on Robin as his partner. Read More.
Film Reviews: Japanese Ghost Movie Classics The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959), The Bride from Hades (1968), and The Snow Woman (1968) on OVID
OVID TV brings beautiful cinematic versions of three centuries-old classic Japanese ghost stories to its lineups this month with its “Daiei Gothic — Japanese Ghost Stories” theme. The influence of these films from Daei Film, which boast beautiful 4K restorations and are OVID Exclusives, have influenced decades of Asian fright fare films, such as Hong Kong’s A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) to the J-horror “long-haired ghost” renaissance of the 1990s and 2000s that included the Ringu and Ju-On franchises. Read More.
Film Review: Pascagoula 73 Documentary TV series (2025)
Most people with even a passing interest in UFO and alien abduction lore have likely heard of the case of Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker, who claimed to have been taken aboard a craft above the Pascagoula River in Pascagoula, Mississippi on October 11, 1973, and examined by what they took to be as either extraterrestrial creatures or robots. With the four-part, approximately four-hour documentary series Pascagoula 73, director Darcy Weir and co-writer British UFO researcher Philip Mantle revisit the case. It’s an interesting take on matters, although one episode stretched the limits of credulity much more than the others. Read More.
Batman in Order - Detective Comics Issue 45 - The Twenty-Second Appearance of Batman
Detective Comics issue 45 featured the return of recurring Batman enemy The Joker who makes his first appearance in Detective Comics after previously only being seen in Batman’s solo series. Read More.
Superman (2025)… Is This the Superman We Have Been Waiting For?
I still believe in Superman. Despite the fact his character has been beaten down, misinterpreted, and dulled down over the last 30 years it still has not destroyed my love for the first and greatest of the superheroes: Superman. So, imagine my initial horror in seeing the new Superman (2025) movie trailer as a beaten and bloody Superman came crashing down onto a snow-covered landscape. I sighed, ‘Oh, no’, another dark and sad Superman movie… Read More.
Southeastern Championship Wrestling Action News Podcast Debuts on the When It Was Cool Podcast Network
December 2024 marks the debut of a new podcast on the When It Was Cool Podcast Network, Karl Stern and Tonya from WhenItWasCool.com would like to welcome Dothan, Alabama fan and memorabilia collector Aaron Gartlan to the network with his new Southeastern Championship Wrestling Action News Podcast. Read More.
The Green Machine by Marx Retro Toy Review
In the mid-1970s I was a kid in rural north Alabama far away from any major toy stores or major discount stores. However, a local general merchandise store called “Elmore’s” carried in stock the amazing kid’s riding toy called The Green Machine by Marx. Read More.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame 2024 - Tracking the Future
A poster at The Board at Wrestling Observer called 'AmericanNumbers' has put together an incredible resource that I am sure will stir a lot of discussion over the next year. This is a spread sheet with everything you need to know about the remaining candidates in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. Read More.
DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Book. What’s to Know and Why Does it Matter?
I am very excited to release my new book, DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling. I have put years of work into this project which, I believe, is the most in-depth and detailed exploration of pre-1900 professional wrestling ever undertaken. The Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Wrestling is sourced from hundreds of pro wrestling researchers, newsletters, books, magazines, newspapers, and years of firsthand research, and I have documented every major event in pro wrestling before the year 1900. Read More.
Check out our new video on the When It Was Cool YouTube Channel featuring Karl Stern and the new DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling book.
201 Greatest Pro Wrestlers of All Time List: Who Are the Greatest Pro Wrestlers of All Time
Compiled By: Karl Stern Sourcing Data from over 30 Historians, Vetted Greatest Wrestler of All Time Lists, Major Media Rankings, Cumulative Lists, and Major Vetted Halls of Fame. This list is not my opinion. The only input I had into ranking this list was doing the math and averaging the results and putting it together in a readable format. This, according to multiple respected pro wrestling historians, major media rankings, published books, and vetted rankings are the 201 greatest pro wrestlers of all time, with bonus points given for major vetted Halls of Fame and Wrestler of the Year Awards. Read More.
