Ira Gallen, Preservationist of Classic Television Shows and Commercials

As the go-to guy for late-night luminaries such as David Letterman and Jay Leno, Ira Gallen created a name for himself by preserving the classic television shows and commercials. In this edition of The Friday Five, Ira talks about his collection, television history, and the one piece of film that continues to elude him.

Blake Wright, Author, Toys That Time Forgot

The bumpy road of toy development is littered with toys that consumers never had a chance to see. Journalist Blake Wright is changing that. Blake is producing Toys That Time Forgot, an art book showcasing toys that never were.

Jason Liebig, Historian, Collector, and Archivist, CollectingCandy.com

Super Sugar Crisps in Mad Men. Eggos in Stranger Things. Big League Chew in The Goldbergs. Jason Liebig’s collection of packaging through the decades has Hollywood art directors looking to him for essential props.

Scott Barber, Co-Director, The Orange Years

Scott Barber and Adam Sweeney spent many of their childhood days watching Nickelodeon. Their love of the network never faded and they’ve set out to produce The Orange Years, a documentary celebrating the groundbreaking kid-oriented network.

Britta and Adrian, Co-Founders, Low Poly Crafts

Biomedical engineering and art make an interesting business union for partners Adrian and Britta, co-founders of Low Poly Crafts in Ottawa, Canada. Their low-poly paper sculptures fall somewhere between art and science – stunning objects that add a bit of the unexpected to any space.

Toy Polloi, Toy Restoration

Discoloured Stormtroopers getting you down? Toy-restoration enthusiast Dave, founder of Toy Polloi, shares his experience and has wise advice for toy-restoration newbies.

Dane Christianson, Founder and CEO, Moving Parts LLC

Dane Christianson’s X-Cube is a twistable 3D puzzle that adds 32 additional pieces and four extra layers to the original Rubik’s Cube. Here, Dane talks with us about crowdfunding, preconceptions about ability, and why 3D puzzles continue to capture our interests.

Toby Whelan, Creator, MAKA

For many students, thesis projects are happily left behind after the dissertation. Not so for Toby Whelan. Toby is turning his thesis project into a bonafide success story that has a positive impact on the people’s lives. We talk with Toby about the role MAKA plays in bettering the lives of people living with autism.

Nannan Zhang, Founder, Creations for Charity

Nannan Zhang has seen explosive growth of his annual online fundraising auction Creations for Charity since founding the organization in 2009. We talk with Nannan to find out how he built Creations for Charity and where he hopes to take it next.

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Brett Miller, CEO & Founder, BRIK

Brett Miller is CEO & Founder of BRIK, the company behind BRIK TILE, a Lego-compatible line of products that takes Lego creations from the floor to the wall. We reached out to Brett tells us about his company’s Kickstarter successes, the inspiration behind BRIK products, and what makes Lego such an enduring – and endearing – product.

Yaron Betan, Film Maker, Heroes Manufactured

Filmmaker Yaron Betan’s Heroes Manufactured gives a documentary-style glimpse into what it takes to be a Canadian comic book artist or writer. Hint: it ain’t easy. Here, we talk to Betan about the film, the industry, and some of his favourite comic artists.

Jonathan Morris, Author, The League of Regrettable Superheroes

Most of us are familiar with Batman, Wonder Woman, Archie, Iron Man, and Casper. What about Doctor Hormone, The Eye, or Bozo the Iron Man? That’s where Jonathan Morris comes in.