Whose Jonathan? That's-a-me. The humble editor of this site. So humble I named this year's gift guide after myself. I'm going to give you different section for my selections of gifts. So like, Gamer or Otaku or Normie. Different types of people that make this crazy world go round. And hey, you want to get them something this Holiday season.
For The Foreigner
$68-$72
Order by Dec 11th
Yes, what Japanese denizen doesn't what fresh fruit from North America? Why, even though apples, kiwis & blueberries are in no way a citrus fruit they'll still love this strange box. Wait, you noticed that can of clam chowder? Oh, so did I. Why is it in this assortment of fruit, many of which are not related with citrus? We don't know. They've been e-mailed by our staff, but we have yet to get word back as to why.
For The Gamer
The irreverent party game you can play online has 7 packs to play and the go on sale all the time. We've written or review of the latest one here, but all of the packs hold something special. All of them are perfect to play over Zoom or Zoom like apps like Discord, so you can enjoy the holidays with friends and family playing fun party games and not be near each other if you so choose.
They have some solid goods this year.
Check out the full collection here and enjoy free shipping till Nov 30
I love they took the time to make a trailer! Give it some like love.
$40
*This is a pre-order, so sadly not out until Jan 2021
From Cartidge Thunder, we're just blown away by this Comix Zone love. If you've ever played the game, battling bad guys from panel to panel, this is a must get.
"Get into the zone with the Comix Zone original soundtrack. Released in 1995, Sega's Comix Zone is one of the last great Genesis titles. Composed by Howard Drossin, the soundtrack is up to its inkwell in crunchy, gritty, evocatively 90s Genesis power. The soundtrack is complete with the addition of 1995's Sega Tunes release, featuring studio recordings from Roadkill.
- 20+ tracks from the Sega Genesis Game
- Special "D-side" with 6 studio recordings (Sega Tunes)
- Includes 6-page booklet featuring interviews with the game's creators
- Gatefold with level design boards
- Genesis / Mega Drive OBI strip
- 2XLP: Sketch Turner Ink'd Splatter & Night of the Mutants Orange"
$30
*Technically a Kickstarter with delivery in Dec 2020
+ shipping
180 Gram Transparent Color Vinyl Only Remaning choice
$45
The best choice of word here to describe it is haunting. That's will be what any person writing about this soundtrack will say, in fact it might be in some clause somewhere. Kojima might come by and hit me if I didn't add it to this post. So, this very haunting soundtrack can be yours, it stays with you, like a ghost...a ghost.... stranding....ooooohhhh.
Mondo is proud to present Ludvig Forssell's original score to Hideo Kojima's 2019 masterpiece DEATH STRANDING.
The enigmatic, haunting and beautifully rendered tale of a man tasked with re-connecting a fragmented America in the fallout of an extinction level event is as massive in scope, as it is in tone. But composer Ludvig Forssell has taken Kojima's complex vision and crafted a score worthy of the game's intricate design.
$10+
Pikachu can be a real d*$k. Get this F U Pikachu keychain to prove it and show off to friends and strangers and the elderly.
$23.99 each
If you love the Yakuza series these cute pins will mark you as a fan to others or at least make a Zoom call more fun with someone asking "What are those?"
$25 for shirts
You'll love their art, just in no way their story telling. Enjoy their Street Fighter and Capcom art and lack of any ability to tell a story through comics.
For The Foodie
What friend, Hawaiian or otherwise doesn't love SPAM? I don't, but that doesn't stop others for enjoying the taste. And the museum shop knows others loves the taste. They love it so much, there's so many products with SPAM on them it's crazy if they don't have something for your friends or loved ones that'll put up with you giving them a gift from this online store.
The SPAM Museum is real and in Minnesota.
$75 a wedge
Seasonal, so it's only around for a limited time
Declared Best Cheese in the World at the 2019/2020 World Cheese Awards in Bergamo, Italy! Yes, it beat all the European countries, take that foreigners in our other section of this guide! Seriosuly though, this is considered the best dang cheese in the world right now, why not get some for the holiday season?
For The Coffee Table
As of writing this $28.49
currently a 1 to 2 month wait
You can read my full review here, but essentially this lovely book has pages filled with places that look like they're out of a Wes Anderson movie. Crazy enough they're real or use to be real and they'll make you want to visit them in real life or at the very least Google them.
$40
Haven't had a chance to give this book an official review, but already like looking through every page seeing the worlds that have to be built for some select animes to shine. You really discover how much goes into building those worlds and that the artist/animator needs to know how the real world works before he can create his Metropolis or Mega City.
'Unprecedented access to vast studio archives of original background paintings, storyboards, drafts, and film excerpts offers readers a privileged view into the earliest stages of conception, development, and finished versions of iconic scenes from critically acclaimed movies such as Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Metropolis, and more. Revealing the secret creative processes of these major anime studios, Anime Architecture is perfect for anyone touched by the beauty and imagination of classic anime, offering inspiration for artists, illustrators, architects, designers, video game makers, and dreamers.'
Kinokuniya Books
The Japanese bookstore with a few locations around the LA area with the most well-known being in Little Tokyo. Who doesn't love their collection of Japanese books, magazines and pens. Check out their holiday gift guide and the real locations around LA.
$19.79 +shipping
"Spanning decades of digital history, this is the ultimate travel guide and atlas of the gamer imagination. Dimopoulos invites readers to share his vision of dozens of different gaming franchises like never before: discover Dimopoulos’s Half-Life 2’s City 17, Yakuza 0’s Kamurocho, Fallout’s New Vegas, Super Mario Odyssey’s New Donk City, and many more. Each chapter of this virtual travel guide consists of deep dives into the history and lore of these cities from an in-universe perspective. Illustrated with original color ink drawings and―of course―gorgeous and detailed maps, readers can explore the nostalgic games of their youth as well as modern hits. Sidebars based on the author’s research tell behind-the-scenes anecdotes and reveal the real-world stories that inspired these iconic virtual settings. With a combination of stylish original maps, illustrations, and insightful commentary and analysis, this is a must-have for video game devotees, world-building fans, and game design experts."
For The Movie Liker or "Cinephile"
$17.97
For The Horror Fan
There's no better way to mark yourself as the black sheep then wearing these around Christmas. You're wearing something Chrsitmasy, but also, y'know messed up.
For That Someone...
That you are going to annoy
The following need no explanation, they're just perfect stocking suffers.
$2.00+
$7.99
$7
Now that you've gotten someone a gift you've got to wrap it. Why not try Mondo's original weird looking wrapping paper that they made from printing blocks. Printing block were the old way of copying print ads and posters, but we use computers now to do all of that. So, you get a real werid collection here of old movies ads and one wrap devoted to The Sound of Music.
$6.99 each, in-store only
Styles:
Animal Crossing
Mario
ZeldaThese Nintendo wrapping paper kits look great for their fans and are perfect to give to the gamer in your life, they may not even want to unwrap their gifts. You might want to just the the wrapping paper for them. This isn't rolls of wrapping paper so, be ready to use what you have wisely.
