Christmas is coming, and the goose is getting fat. Hopefully your
wallet is fat as well because it’s gift-giving time.
There are tons of nifty new pop culture items you could purchase for
family and friends, so I’ve narrowed my suggestions down to a few select items that
appeal to me—namely books and special collector’s editions of movies, music,
and video games.
BOOKS
Twomorrows Publishing
$39.95
If you read my AntiqueWeek
cover stories on Ken Kesey’s “Magic Trip” and the 50th anniversary
of the Summer of Love, you may have gathered that I’m fascinated by the Flower
Power era, which makes this book a no brainer.
Fully illustrated in color and featuring interviews, history, and more
on topics as diverse as The Brady Bunch, The Beatles, Jesus Christ Superstar, and comic book artist Jim Steranko, Groovy is as trippy and as its name
implies, taking readers on a psychedelic pop culture romp through a
controversial, yet colorful time.
Schiffer Publishing
$34.99
Speaking of psychedelic, Oliver Hibert was born in 1983, but his outré
art, displayed beautifully in this book, is clearly inspired by the cartoonish,
counter-culture aesthetic and startling colors of such ’60s stylists as Peter
Max and Alton Kelley.
Sean Ono Lennon described the young artist’s work best: “Oliver
Hibert’s art is like Hello Kitty dreaming of Aleister Crowley on ketamine listing
to Syd Barrett while having an orgy with demonic love aliens on a
mushroom-shaped UFO.”
KISS: The Elder Vol. 2: Odyssey
Dynamite Entertainment
$19.99 each
In 1981, KISS released Music from
“The Elder”, an artsy fartsy concept album that was far different than any of
the iconic rock band’s previous work. It was produced by Bob Ezrin, who also
produced Destroyer and Pink Floyd’s
landmark concept album, The Wall. The
low-selling record, which didn’t even feature the band on the cover, befuddled
many fans, but others hailed it as a masterpiece.
In the ensuing years, fans have created fiction, films, and comic books
based on the story-driven album, and now Dynamite Entertainment has gotten in
on the act, publishing a pair of intriguing, beautifully illustrated graphic
novels. Written by Amy Chu with art by Kewber Baal, the books take place in a dark,
futuristic world without heroes. Four young friends go on a dangerous mission
to uncover the truth about the mysterious Council of Elders and their underground
home, the city of Blackwell.
MOVIES
Warner Bros.
$199.99
If you’re like me, you’ve probably got a decent collection of
live-action movies based on DC Comics superheroes. However, your animated movie
library of same may be wanting.
Enter DC Universe 10th
Anniversary Collection, a Blu-ray boxed set featuring all 30 animated
films, plus 5 animated shorts and a variety of extras, including collectible
coins and an adult coloring book. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but there’s a
lot of good stuff here, including my favorite Batman movie of all time (animated
or otherwise): Batman and Harley Quinn.
Lionsgate
$44.99
No, I’m not a big fan of Dirty
Dancing, the romantic film starring the late Patrick Swayze and Jennifer
Grey. It’s not that it’s a bad movie, but I’m probably not the target audience.
However, I do have a number of females on my shopping list, so grabbing a few
of these babies (“Nobody puts Baby in a corner”) would probably be a good idea.
This Blu-ray set is loaded down with features and memorabilia,
including documentaries, interviews, dance step cards, a mini theatrical
one-sheet, Kellerman's cottage room keychain for Baby's room, and a 108-page
shooting script.
MUSIC
(by The Rolling Stones)
ABKCO
$79.99
Everyone knows about the 50th anniversary set of The
Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
Band, so I won’t discuss that here. Rather, I’ll go with a re-release of a
more obscure album from 1967: The Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request, which veered from the band’s blues
and R&B roots in favor of a psychedelic sound.
This four-disc set includes mono and stereo mixes on vinyl and hybrid
SACD (Super Audio CD), along with a recreation of the original 3D cover and a
20-page booklet featuring photos from the original cover shoot.
KISS fans take note: Their
Satanic Majesties Request includes the original version of 2000 Man, which Ace Frehley covered for
his 1979 solo album.
(by John Williams)
Walt Disney Records
$168.99
Even back when the world called the first Star Wars movie by its two-word name without adding “Episode IV” or
“A New Hope,” I knew John Williams’ film score was special. From the opening
credits to the destruction of the Death Star, the music is as key to the
excitement of the action as the lightsabers, blasters, and TIE fighters.
The music in this set is pressed on three bound and sleeved LPs on 180g
vinyl, certain sides of which are etched with 3D holograms: one of the Death
Star, one of the Star Wars 40th Anniversary logo. The records are packaged with a 48-page hardcover
book featuring images of recording sessions, film scenes, and conceptual art.
Short of an actual movie prop, I can’t imagine a better gift for the Star Wars fan in your life.
VIDEO GAMES
(PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)
Sega
$69.99
If you grew up during the 1990s and played a lot of video games, you
were probably a Nintendo or Sega kid. I was both (big surprise there), enjoying
both the slower, more exploratory pace of Mario and the speedy thrills of
Sonic, who dashed, zipped, and looped through levels with reckless abandon.
(Okay, I wasn’t exactly a kid during the ’90s, but I was a kid at heart.)
Sonic Mania recaptures the
excitement of the original Sonic the
Hedgehog titles on the Sega Genesis, but features new zones, new hidden
paths, new secret areas, and new abilities, such as Sonic’s new Drop Dash. This
collector’s edition of the game is super cool, particularly the Sonic statue
featuring a Genesis-style base for him to stand on.
Nintendo
$79.99
The follow-up to last year’s hottest retro gaming device, the NES
Classic Edition, this plug-and-play console features 21 built-in games,
including such classics as Donkey Kong
Country, Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Expensive, hard-to-find
role-playing games are part of the package as well, including EarthBound and Final Fantasy III.
No cartridges are necessary, and you even get a previously unreleased title,
Star Fox 2, which was programmed
during the 1990s, but never officially offered at the retail level. One caveat:
you may have to go to several stores to find a Super Nintendo Classic Edition
as they are selling out about as fast as retailers can stock them.
GAMING CHAIRS
For supreme comfort while you play video games, there is a list of the best chairs for gaming found on officeworthylist.com.
GAMING CHAIRS
For supreme comfort while you play video games, there is a list of the best chairs for gaming found on officeworthylist.com.
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