“The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, with the hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.” (Filling them with the best cool comic book related gifts)
Ahh… is there any holiday gift tradition more fun than the stockings? Finding stuff small (and inexpensive) enough to fill a stocking can be quite the chore. But, as someone who would rather get a half dozen small and fun gifts than a single large present, I spend a lot of time on finding the perfect stocking stuffers.
I took an afternoon and my smartphone to troll the aisles of Krypton Comics in Omaha, NE in search of great treats for all the good girls and boys on my list.
While the last two lists (Part 1 and Part 2) have been comprised of the items I found at Dragon’s Lair, the Lair really is Comics and Games, to me. Krypton Comics has a huge selection of the kinds of small (and large) toys that last minute shoppers will love when seeking to fill those stockings. Here’s the best stuff that I found:
For Professionals and Students
Business Card Holders
Great for adult professionals who want to wear their geek badge with pride, I found a wide assortment of business card holders. Here are the coolest Marvel ones I saw, but they also carried business card holders for the Walking Dead.
These would even be cool for teens and pre-teens. Now that you can print business cards online, on-the-cheap, you could include a couple hundred business cards with their contact info and the title “Super Genius”.
I know, I know… Almost no one uses physical business cards any more – which makes those who do extra suave.
Key Rings
Again, Krypton’s got a ton of keychains, with this S.H.I.E.L.D. logo keychain being the coolest.
The morning commute is a lot more fun when you imagine that you’re sliding into the seat of “Lola” and your boring day job is actually deep cover for the fact that you’re on assignment for Marvel’s super-spy agency. Also, these can be attached to the zipper of a backpack to add a little flair to the school day.
For Firefly fans who still can’t let go
The Jayne hat is so shiny. Fox may be trying to ban these from sale, but you can’t stop the signal.
For the comic book fan on the prowl
Sci-fi and comic colognes and perfumes are an awesome idea. You’ll know right away if you’re going to be going on a second date.
“Wow, you smell nice tonight.”
“Thanks, it’s Black Widow from Marvel.”
“What’s that?”
“You know. Black Widow? Natasha Romanoff?”
“Never heard of it.”
“Great. Don’t call me, I’ll call you.”
Fragrances for Guys Seeking Ladies
Patriot and Smash
Fragrances for Ladies Seeking Guys
Black Widow
Pon Farr (Third date and beyond only, please)
Fragrances for other lifestyles
Sulu
Bottle Openers
These also seem to be popular. With the advent of craft brews, it seems like people need bottle openers way more than I recall from my youth. The price and size make them perfect for stockings, though.
I don’t think it’s made from Vibranium, but Cap’s shield should do in a pinch if you’ve got a bottle that need its lid flipped.
Action Figures
An action figure will always brighten the day of any comic fan. And, since it’s a gift, they don’t have to feel bad about taking it out of the package. Krypton Comics has a huge selection of figures. Uncover your sweetie’s favorite hero – comic, TV, movie, etc. – and get them a cool figure.
You can stick with a traditional figure – like a Deadpool. But why, when you could do something more offbeat, like Space Ghost.
Or, my personal favorite, Cloak and Dagger
And, since most figures have interesting variants, you should be able to find something they don’t have. Even if they’they’ve got a few Superman action figures gracing their desk, bedroom, or work space, do they have the Superman Red variant?
Unlikely…
How about Disco, er, I mean She-Force Elektra?
Glow in the Dark version of the Spectre?
Even the brand new Batman ’66 action figure line comes with variants.
If the comic fan in your life likes action figures, there’s got to be one they’d like, but don’t have.
Mini Figures
When shelf space gets limited, these tiny alternative to full sized action figures will do in a pinch. Plus, on a price per figure basis, they’re a more economical way to maximize holiday spending.
And, they come prepackaged in teams a lot of times.
And for the Marvel movie fan in your life, they can get ahead of the Avengers sequel – “Avengers: Age of Ultron” with the mini figures from the “Age of Ultron” comic.
And, it’s not just Marvel. Nowadays, almost all comic characters have some sort of mini-figures. Now Dredd himself can lay down the law on your desk or shelf.
Trinkets and Grab Bag Goodies
Once you’ve got some of the bigger items, you’re going to want to fill in with some inexpensive, smaller stuff. Again, Krypton’s got plenty:
Did you know that the “Green Lantern” comic series now has various good guy/bad/guy/other factions across the universe with nine different colors of rings? It’s integral to the story, not just a marketing ploy to move merchandise. But, you can take advantage of that. Check out this box with various color rings from the comic series for just $2 each. There are also Legion flight rings and Flash’s ring in there, too.
Buttons, for just $1.25 each, are a great for backpacks, jackets, and pretty much anything that can be stuck with a pin without bleeding.
Mini Stress Balls
Now you can sling Spidey or Fling the Thing if you’re frustrated:
For Nerds “Of a Certain Age”
Vintage toys are always fun. Many are already open and/or missing one or two pieces, but who cares. They still work fine, can be displayed with pride, and for super-hardcore completists, sometimes you can find just the missing pieces (or replicas of them) on eBay.
Just one example – check this out. A vintage Superman Colorforms set. Are Colorforms still a thing? They should be…
For Doctor Who Fans
No Casual Comics Gift Guide is complete without some super-cool Doctor Who gifts.
You can always go with the old reliable sonic screwdriver. Or you can go outside the box with one of these.
Doctor Who Titans Mini-Figures
Blind boxing makes it extra fun. Open the package and hope for your favorite Doctor. (I already got my 10th Doctor tuxedo variant at San Diego Comic Con, so there.)
The Flesh
Hey, I just watched the episode last week for the first time. And what do I find? You can now have your own tub of The Flesh. Hope the two of you get along better than the work crew and their Gangers did.
So that wraps up this year’s holiday gift guide. Here’s hoping for peace, goodwill to all mankind, and that you get at least one cool comic gift this year.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to visit Part 1 (Trade Paperbacks) and Part 2 (Prestige Items) of the gift guide.
Cheers!
– CCG
Casual Comics Guy 
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