Philadelphia City Paper Archives

He built a multimillion dollar empire out of monster magazines, plastic skulls and dirt from Count Dracula’s estate, only to lose it to real-life terrors. But now, Jim Warren is ready to rise again, along with the woman who inspired it all. “What would you say if I told you I could...

He built a multimillion dollar empire out of monster magazines, plastic skulls and dirt from Count Dracula’s estate, only to lose it to real-life terrors. But now, Jim Warren is ready to rise again, along with the woman who inspired it all. by Duane Swierczynski “What would you say if I told...

For those already familiar with the work of Philadelphia natives Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim—Timanderic for short—Tom Goes to the Mayor, their new show debuting on the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim this week, will just be another hilarious addition to their quirky, sometimes bizarre catalog. For those not so familiar with the...

SEPTA veers into a potential $56 million trolley boondoggle. by Amy L. Webb Wondering what happened to the much-ballyhooed Girard Avenue trolley service set to run this fall? SEPTA’s new Route 15 trolley cars—part of a $56 million restoration project—are now parked indefinitely in a West Philadelphia depot lot. SEPTA assumed that...

A hut, a bird blind and three benches — well-crafted and distinctive — were built in the Pennypack Environmental Center last year. Titled Embodying Thoreau, it’s part of the Fairmount Park Art Association’s New Land Marks program, which joins artists with communities to create new public artworks. The response of visitors encountering...

Modern structures add energy to historic districts. Chestnut Hill is hardly synonymous with modern architecture, yet within this largely Victorian and pre-Depression era neighborhood are several unabashedly modern structures, built since the 1950s and designed by some of Philadelphia’s best architects. Significantly, two of these — Louis Kahn’s Esherick House and Robert...

After all these years, do we really know Bob Clarke? by Brian Hickey The scenario borders on unbelievable, if only because Philadelphians think they know the man involved, inside and out. He’s long been part of the city’s competitive fabric, so most people already have an opinion. Love. Hate. Not much in...

Another group of Eastern-European gunsels makes its mark. Russian gangsters in the Philadelphia area are pissed off about their new competition. Lately, a small group of tough Polish and Polish-American gangsters from the Port Richmond area have been cutting into the Russian mob’s territory — buying Ecstasy from Israeli mobsters and European...

After months of wrangling and date changes, HBO finally released the first DVD collection of Mr. Show with Bob and David, and they’ve been selling like crazy. And the first-ever touring version of the show — Mr. Show: Hooray for America! includes original cast members Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, John Ennis, Brian Posehn and Stephanie...

With just a few words, the Inquirer critic can make or break a restaurant. No wonder spotting him has become a high-stakes game. By Marc Kravitz Photographs By Michael T. Regan