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The Geek’s Guide to Christmas

// December 6th, 2009 // Comics, Review, Scifi, Television

Ah the holidays!  The time when consumerism reaches it’s peak and millions of people scramble to find the perfect gift for the people they love… or tolerate… or work for and thus have to pay homage.

But for most Mundies out there (that’s code for you non-geeks), there’s always that one person… the one that is impossible to shop for, the one you just don’t understand.  Be it brother, friend, sister, lover— nerd, nerd, nerd— the nerd is the word.  Welcome to Rebelcomix guide to christmas shopping for the geek in your life.

First things first, you have to know what kind of Geek you’re dealing with- Scifi, comics, music, art, etc.  The easiest way to do this is to walk into their room.  Most geeks have some sort of adornment, like gang colors (but way cooler).   Do they wear a Battlestar Galactica t-shirt?   Are they a manga nut?  Do they have Transformers or Star Wars toys models laying around? Goood.  But be specific.  If they dig comics, look to see if they have mostly Marvel, DC or some other company.  Never buy an indy comic geek something commercial.  There should be a label by the bar code which names the publisher (your local comic shop can help you with the rest.  Similarly, if they love Star Trek, you don’t want to get them confused with Star Wars.  Trekkies and Trilogy people are like the Bloods and the Crips of the Scifi world.  And they will cut a bitch.

Now that you’ve identified what kind of nerd you’re dealing with, we can get down to business.  Here are just a few possibilities for christmas gifts for the Geek you love.  For the remainder of the article, I’ll stick to scifi

1.  Comic Book Tattoo-  if your nerd has a deep and abiding love of Tori Amos, this is the perfect gift for you. Comic Book Tattoo is an anthology of comics based on Tori Amos songs by various artists and writers.   This is one of those things you want but you can’t justify buying for yourself.  It’s available for $50 or you can get the official signed version for $150.

2.  Farscape-  any scifi fanboy worth his salt will argue that his/her favorite show is the greatest show of all time  (and for the record, Babylon 5 IS the greatest scifi opus EVER)-  but for pure science fiction, nothing touches Farscape.  The story of John Crichton trapped on the other side of the galaxy vying for the love of alien warrior Aeryn Sun will not only satisfy your loved one’s holiday needs, it might just bring out a little nerd in you.  Currently $60 on amazon

3.  Starman Omnibus-  one of the best comics ever is currently being reprinted in several hard cover volumes.   Starman Omnibus volumes 1-3 are available at most comic shops for $50 apiece.  (and if anyone wants to get me something, go with this or the Farscape box set, mmm-kay?)

4.  Firefly/ Serenity-  alrighty, if you’ve got a Browncoat in your life (I am), you already know what this is.   They’ve probably made you watch Serenity 600 times.   Here’s a list of suggestions that are sure to appease that Browncoated beast.

• Firefly complete series Blu Ray currently $70
• Serenity River Tam statue (oh HELLS yes) $100
• Steve Anderson limited edition lithograph (this is the guy who does the Star Wars and Indy posters!  $40

5. Lost Girls-  any comic lover will love this adults only graphic novel by the legendary Alan Moore.  It tells the stories of three famous fictional girls: Wendy, Dorothy and Alice.  Depending on your level of prudence, this may be a little risque for your tastes, but your Geek in question will love it.   Price is usually $50- 60

6.  Star Wars-   you can go a thousand different ways with this, but here are a few.

• Lego Millenium Falcon -nuff said.    Basic model is $45, but the more advanced sets are– pricey.
• Star Wars Novels- you can buy a bunch for cheap and there’s a lot out there.  Go with the Timothy Zahn ones.
• Star Wars Force FX Lightsaber $100 – to hell with your nerd, buy this for YOU!

7.  Blankets-  if you have an Indy Comics nerd on your hands, you run the risk of them already having this, but if they don’t they’ll love you for it.  Blankets has been recommended by everyone I have ever heard of, but the $30 price tag makes it a risky buy.

8.  Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls – trust me.  He’s not going to buy it for himself.

9.  Midnight Nation-  J Michael Straczynski’s most profound work.  If Babylon 5 is his/ her taste, they HAVE to read this.  $20 and your local comic shop probably has it. $20

10.  I Kill Giants-  no lie, this book made me cry.  It is so unbelievable gut wrenching that I can’t read it in public anymore.  Joe Kelly’s miniseries will make a comic fan out of anybody. $20

BONUS: for the Geek who has everything-  THE HAMMER OF THOR

It retails for between $400- 500 depending on which model you buy, but he’ll probably worship you for this.  The downside is, you’ll have a grown man running around with a fake Hammer pretending to fly and shouting “By Odinsblood, service me, yon saucy wench!”

If you need any more specific suggestions, feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you. Also, check out the guys over at 2-in-1 Showcase who also have a gift guide.