Pop Culture Holiday “Gifts For Geeks” 2025

Looking for the perfect something for the comics/sci-fi/gaming/anime fan in your life? Here are a few fun pieces of merch to put a smile on the face of that special fan – including the one in the mirror! – for all tastes and budgets.

DC Compact Comics. Catch up with some of DC’s most action-packed classic storylines, from Batman: The Court of Owls to All-Star Superman in these affordable, full-color paperback collections, just $9.99 each. Buy ‘em at your local comics shop to support retailers!

Batman: Court of Owls Saga by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, part of DC’s Compact Comics bargain priced paperback collections.

DC Entertainment

Kayou’s NARUTO Smriti Collectible Cards – Heaven Scroll Edition. Fans and collectors of the beloved Naruto series are loving the stunning artwork, premium finishes, and immersive storytelling, featuring iconic characters like Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Zabuza, and Haku, plus the chance to score some collectible rarities. Just $3.99 a pack.

Stranger Things Assorted Minimodels. Just in time for the much-anticipated final season of the Netflix hit, these 3-inch mini figures depict classic moments from the series in an evocative, realistic style. Jazwares: $9.99

Marvel Rock’em Socks. If the classic characters from Marvel Comics and the MCU give you happy feet, celebrate with fun, festive wool socks in a variety of styles, from classic to “tacky sweater,” from Rock ‘Em Socks, $19.99

Masters of Crime: Mosquito. Scour the world for hidden treasures and mysterious objects while staying a step ahead of the secret organization “Mosquito” in this adventure-packed tabletop game from KOSMOS, which also sells fun science project kits. Age: 16+, MSRP: $24.95

Cthulhu Necklace from Baldur Jewelry. Drive your partner mad (hopefully in a good way) with this hand-crafted Cthulhu necklace, bristling with eldritch detail from HP Lovecraft’s classic horror/fantasy mythos. Baldur also has cool accessories based on a number of pop culture themes. From $41.

This is Not a Sketchbook. It’s an Art Class by Lauren Horn. Feed your creative side! This unique book combines the portability of a quality sketchbook with art instruction to help hone your skills The QR codes printed throughout that connect to included video lessons from art educator Lauren Horn. $49.99.

The Essential Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz, Written by Mark Evanier; Illustrated by Charles M. Schulz; Introduction by Patrick McDonnell; Foreword by Jean Schulz (Abrams ComicArts) Celebrate the 75^th anniversary of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and the gang with this deluxe edition collecting artwork, artifact and brief essays about one of America’s favorite classic comic strips. $75.00

Del Toro’s Frankenstein Collectors Edition, by Shiela O’Malley (insight Editions). Immerse yourself in the darkly enchanting universe of Frankenstein with this exclusive Portfolio Edition of Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed Frankenstein. The deluxe book collects production art, behind-the-scene production details and excerpts from Del Toro’s notebooks as he brought Mary Shelley’s famous creature back to the screen. Various editions, $75 and up.

XP Pen Magic Drawing Pad 2^nd Generation. XP Pen has created the perfect portable sketchbook for digital artists, combining a bunch of pro-level features like a stylus with 16K pressure levels and tilt support, a low-glare hi-res display, and power to support top Android drawing apps in an affordable package. $499 list price, currently on sale.

Give the Gift of Art! Let me end this column with my annual appeal to give the fan in your life the gift of art from human artists. There is none of this stuff without art, and no art without artists who can afford to eat. Conventions, Instagram, Etsy and your local community are full of artists doing gorgeous original works, and I’m sure most of them would love to hear from you with your special requests and commissions. Be generous, be polite, be patient, and get rewarded with something truly unique and special.