The Interactive World of Pop-ups

I love pop-up books. There are so many things to love: whether it be the childhood nostalgia, their hacking of space through manipulation of scale and perception, an ability to transport you to another world, or their simple interactivity. Pop-ups encompass a realm of creativity and tactile awareness that is irresistible.

Take this Alice and Wonderland pop-up for example. Looking at this, I can't help but be transported to both a different time and a different world.

Something seemingly simple, like reciting the alphabet or a light can become wonderfully complex, like with the book ABC3D or Ken Ishiguro's pop-up light.

They can be a fantastic creative outlet, like this band tapped into for its music video. Or, they can increase your depth of understanding, as with these pop-ups about habitat and space or classic and modern architecture.

You can also use them to safely explore your fears (whether common phobias ... or specific to zombies, perhaps?). Or you can learn more about human anatomy, the facts of life, or sexuality.

There seem to be endless possibilities. For more examples, just check out The Fellowship of Pop-up Books, the Pop-Up Book of Celebrity Meltdowns, and the fun they had with a pop-up Photoshop contest over at Something Awful.