The Incredible Hulk stands guard over Austin Books and Comics’ extensive collection of back issues

I don’t know when I was first exposed to comic books. Sometime in the early 80’s, I ended up with a box of mixed comics. I dog-eared issues of Conan, The Fantastic Four, Archie, The Uncanny X-Men, and who knows what else.

I can’t recall what happened to that box of comics. It disappeared along with my interest in comics until I was a sophomore in high school, when a buddy loaned me several X-Men related issues. This sparked a 10-year comic buying spree. Then I quit again.

Fast forward to 2010. My habit got another jump start, thanks to my good buddy Bryan, my fiancé’s son, and Austin Books and Comics.

[Read more...]

Austin Canoe & Kayak Demo Days at Hyde Park Quarry Lake

Some of the best memories I’ve made in my lifetime have been on the water. Though I’ve spent many years out on the open ocean, I’ve arguably enjoyed my time on lakes and rivers just as much, if not more.

Thinking back on my childhood, there are few memories that compare with catching my first fish with my dad on a lake in the Pacific Northwest, or the seemingly endless summers spent on an inflatable raft with friends, pretending we were explorers. [Read more...]

Located at Guadalupe and 29th St. for more than a decade, Toy Joy is relocating to downtown Austin this summer

After the last week of May 2013, you won’t be able to find Toy Joy on Guadalupe anymore.

Rumors have been circling for the past few months, but the iconic local toy store just officially announced a move to downtown Austin.

Toy Joy has called 2900 Guadalupe St. its home for over a decade, just north of The University of Texas campus.

The reason for the move? Ownership shares in an official press release [Read more...]

Dirty Dog’s Mesa location, one of six in the Austin area

This guest blog post is by Kelly Love Johnson.

Let me start by saying that I’ve been a regular at Dirty Dog’s Mesa location for about three years now, beginning a few months after I moved to Austin in January of 2010.

My Pomeranian, Lulu, was just a year old and no longer small enough to bathe in the kitchen sink, so I had been torturing both of us with bend-over-the-tub baths and 45 minutes of blow drying (with my not-professional blow dryer).

There was also the issue of her toenails.

Her vet clipped them for me before I moved. My one attempt to trim them myself resulted in one of us bleeding (dog) and the other in tears (me). [Read more...]

This guest blog post is by Troy Herman.

Austin, Texas is known for many things worldwide: outstanding educational environments, LIVE music venues, an eclectic and accepting culture, sports and activities for everyone, and the birth of technology trends and startups.

On top of all that, this city contains a growing population of health-conscience individuals. So there’s no better place for Bearded Brothers to make energy bars that fuel the active Austin lifestyle in an 100% natural, raw, vegan friendly, gluten- and soy-free way. [Read more...]

Whether you’re a casual lake-goer or a hardcore water sports enthusiast, we’ve discovered an exciting new resource that’ll make your next local lake visit more enjoyable.

Slades Wake is the entrepreneurial venture of University of Texas graduate, Courtney Slade. Following graduation, Courtney took a hiatus to travel across the continental United States and abroad. A large part of her adventuring included sports like snow boarding and surfing. But when she returned home to Austin, she realized that there was no comprehensive resource for outdoor enthusiasts who wanted to enjoy lake sports and activities in the Austin area. [Read more...]

Inviting spring specials at Milk + Honey downtown

The spa and salon arena in Austin is competitive. Consumers have their choice between large establishments that can easily provide a day’s worth of pampering, and smaller venues that excel in a particular set of services.

Many spas offer the familiar facials and massages, so most customers ultimately end up basing their loyalty on the finer details.

With two locations in the Austin area and another dedicated salon location at the Arboretum, Milk + Honey has the details down, with critical acclaim that testifies to their excellence. [Read more...]

Austinites go vintage at Austin Influential Group’s Secret Society Ball!

We’ve covered a lot of the crazy dress-up events in Austin. Carnaval! The Mad Men Soirée! The Secret Society Ball (article coming soon)!

If there is one thing that Austinites LOVE, it’s dress-up parties.

So how do you get ready for one of these wild fêtes? I’ve found that there are lots of places to go in Austin to find vintage glamour and easy ways to make your night well-coifed!

Vintage Sass

Austin is filled with stylish vintage stores to make your night feel authentic. To prepare for the Mad Men Soirée, I went to Venus Envy, a consignment store in North Austin on West Anderson Lane. They specialize in costumes, formal wear and plus-sized things. I figured it would be a great place to start (and it might happen to be right around the corner from my house). [Read more...]

Few Austinites can avoid nostalgic recognition when the famed name of Toy Joy is spoken. It’s an Austin icon that has been exuding weirdness and evoking happiness for decades.

But Toy Joy’s reach is most definitely not limited to Austin. Shipping worldwide, Toy Joy has throngs of fans across the globe. [Read more...]

Dave Lowe, Uberpong Founder

This guest blog article is by Rachael Edwards.

Many people are unaware that ping pong is the second most popular sport in the world. Most of us do know that it may also be the most visually unappealing game out there.

That was the case until Uberpong came onto the scene right here in Austin. And it’s literally changing the face of the game forever.

Changing the Face of Ping Pong a Paddle at a Time

Uberpong started out as an Origin of Cool Kickstarter project. The project quickly exceeded the original funding goal of $10,000 in August 2012, which helped launch Uberpong three months later in November. Let’s face it, the second most popular sport in the world shouldn’t be resigned to black and red paddles, right? That just ain’t gonna cut it, especially not in a city like Austin. [Read more...]

Austin Reptile Shows’ Michael Foux teaches school children with Titus the Tortoise on the floor

This guest blog post is by Michael Foux.

The final school bell rings. Minutes later, children start arriving in the science lab. They scan the room, faces beaming with wonder.

A man wearing a t-shirt that reads “Keep Austin Scaly” invites them to take a seat near a table holding a number of plain brown plastic totes. Except these totes have dozens of air holes drilled in their sides. This is what the kids are here to see. This is Discovering Reptiles!

“Are those the reptiles?” they ask. Yes, indeed. Those are the reptiles. The next hour is spent discussing what reptiles are: scaly, cold-blooded, air-breathing vertebrates, most of whom lay eggs.

The dry erase board is filled with lists of characteristics and examples of reptiles. But this is where the similarity to a regular classroom lesson ends. [Read more...]

Hand-rolled in Austin by master cigar rollers

“And a woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.” -Rudyard Kipling, The Betrothed 

Historically, Christopher Columbus is credited with introducing tobacco smoking to Europe. It is recorded in the annals of history that two of his crewmen, Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, encountered tobacco for the first time on the island of Hispaniola.

As for the word cigar itself, it comes from the Yucatec Mayan word for smoking, sikar, which became the word cigarro in Spanish. It wasn’t long before many conquistadors, noblemen and royalty made cigars a part of their daily life. [Read more...]

Co-founder Jay Panchal demonstrates the Goodybag system with a card and tablet

You’ve probably walked into a local business and seen an iPad by the register, giving you the chance to earn points or save money by swiping a rewards card. There are a handful of these loyalty programs on the move in Austin, but only one of them was founded here: Goodybag.

If you’re the one oddball Austinite opposed to our mantra of “keeping it local,” Goodybag has something else going for it. Every time you “tap in” at a business through Goodybag, 5-10 cents is donated to a local charity of the business’ choice. Ten cents is donated if your Goodybag account is connected to Facebook, five cents if it isn’t.

To date, Goodybag has donated more than $3,000 to Austin Pets Alive!, HAAM (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians), Austin Children’s Shelter, Austin Humane Society, Please BE KIND to Cyclists, and Meals on Wheels and More. [Read more...]