Vintage and Rarely seen comic strips

It's hard to believe that cartoon strips are over a 120 years old, and what would newspapers be like without them? (Although we may soon need to get used to life without the stallwart print media dailies). Equally unbelievable is that longstanding familiar faces are a lot older than most people realize. Take for instance Blondie (94 years), Popeye (95 years) and Little Orphan Annie (100 years). This Facebook group, though, focuses on obscure rarities. I was surprised (and delighted) to see one of the grandfather's favorites - the Danish strip Ferd'nand. There were also vintage Addams family, Disney's Sleeping Beauty, the Outbursts of Everett and - just to illustrate that not all strips are gags and punchlines - a rare New Zealand episodic strip called World Patrol - The Adventures Of Mark Steel And Dawn Randal. Comic aficionados, this one's your call. 

Members: 28.3k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: Outdated and un-PC ideas/phrasing/motifs.

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Small Bikes Big Adventures

While big motorcycles seem to have all the glamor, power and sex appeal, they are also harder to handle and not particularly forgiving to beginner bikers. By contrast, a small bike is lightweight, easy to maneuver and budget friendly, with lower fuel and maintenance costs. But despite a humbler design and more modest capacity, this Facebook group is proof positive that even little bikes can dream big. Small bikes can reach places that automobiles can't, and because they often serve as first motorcycle, they loom large on the gilded tarmac of memory lane. There are snapshots from all around the world - mountain passes in northern Pakistan, empty beaches in Indonesia, the Mediterranean coastline, Vietnam, Uruguay, Australia and even good old John O'Groats at the northern edge of Scotland. Some posts celebrate acquaintances and travel companions of yesteryear. There's even an old photo of a narrow postman's track.

Members: 26.7k, at the time of writing.

Trigger warnings: None.

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Snapshots of the World

Sketch in Travel

Collages

Before photoshop and AI, there was the collage. A humbler and more honest method of adapting and combining different and sometimes conflicting elements into something new. A successful work is something that blends seamlessly to become a world wholly its own. Artists share their techniques and even how they went about sourcing different components of their work, or tell stories about the inspirations behind their masterpieces. The layering adds texture and depth. From bold splashes of color to gently harmonious attempts at visual storytelling. The beauty of the collage is that it seems so accessible. It's a discipline where you add and add and add until the picture seems complete. It is visually rich and vibrant. And fun too. Don't forget that. Look at these images for long enough and you'll start looking for a scissors and something to cut up.

Members: 149.5k, at the time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None.

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The Art Portal

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I AM AN ARTIST

I love Haworth and the Bronte Parsonage

The Bronte sisters have always fascinated me. Their incredible bond with each other and to their Byronically tragic brother Branwell. Their imaginative exploration of the inner worlds that fueled their creativity. The sheer audacity with which they set out to undertake what so few women of their age did - get published. This Facebook group is dedicated to the English town where the Brontes spent most of their lives, and nurtured their talent. Where their father preached his sermons. The pictures shared breathe life into the powerful backdrop of their classic novels, showing the timelessness of Haworth and the moors that inspired them. Contemporary perspectives are interwoven with historical narratives and memorabilia. We get a rare glimpse of one of Charlotte's miniature books. There are historical photographs from the 1850s, showing Haworth and its people as the Bronte sisters must have experienced it. A post on Charlotte's friend Elizabeth Gaskell, who wrote a biography of Charlotte and later became a literary giant herself. For anyone who loved the books and want to get closer to the young women who created them. 

Members: 14.4k, at the time of writing

Trigger warnings: None.

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Prince Albert, Queen Victoria & Their Family (1800-1918)

Keep the Dream Flowing - A Podcast About Woodstock 1969

The Woodstock Festival that took place from 15-18 August 1969 in Bethel, New York state was a pivotal moment in popular culture that defined an era and the youthful, idealistic spirit that drove it. Although the generation that experienced those heady days are now in their seventies and eighties, the legacy endures. And, although this particular Facebook group has a very modest membership, it makes up for that in the sheer richness and diversity of the content shared, which delves into numerous different aspects of what made the festival awesome. There are posts about Max B Yasgur, the dairy farmer who hosted the event on his property, the opposition he faced from the neighboring community and even the crazy bet he made with event organizer, Mike Lang. There are details about the stage construction. Snapshots and videoclips. Links to articles, essays and oral history retrospectives from attendees. There's even media about lesser known, contemporary events and posts about artists who were invited to perform but had to decline due to prior commitments. Many artist profiles include set-lists and other details of their performances. Today, the site is demarcated by a memorial marker that remembers the magic of those three, music-filled days. 

Members: 1.4k, at the time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None.

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hippie trail

Ancient Stone Bothering

When seen in context to the brief lives of humans and the even shorter spans of many animals, stone, rock and boulder seems eternal, strewn across the landscape by the long-ago giants of myth. Some stones are lone reminders of a bygone era. Others hosted mysterious rituals or secret roundevous. From the impressive and instantly recognizable image of Stonehenge to the Dolmen of Menga, Spain, here's a Facebook group that celebrates all those enigmatic corners of the world that retain a little of the timeless mysteries of our past. Carnac. Stenness in Orkney.  Pentra Ifan. Carn Goch. Maen Llia. Callanish in the Outer Hebrides. These stones remember our ancestors. And that is where the bothering part comes in, capturing the temporary intrusions of humans, sheep, cows, dogs and an assortment of other indignities. What do the stones make of us? Heaven alone knows. We can but wonder...

Members: 47.2k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: None.

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Paul Klee

The diverse and highly individual work of the Swiss-German artist Paul Klee serves not only as a testament for his creativity, but also hint at a vast internal landscape populated in equal measure with expressions of his intellectual musings and moments of mischief. Unafraid of experimenting in different genres, media and indeed art movements, he had a life-long, passionate love affair with color that informed many of the 9,000 works of art he left behind. As did an early education in music and a deep interest in literature. His epitaph speaks of the sense of wit and whimsy that characterized his very being: "I cannot be grasped in the here and now, for my place is as much among the dead as the yet unborn. Slightly closer to the heart of creation than usual, but still not close enough." This Facebook group share works that are beguiling in their simplicity, or subtle and complex in their shifting palettes. There are also posts that focus on his lesser-known creations, his writings and his more unusual inspirations. 

Members: 137.6k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: Mild nudity.

Go here to visit or join.  

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons