Who can lay claim to the catch phrase “The game’s afoot?” If your answer is Sherlock Holmes, you’re right! And if your answer is Shakespeare, you’re also right! Today being Shakespeare’s birthday, it’s as good a time as any to celebrate the rhetorical bond between the two literary icons.

How great would it be to see a Gerard comic book series by someone as talented as writer/artist Patrick Zircher? If you're not familiar with his work (shame on you), check out his Solomon Kane books and prepare to be wowed.

It’s easy to mock Doyle’s belief in Spiritualism. I tend to see it as tragic self-deception. I welcome any analysis that positions him as dreamer rather than a fool.

Drives me crazy that Tubi shows a thumbnail image from this version of Hound, but when you click on it, the version that plays is the 2002 movie with Richard Roxburgh.

The movie “Young Sherlock Holmes” contends that its hero developed the world’s first viable flying machine. Of course, that distinction actually belongs to brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright. Wilbur was born on this day in 1867.

The dream of every collector who haunts used bookstores and second-hand shops.

Everything a paperback cover should be!

Barely a month has passed since the new “Young Sherlock” series debuted on Prime, so it’s kinda soon for a reboot. But purely as a casting exercise, I’m intrigued

The brain behind the bat.

Today’s special: Eggs Benedict. Happy Easter!

Considering how much Basil loved playing Romeo, imagine if his Sherlock ever got to meet Irene Adler on screen. At least his performance in "A Scandal in Bohemia" on the radio gives us a hint at the sparks that we'll never see. Oh, the chances we missed by not getting more faithful film adaptations!

It’s a good day for Sherlock-themed comic nostalgia. We’ve already seen two and I haven’t even refreshed my morning coffee yet. Will there be more?

I have a new Holy Grail comic that I may spend the rest of my life trying to find.

That poster hangs in my bedroom. Not my childhood bedroom. My current, adult bedroom. #RameTep #HonestyProbityDiligence #TheBearIsWhite #SayHelloUncas

Happy 95th birthday to William Shatner, best known for playing Stapleton in the 1972 adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles. #StarTrek #CaptainKirk

Show someone who absolutely rocks a hat (that isn’t Indiana Jones)

Did not expect a Basil Rathbone shoutout at the Oscars last night. The game’s STILL afoot!

Watson looking SWANK in the fur coat! (No, I don't advocate for wearing fur except in cartoons.)

More than 100 years old and still the best version of Doyle’s story put to film.

Do you know what I find curious? The article makes no mention of Arthur Conan Doyle or Sherlock Holmes. In fairness, LitHub only shared an excerpt of the author’s memoir. If we had access to the full book, I’m sure the Sherlockian influence on Haddon’s writing would be made clear, right? RIGHT?

Raise a glass of brandy in memory of Robert Duvall, who died today at the age of 95. He played Dr. Watson in the 1976 film “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.” Of the many Watsons I’ve seen, Duvall strikes me as the least likely to let Holmes walk all over him. Even as a sidekick, he’s no doormat.

In the Mount Rushmore of characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is the no brainer. Next comes Professor Challenger from The Lost World, followed by Brigadier Gerard and Sir Nigel Loring.

Americomics #3 (August 1983) by Rik Levins Inspired by Sherlock Holmes, Blue Beetle reaches a "logical" conclusion about the new bad guy in town who looks exactly like his dead mentor. It can only be...an evil robot doppelganger! Ah, comic books.

Just when I thought I couldn’t admire comic artist par excellence Jerry Ordway any more, I find out that he’s also a Sherlock fan. I can’t recall ever seeing Jerry draw Holmes but I’d love to be proven wrong by @johannadc.bsky.social or anyone else.

I need to find a permanent home for my newest piece of Sherlockian art. For now, it sits on my mantle in observance of Holmes’ birthday on Jan. 6. The pencil sketch is a reproduction of a Paget illustration from SILV. My daughter drew it for me as a Christmas gift and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Can you REALLY call yourself a Sherlockian if you don’t eat goose today? Holmes began investigating The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle on December 27. Maybe I cheated by serving up a goose-shaped cookie. But at least it’s properly bejeweled.

Sherlock on a Shelf has completed his annual rounds. As his job ends, Santa’s job begins. Sleep well tonight because tomorrow is Christmas!

Sherlock on a Shelf is practically daring Santa to put him on the naughty list. With two weeks left until Christmas, every day is an opportunity for more mischief! #SherlockOnAShelf #NaughtyList

If you were elected to public office (never mind whether you'd ever actually run), what book would you swear in on?

Step aside Sherlock Hemlock. Sesame Street has a new top detective.

My Justice League

Most of the Holmes stories are ill-suited for comics. The mental processes of his deductions don’t translate well to a visual medium. The Final Problem is an exception because it’s a chase story that culminates with a fist fight. Perfect comic fodder!

Casablanca, The Invisible Man, Lawrence of Arabia. What a filmography! What a life! Claude Rains was born on this day in 1889. He played Prof. Challenger in The Lost World and costarred with Basil Rathbone in The Adventures of Robin Hood. Not a Sherlockian career, but Sherlock adjacent.

Just as the Christmas season extends to Epiphany, so too should the Halloween season continue until the birthday of "Dracula" author Bram Stoker on 11/8. I'm currently reading "Sherlock Holmes & Count Dracula" by Christian Klaver. Not the best example of that subgenre, but it scratches an itch.

88 years after his death, William Gillette once again treads the boards in Maine. The Monmouth Community Players brought him back to life for a two-week run of shows at Cumston Hall. Get your tickets now!

Sounds like familiar territory to anyone who read the book "Arthur and George" or saw its 3-part TV adaptation in 2015. But the world has changed a lot since then for people of color. Perhaps the plight of George Edalji and Doyle's role in helping him will strike a different chord.

From Agincourt to Baker Street or wherever the game’s afoot…Happy Saint Crispin’s Day!

Nothing would make me feel more at ease when I’m away from home than being greeted by Sherlockian art.

Eille Norwood is 164 years old today and looks better than ever. The BFI is in the process of restoring the 47 silent films in which he starred as Sherlock Holmes. I like to refer to the project as the Adventure of the Norwood Re-Builders. Happy birthday, Mr. Norwood! I hope to see you again soon.

Robert Downey Jr. has made four Avengers movies and three Iron Man movies. But why does Sherlock Holmes get short shrift with just two movies? Complete the trilogy!

Recovering today from a wild Michaelmas of watching Hound of the Baskervilles and eating blackberry pie. A real Sir Hugo-style rager! #Michaelmas #Baskervilles #SirHugo #SherlockHolmes

The title of the article is insane to any real Holmes fan. “Sherlock’s most faithful adaptation isn’t the 1 you think.” Oh really? Or maybe it’s EXACTLY the one we all think it is. #JeremyBrett #Granada

Robert Redford isn't the first name that comes to mind in connection with Sherlock Holmes. But there IS a connection. The book "The Devil and Sherlock Holmes" includes an article that inspired his 2018 movie "The Old Man and the Gun." For that and all of his work, we'll always be grateful.

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside…

HOLMES SMASH!!!

The logic that Arthur Conan Doyle espoused through Sherlock Holmes went out the window when it came to the Cottingley Fairies. A newly acquired print of the famous photo is on display now until September 7 at the University of New England’s art gallery in Portland, Maine.

"You have the right to remain Sherlock" is something Jake Peralta (played by Andy Samberg) might say on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In a recent interview, Samberg revealed that he based Jake's investigative style on a particular version of Holmes. Cue the video to 1:02:10 to hear about Cumberbatching.

With the exception of COPP, these aren’t the stories I would necessarily recommend to get a new reader hooked on Holmes. But hey, whatever works!

The casting on "Watson" has been aggressively against type thus far. By comparison, the choice for Holmes seems more conventional. Robert Carlyle is shorter and blonder than I'd like, but there is a pleasing sharpness to his face. If he can project a similar sharpness of mind, he'll do just fine.

Happy birthday to Rudy Vallée! I celebrated by adorning the bronze bust in his hometown of Westbrook, ME with a special party hat. No, Rudy never played Sherlock Holmes. But he DID wear a deerstalker as the villainous Lord Marmaduke Ffogg in 3 episodes of the Batman TV series. Close enough!