Christmas is at our door and all the rational, responsible folk have finished their shopping. But, those who enjoy utter chaos on an inwardly sadistic level have decided to wait until the last minute to find gifts that’ll appease the discerning blerds in their lives. Luckily, similar to how sentient robots will eliminate half our chores in the future (until the uprising), our staff has eliminated the arduous chore of finding the perfect gift.
We’ve scoured the net for niche gifts from our diverse community of creatives and built this list of gifts that are guaranteed to put a smile on your loved ones’ faces all year round. Yup. We’ve done the work for you. And, unlike sentient robots, we pinky-swear not to unify our collective consciousness under a master grid to take control of your devices and eventually enslave the planet. You’re welcome.
‘Tis the season for good reading.
With so many new horror, fantasy, and sci-fi titles to choose from, it was hard to pick just a few. But here’s a handful we personally love for the young readers in our lives.
Can’t go wrong with comic books.
And if they’ve read everything under the sun, back an emerging project and gift them one the cool perks that comes with your crowdfunding donation. If you don’t know where to begin, visit our campaign corner or head to Black indie comic book distributor, Peep Game Comix, or head to the Comic Shop Locator to find local shops that carry books featuring black leads. Here are a few fully-funded and indie published finds.
Deck your walls–and lapels.
Move over, oil painting of Jesus…and that one poster of Tupac you inherited from your older brother. It’s time for you to flex some new art on those walls. Treat yourself to prints from these amazing young artists.
We dig the sharp, colorful style of Hippy Potter (left) and the bold interpretations of our favorite literary giants by Madam Muse (right). If you’re looking for prints of original superheroes, check out Shawn Alleyne’s latest creations, and any sci-fi lover would love the ethereal, trippy piece from Manzel Bowman. Or, if you prefer to wear your art, take a vacay to kawaii with pins from Adorned By Chi, and merch from our site store.
Think outside of the box and buy your bestie a subscription.
Yes; this is totally a thing. Buy a year-long subscription for a friend and kill that lull in the conversation that happens every time you mention The Mandalorian or Watchmen. With a Disney App or HBO GO subscription, you can both enjoy the overwhelming cuteness that is Baby Yoda. Only buying black? There are subscriptions for that list, too. Our top pick for streaming is Kweli.tv, and opt for Temple Babies if you’re looking for an impressive DVD collection of educational, Afrocentric cartoons for the kiddos. But, no matter which you choose…
…enjoy the holidays, you must.
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M’Shai S Dash is a freelance writer and blogger from Washington D.C. She’s a pop-culture connoisseur and Legend of Zelda fanatic who writes about blerd culture, social justice issues, and Afrofuturism. Dash is currently a staff writer for Blacksci-Fi.com.
Oh my gosh I am just now seeing this! Thank you so much for including me in this list and introducing me to other creators of color that I haven’t met yet. Thank you so much for your shout out and support!