As a kid, I thought I was too fat to dress up as my favorite cartoon characters. As an adult, I discovered a subculture that became one of the greatest joys of my life.

In 1912, female acrobats, equestrians and weightlifters took on a new high-wire act: fighting for their right to vote.

In an age of 100-mph roller coasters and high-tech amusement parks, one master craftsman carries the torch – ’round and ’round – for a dying breed of carousel carvers.

How a hot-lipped man named Cracker earns an honest living, and raises a son, one carefully crafted wisecrack and flying fruit to the face at a time.

Through prosperity and drought, boom years and bust, the farmers of Snow Hill, Maryland, place faith in one of the harvest seasons’ unlikeliest kickoff traditions.

At age six, I couldn’t imagine anything more magical than working with Mickey and Friends. As an adult, it took three mice, a mermaid, and a purple-robed Merlin to help me...