Ohhhh the weather outside is…well, depending on where you live it might be frightful, delightful, or somewhere in-between. But that doesn’t matter, because soon we’ll all be experiencing the same season: the holiday season. And as the days get shorter we’ll need more time to shop for our loved ones. If you’re already dreading those long lines and crowded parking lots, though, don’t worry. We’ve put together a list to guide you towards some great gifts for the pop culture lover in your life. (Or you can buy them for yourself if you like. We won’t judge. We’re doing the same thing.) This wide array of items celebrate the best in TV, film, and literature, with—most importantly—something for every price range.
Beowulf Luxury Playing Cards With Custom Art ($14/$30)
We love artist Jackson Robinson’s custom playing cards, and he has an incredible selection of options at his company Kings Wild Project. But we’re getting real geeky this year over his gorgeous Beowulf set, a perfect stocking stuffer for the literature lover in your life. It’s also available as a gilded deck if you want to get really epic.
“Valkyrie Crossing the Bifrost” Shiny Foil Print by Pineapplebread ($20)
Artist Jay, who also works under the name Pineapplebread, has a fantastic line of original works celebrating some of the biggest properties in pop culture. That includes this fantastic shiny foil print of the MCU’s Valkyrie on winged horseback riding along the Bifrost. It’s a Marvel-ous take on Jacques-Louis David’s famous “Napoleon crossing the Alps.”
Black Panther: Protectors of Wakanda: A History and Training Manual of the Dora Milaje from the Marvel Universe by Karama Horne ($20.99)
Wakanda Forever will bring fans back to the MCU’s most powerful nation. But if you want to learn more about the powerful women who keep the country safe you’ll want to dive into author Karama Horne’s great new book Black Panther: Protectors of Wakanda: A History and Training of the Dora Milaje. It takes readers inside the lives of the elite warrior women to show what it takes to become a member.
Stranger Things 4 “The Piggyback Poster” by Butcher Billy ($25)
We know how great artist Butcher Billy’s retro pop culture posters are, and so does Netflix. The streaming site has his collection of prints for Stranger Things 4 episodes available at Netflix’s online shop. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but our favorite is this 24×36 piece from the season finale. It celebrates Eddie Munson giving the most metal performance of all-time. (Also check out his many other pieces, all of which make great gifts.)
Studio Ghibli Cookbook by Minh-Tri Vo, Lisa Molle Troyer ($29.99)
Studio Ghibli has long provided the most incredible culinary delights in cinema, but we have yet to figure out how to eat cartoons. Fortunately you don’t have to thanks to Insight Editions newest pop culture cookbook. It features recipes inspired by Studio Ghibli’s many delicious dishes. (Our advice? Give this to someone who will then invite you over to dinner.)
Top Gun: Maverick Sculpted Helmet Ceramic Mug ($29.99)
This 20-ounce sculpted ceramic Top Gun: Maverick mug from the Silver Buffalo Store celebrates one of the biggest box office hits of 2022. It’s a great present for fans who feel the need…the need for speed. And also caffeine. But it’s also an ideal Secret Santa gift. You can give it to someone without worrying if they saw the movie. You don’t need to know Pete Mitchell to appreciate this stylish Navy fighter pilot helmet design.
House of the Dragon King Viserys Crown Ring ($47/$50)
We would prefer to live in a world where it’s socially acceptable to wear replica crowns. Until that royally great day comes, though, we’ll be happy donning this replica House of the Dragon King Viserys crown ring from the Etsy shop gadgetentertainment. It comes in both antique silver and antique 18k gold. It also makes it easy to show your support for Rhaenyra’s claim to the Iron Throne.
Doctor Who Seventh Doctor Question Mark Umbrella ($57.50)
LOVARZI’s new officially-licensed Doctor Who Seventh Doctor Question Mark Umbrella pays tribute to Sylvester McCoy’s run as TV’s iconic Time Lord. This large brolly will keep you dry on rainy days, which is a huge plus. But the real value with this umbrella is that you’ll look stylish carrying it during any time period.
Ted Lasso A.F.C. Richmond Roy Kent Replica Jersey ($69.95)
Ted Lasso‘s Roy Kent is grumpy and foul-mouthed. His “team” doesn’t even exist! And yet there’s nobody in all of professional sports—real or fictional—whose jersey we’d rather wear than this exclusive AFC Richmond one sported by Brett Goldstein during the show’s first season. We’ll wear it here, we’ll wear it there, we’ll wear it every fu…oh, wait. We probably shouldn’t finish this chant. This is a holiday gift guide, after all.
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game Revised Core Set ($69.99)
This year The Rings of Power brought fans back to Middle-earth. But that wasn’t the only way to revisit the world of J.R.R. Tolkien in 2022. Fantasy Flight Games also re-released the classic The Lord of the Games Card Game. The Revised Core Set has “increased contents and some quality-of-life improvements” that make it easy for both newcomers and veterans of the game to play out their own rings of power fantasy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Lola Animatronic ($89.99)
Obi-Wan Kenobi brought the Jedi Master and his old Padawan face-to-face. It also gave us a live-action Grand Inquisitor and answered some big questions about the Force. But most importantly it gave the world little Leia Organa and her tiny droid Lola. And this holiday you can give the Star Wars fan in your life their very own L0-LA59 with Hasbro’s officially-licensed Lola animatronic. Just make sure to keep it safe at all costs.
Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie 4K/UHD Collection ($95)
If you want to boldly go where no Star Trek fan has gone before, you can start by watching the franchise’s original six movies in a way that’s never been possible before. This year, for the first-time ever, Paramount released the big screen adventures of the original Enterprise crew in 4K/UHD. And you can get them all in this single box set.
Young Avengers Omnibus by Heinberg and Cheung ($99.85)
For the first-time ever you can get every Young Avengers comic from the team of Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung in a single omnibus. This new collection has too many runs, plot lines, and characters to sum up in a single blurb. That’s exactly why it’s a great option for both longtime readers of Earth’s mightiest young heroes and newcomers alike.
Ella Purnell’s Yellowjackets Letterman Varsity Bomber Jacket ($101)
A truly great gift provides so much, like this spot-on replica Yellowjackets varsity bomber jacket from the Etsy store IdeaMastersAU. Not only will it let you pay tribute to one of your favorite shows, it makes pulling off Jackie Taylor cosplay a cinch. But the best news is that if your plane ever crashes in the Canadian wilderness, this coat will keep you warm. What you do while wearing the jacket is your own business and we didn’t see anything we swear!
Peacemaker Replica Cosplay Helmet ($260)
If there’s one thing John Cena’s Christopher Smith learned on his HBO Max series it’s that peace at any cost is not a price worth paying. But if you’re looking for a high-end gift for the superhero fan in your life this replica Peacemaker helmet from AllCosplay is. It’s (fortunately) not a dangerous killing machine, which will make it even more fun to wear to conventions and at home in your underwear. And who can put a price on that? Especially when it’s not something Santa Claus can give you.
Rick and Morty Exclusive Mondo Statue ($270)
If you need a big gift for the biggest Rick and Morty fan in your life you can find what you need (in this dimension) at Mondo. The company released the show’s first official polystone statue. The 12-inch collectible not only features the show’s titular characters, it comes with interchangeable tentacles and hands, as well as Squanchy himself. It’s one thoughtful way to make this holiday season the squanchiest ever.
