Comic Book Gift Ideas for the Comic Book Novice
Dec 23, 2008 Comics
Yes, the holidays are here. Christmas is only a couple of days away and I need to head into town this afternoon to finish off my holiday shopping. Thankfully, I don’t need to spend much time in the mall, fighting my way through the crowds of people who just like me, left things nearly to the last minute. Hey, at least I’m not waiting until Christmas Eve… unless I can’t find everything today…
Anyway, the bulk of the items remaining on my Christmas list (and there are only a few) are comic book related and can be picked up at my local comic shop. My plan is to cruise in and pick up what is needed (as long as it is in stock… Otherwise, I know someone who will be receiving an I.O.U. in their stocking while Santa fires up the old printing press at the North Pole…).
But, bypassing the mall only solves half my problem. While it is true I will be avoiding the masses of Christmas shoppers at the local mall, thus keeping my sanity well intact, I still need to select the correct comic for the last person on my list. That person (who has imminent comic goodness in their need future) is a female that I know has a moderate interest in some types of comics (I will be steering clear of superhero books). That might not sound like much, but that is more than enough to work with. There are SO many trade paperbacks and graphic novels within so many genres to choose from out there, it just takes a little thought to decide on the perfect selection.
Keep reading to see the comic book gift choices.
Here are a few books I am currently deciding between. The titles of the books are links to online locations you can use to pick one up for yourself should the mood to get yourself a Christmas present strikes. Note that your local comic shop should be able to track these titles down for you as well if they don’t already have them in stock.
This is great book that was published a few years back that I wish more people knew about. It is packed with animals (and snowmen. Read it and see.) walking around and living their lives. It takes place during the cold months of the year (cold weather = sweaterweather *wink*) with all the characters interacting with each other. The story is rather unconventional in a very good way as there are multiple vignettes through the book that all use unique storytelling methods. There are postcards that can be removed and mailed to your friends that even include stamps (though you had better add a legit stamp if you want the postcard to reach its desired destination). There is a particular favourite section of mine in this book that I don’t want to ruin by giving away the details as a very clever device is used which is revealed on the last page. All I will say is that you best know your “A, B, C’s”. I love this book and I believe the person on my Christmas list would like it just as much.
Captain Stoneheart And The Truth Fairy by Chris Bachalo and Joe Kelly
Get ready for this; the book comes with a CD of the story read by a pirate with authentic sound effects. Yargh, it is awesome. The story itself is wonderful fable with a bitter sweet ending that I will let you discover on your own. The art is fantastic as Chris Bachalo captures the essence of the animal themed pirates (Captain Stoneheart is a Hippo) enthusiastically. There are many “DVD extras” included at the end of the story as well which include the entire stories’ pencils (which are a pleasure to inspect) and interviews with the creators. The CD alone is even great for listening to in the car on a quick trip as it runs about 45 minutes. Talking Hippo Pirates. Who wouldn’t want this under their tree come December 25th?
Wondermark: Beards of our Forefathers by David Malki
This recent hardcover made me laugh. A lot. Comics don’t usually make me laugh, but this book did exactly that. Repeatedly. It takes illustrations (and some engravings) from the 19th century and makes them hilarious. Plain and simple. Well, maybe not “simple” as I’m sure the author labours over each strip to produce the end result. You can check out some examples at the official Wondermark site by clicking HERE. There is just something particularly humorous about seeing “modern talk” spring forth from the mouths of the proper “ladies and gentlemen” in the strips. This book may be just what Santa ordered…
Those are all good choices for the particular person on my list. Of course, what is likely to happen is that I will walk into my comic shop and browse the shelves and back issue bins and come out with something completely different than what I listed above. Or, something I have never even heard of prior to seeing it during my visit. That’s the beauty of comics. There’s always something out there for everyone and the books are just sitting there, waiting to be discovered. Even better, books are constantly being produced and every Wednesday a new wave of these books comes flooding into local comic shops everywhere. The trick is making the right choice for the individual and I am off to do so right now. Wish me luck!
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