Atomic Books
Looking for graphic novels and comics, plus books on street art, hot rods, anti-capitalism, tattoos, or knitting? This Hampden fave stocks them all. Plus, check out their great ’zine collection. 3620 Falls Rd., 410-662-4444

It all started with an October 2007 article in Philadelphia's City Paper. In it, Edward Pettit—an Edgar Allan Poe scholar—touted Philly's ties to the great author and suggested exhuming Poe's remains and transporting them to the City of Brotherly Love. "Let's hop in our cars, drive down I-95, and appropriate a body from a certain Baltimore cemetery," he wrote. "I'll bring the shovel . . . Poe is ours."

If last December you had walked down Hampden's West 34th Street, past the giant candy canes, Teddy-bear soldiers, lit-up archways, and singing and dancing dolls, you would have eventually come to Sharon Whalen's sloping front yard. There, at 712 West 34th, you would have found a metallic Santa crab—with gold-painted wrenches for appendages—sitting atop a giant sleigh, which appeared to be pulled by eight smaller crabs.

The craft scene in Baltimore has exploded and we're all too happy to pick up the pieces—in the form of jewelry, ceramics, soaps, pillows, tees, and stationery. We rounded up 50 locals who create—many in their spare time—some pretty astonishing work. They're a super prolific bunch—quite a few are experts at jewelry and soap making or weaving and painting. (With MICA in the heart of Baltimore—we shouldn't be too surprised.) We've also got five featured profiles of crafters—including a married couple—where we learn even more about their methods and daily juggling of family, work, and art.