The backstory to THE sign spinning company, in NoHo ... Easter Eggs in animated films ... Brains On, the science podcast for kids, and what the brain sounds like ... the Griffith of Griffith Park was a very nasty man ... Alex Israel and Brett Easton Ellis collaborate, and our critic hates it

Mel Haber tells us about starting Melvyn's, his landmark Palm Springs eatery ... we prep you for WonderCon, coming to LA for the first time ... Marc Haefele makes us wistful for Black Mountain College ... whither Mariachi Plaza?

From "I'll be your Huckleberry" to Huck Finn, it's Mark Twain by Val Kilmer ... Valitar, epic show becomes epic fail ... if you think your life is hard, try being gay and undocumented ... put on your traveling face ...

Rabe goes there ... Regardie explains why downtown LA is exploding, but not in a good way ... Kevin goes to the narco-corrido opera ... Robert goes bowling ... and the Getty goes to Koreatown.

Father Boyle versus Mother Church ... Haefele on Haiti ... Mukta Mohan and the Big Picture ... parents find some peace by giving to a police station ...

In Woodland Hills, a fallout shelter stocked with c1960 products ... Shambala, Tippi Hedren's big cat preserve ... Rite of Spring celebration snubs animation ... Dylan Brody on the social network: I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore.

The LA Phil's new season includes a tour of LA ... Kevin Ferguson sweats to the oldies with Richard Simmons ... the first annual Ernest Borgnine Awards ...

Rosemead tiki icon Bahooka to close March 10 ... Oscar PR million$ ... David Dean Bottrell's new show ... Charlie LeDuff gives Detroit a loving autopsy ... Gary Leonard helps Angelenos find their wings ...

Classical music on the Venice Beach boardwalk ... Gordon Henderson finds a Rose Bowl chaperone ... Kevin Ferguson talks with Van Dyke Parks ...

Mark Elson's wet-plate photos of Civil War reenactors ... Backstories: the painting at Langer's and the Venice Beach piano player ... changing the thinking on football head injuries