Geeky Gift Idea #5- Nineteen Eighty Five by James Reitano

Admittedly, this Geeky Gift Idea is based on the fact that the town that this comic takes place in is near and dear to my heart. James Reitano's Nineteen Eighty Five is about a graffiti artist in a small California beach town (Santa Cruz). Having grown up with this "beach town" as my playground, seeing it come alive in a comic book is a total joy for me. When I was growing up, "tagging" could be seen everywhere; walls of stores, schools, street signs and even cars. Reitano perfectly captures the era when graffiti was a burgeoning expression of art in Santa Cruz.

"Nineteen Eighty Five documents the adventures of a young graffiti artist and his colleagues in a small beach town during the mid-eighties. Count is a 15 year old who is desperatley trying to prove himself to his peers and foes alike, all the while keeping clear from the authorities. Starting as just a handful of friends, the group of graffiti artists soon grows into a small community."

 

There are four volumes available at the nineteen85.com shop for $9.95 each and each volume comes with a different CD filled with exclusive mixes from Peanut Butter Wolf, Kutmasta Kurt, DJ Imperial and Bubba G. Scotch!

Geeky Gift Idea #4- Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight by Travis Langley

There are a couple of Batman fans in my life and this Christmas they'll be unwrapping Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight by Travis Langley as my gift to them. For the Batman fans in your circle, it will be the perfect companion piece to the Dark Knight Rises, which is being released on home video on December 4th. Batman and Psychology is available in paperback, Kindle and Nook book. While you're at it, why don't you pick up a copy for yourself!

From Goodreads.com:

 

A journey behind the mask and into the mind of Gotham City's Caped Crusader, timed for the summer 2012 release of "The Dark Knight Rises" Batman is one of the most compelling and enduring characters to come from the Golden Age of Comics, and interest in his story has only increased through countless incarnations since his first appearance in "Detective Comics" #27 in 1939. Why does this superhero without superpowers fascinate us? What does that fascination say "about" us? "Batman and Psychology" explores these and other intriguing questions about the masked vigilante, including: Does Batman have PTSD? Why does he fight crime? Why as a vigilante? Why the mask, the bat, and the underage partner? Why are his most intimate relationships with "bad girls" he ought to lock up? And why won't he kill that homicidal, green-haired clown?Gives you fresh insights into the complex inner world of Batman and Bruce Wayne and the life and characters of Gotham City. Explains psychological theory and concepts through the lens of one of the world's most popular comic book characters. Written by a psychology professor and "Superherologist" (scholar of superheroes).

 

Reviews-

 

"Simply speaking, this is my pick for the best book of 2012. A fantastic look into the inner workings of one of comic book's most compelling, dynamic characters; a masterfully written analysis/love note to the Dark Knight." - Stephen Harvey, FindYourGeek.com

 

"...more entertaining than many of the others which populate the ever-growing field of texts about pop culture and the sciences. Rather than just telling us what we should know or think about Batman, the book supplements our own interest in the hero, and provokes us to think more about what's going on in his head." - StarPulse.com

You can follow the author, Travis Langley on Twitter at @Superherologist

 

 

Geeky Gift Idea #3- ComiXpress Print-on- Demand Comics

Do you know a voracious comic book reader that loves discovering new titles? How about heading over to ComiXpress print-on-demand service and picking up a few indie titles for that special someone!

"Since 2004, ComiXpress has been proud to be the creator's choice for short-run print on demand comics and trade paperbacks.

Founded by comic creators to serve the indie, self-publishing and small-press comic community, we offer only the highest quality printing, backed by years of extensive pre-press and design knowledge."

You can pick up single issues, graphic novels and even zines at ComiXpress. Be aware that as they are a print-on-demand service, you will have to account for that extra time when ordering a gift.

Some of the hundreds of titles available at ComiXpress:

 

Explorers of the Unkown: Volume 1

 

Mysterious creatures, Ancient Mud Gods, Evil Insectoid Scientists – Just another day in the town of Apocalypse, Ohio!

Experience the adventures of Diego, Jane, Alyssa, and the rest of the Explorers gang in this first collection, containing 8 action-packed tales!

 

Eight times the ACTION! Eight times the SUSPENSE! Are you an Explorer?!

 

  



 

Super Team Ultra Force: Volume 1

 

Bullies out for blood, teachers that love to watch you squirm, and a girl who doesn't know you exist. As if high school wasn't hard enough, Zander Young has just learned that he is destined to save the universe.

And if Zander can start believing in himself then he might just do it.

- A kid friendly property from Paper Street Comics that contains the first two issue arc of the series!

 

 

 

Dan In Space #1

 

Dan is stuck in the melancholy of corporate space with nowhere to go but down. Constantly being sent on dangerous missions in a less than average ship, Dan fights his desire to leave it all behind. But on one particular mission, Dan finds his way into the middle of an adventure unlike anything he has ever experienced before.

Geeky Gift Idea #2- Doctor Mew from Jenny Parks

The Fur Rises

Our second recommendation also comes from an artist we discovered at APE this year. Jenny Parks loves to "incorporate animals or nature" into her art. While at APE I picked up a couple of Doctor Mew buttons and an awesome, high quality Doctor Mew shirt. We think any fan of Doctor Who and cats would love to unwrap any of the items she has at her Doctor Mew shop. Also available in the shop are prints, magnets, postcards and more featuring Purrlock, Harry Pawter, BatCat, ThorKitty and others.

Doctor Mew T-shirt

ThorKitty
 

Also, be sure to check out her site, Jenny Parks Illustrations, where you can keep up with new work, news and Con appearances! You can also follow her on Twitter at @jennyparksillus

Geeky Gift Idea #1: Woolbuddy

We're kicking off the Holiday season with some great big geeky gift ideas (say that five times fast)! Today we're setting our sights on Woolbuddy, one of our favorite discoveries at this years APE (Alternative Press Expo).

What is a Woolbuddy?

"Woolbuddy began as an artist’s desire to find a unique collection of toys for his newborn daughter. After searching for months and coming up empty handed, he decided that it was time for him to create his own collection of premium handcrafted stuffed animals that reflected the imaginative and magical world that he wanted to share with his daughter. By combining his love for needle felting and his desire to make his daughter something that she would remember for years to come, Woolbuddy was born.
In just two years, over 300 characters have come to life and now make up the six distinctive collections of the Woolbuddy World. There are Loveable Monsters, animals from The Zoo, Woolbuddies living on The Farm,Sea Creatures that swim through the ocean, reptiles that spend their day lounging around The Swamp,and Itty Bitty Critters that wonder throughout the land."

R2KT

Felted Camera 

Check out the Woolbuddy Etsy shop here where you can get the Woolbuddy book and several different kits. They also "take requests for one-of-a-kind creations"