Awesome Gifts

Nathan Myhrvold and his team expand their fantastic Modernist Cuisine series with a 3-volume encyclopedia all about pizza. The books break down the history of pizza, ingredients and techniques, and include more than 1000 recipes and 3700 photos of creative and delicious pizzas inspired by pizzerias around the globe.

Do you put ketchup on everything? Well, now you can have some of Heinz’s delicious and versatile condiment in your jigsaw puzzle. All 570 pieces of this challenging puzzle are printed in the exact same glossy tomato red color.

Every comic book fan should have Marvel Greatest Comics: 100 Comics that Built a Universe on their bookshelf. The 256-page retrospective looks back at some of the most important and influential comics ever created, from the premiere of the Human Torch to forming the Avengers to modern characters like Squirrel Girl.

Maze expert Sean C. Jackson created 30 intricate mazes for fellow Star Wars fans to enjoy. Locations include the forests of Endor, Jabba’s Palace, the rocky cliffs of Ahch-To, and the corridors of the Death Star. In addition to winding your way through the mazes, each illustration contains a Where’s Waldo-style challenge.

Chronicle’s coffee table art book celebrates the past, present, and future of Polaroid instant photography. In addition to more than 200 creative images captured by contemporary artists, the book revisits the origins and evolution of the format, along with an index of Polaroid cameras which still can be found today.

Artiphany’s playful deck of cards is a great gift for dog lovers. Each card is decorated with fanciful illustrations of dogs doing what dogs do best – frolicking, making a mess, and being generally adorable. They also make a deck for cat people.

Olight’s very special flashlight features an artfully crafted body made from titanium with a swirling Damascus pattern. The palm-sized light has a 300-lumen maximum brightness, and its body has a double-helix knurled design which adds to its visual interest while providing grip. Limited to 2021 pieces.

Rotary tool maker Dremel applies its experience with rapidly-spinning motors to a cleaning tool. The rechargeable Versa can clean the toughest jobs by spinning at up to 2200 rpm. Comes with pads for scrubbing, removing scuffs, non-scratch surfaces, and heavy-duty jobs.

Bulova’s unique and substantial tabletop clock features an adjustable tripod stand that’s reminiscent of a telescope or surveyor’s equipment. It tells time in military 24-hour format, is made from solid hardwood and metal with a glass front, and features a glow-in-the dark face. Measures 11.25″ w x 22 to 29″ h.

Celebrate your love for old-school cassette tapes with this useful desktop organizer caddy. Instead of magnetic recording tape, it holds sticky Scotch tape, and it’s got storage cubbies for pens, pencils, thumbtacks, or other small items. Available with a grey, blue, or pink label.

Pix Brix are interlocking single-stud bricks for creating 2D pixel or 3D voxel art. They not only click together like LEGO, but can be securely locked side-by-side for flat artworks. A special multifunction tool makes them easy to manipulate and disassemble. They’re also compatible with other major brick brands.

This long, scarf-like tube has twin openings in which to place two heads for lo-fi chitchat and giggles. But we’d rather believe the wonderful weirdos at Meow Wolf who claim it’s a “communication device which connects one experience to another using the most sophisticated facial recognition technology.”

Riffle Shuffle’s tasty decks celebrate our love of two junk food staples. Designed by Rich Li, the Ketchup deck is embellished with tomatoes throughout, while the Fry deck is all about potatoes, and comes packaged in a tuck box that looks like a pack of fast food fries. Each deck is limited to 2500 pieces.

Three centuries before Pantone colors, artist A. Boogert meticulously cataloged hundreds of paint pigments. The Galobart Books is offering a limited run of this fascinating piece of design history. Each book comes in a slipcase with a numbered certificate, 10 frameable prints, and a study guide. View the original book here.

Yeti’s durable Rambler mug is even better in this jumbo 24 oz. size. It has double-wall vacuum insulation, a puncture- and rust-resistant stainless steel body and handle, and is dishwasher-safe. It’s a great mug for everyday use and outdoor adventures.

This CNC-machined aluminum building block from Gundae Productions is a great gift for LEGO fans. The block is roughly twice the size of a standard 4×2 LEGO brick, measuring 2.5″ wide. It’s not designed for a tight fit though, so consider it more of display piece than something you’d build structures with.

Did you know that killer whales have been known to eat deer, or that fluffy white clouds can weigh a million pounds? Author Shane Carley’s offbeat trivia book is filled with 500 strange things that sound like they were totally made up, but are factually correct.

Stave off your morning fatigue with a cup of coffee served up by the malevolent Great Old One of R’lyeh. Storm Crow’s double-walled insulated steel mug holds 16 oz. of your favorite hot or cold drink, and is decorated with a festive Starbucks-inspired Cthulhu sigil.

Made in Japan by Puebco, this borosilicate glass pitcher makes perfect popcorn in your microwave. Just add popcorn, place butter in the top melter, and nuke until popped. Holds appx. 1 liter of popped corn or 30g of kernels. Just be sure to keep an eye on it, because there’s nothing worse than the smell of burnt popcorn.

Keep your pens, pencils, erasers, and other office supplies organized and out of sight inside this miniature of Volkswagen’s iconic Type 1 camper van. It’s also great for storing cookies and candies if you get a case of the munchies between Zoom calls – it makes a great gift for VW fans and hippies of all ages.

Artist Susan Kare is known for her design of the system icons used on the original Apple Macintosh. In addition, she created the Cairo “dingbats” typeface, which can now be enjoyed on one of Areaware’s woven 50″ x 70″ blankets, crafted from 100% organic cotton. Available in black/white, green/pink, or grey/yellow.

Looking for a unique gift for a car enthusiast? PXLCARS makes one-off pixel art illustrations of vehicles and can turn them into custom acrylic keychains. They just need some good photos of the car, truck, or SUV you’d like illustrated. Keychain packages include a copy of the digital illustration.

Was Tim Burton’s LEGO Batmobile too expensive or complex for you? Celebrate your love for the classic Batman TV show with this easy and wallet-friendly version of Batman and Robin’s 1966 ride. The 345-piece model includes LEGO stud launchers, a hinged trunk for storing ammo, and Batman and Joker Minifigures.