by Kevin Gaussoin, Editor-in-Chief, ComicsOnline.com

Every year we have hundreds of choices on what books or TV series to buy for the geeks we love, but some people have the gall to be caught up on every comic and every show. What do we get for these geeks who already have everything, or we don’t know what they already have? Books ABOUT their geek passions. Do you have an aspiring artist on your list? How about a comic geek (“fan of-“) who is also a comic nerd (“student of-“)? Take a look through this Gift Guide and you may find a present with just the right magic…

#1
The Super Book for Super Heroes
by Jason Ford

Do you have a young hero in your life? The Super Book for Super Heroes is a compendium of ideas, drawing, coloring, and activities that allows you to create your own crusaders for justice to do battle with super villains, unravelling their crazed schemes for taking over the world. Your your artist will learn to draw villains such as the Mad Scientist, Bog Creature, and Evil Robot, while also creating superheroes, their sidekicks, secret hideouts, outfits, and super gadgets. This book is a must for imaginative kid wanting to create their own superhero universe!

#2
How to Draw Comics The Marvel Way
by Stan Lee and John Buscema

Don’t have a young kid on your list? Then here’s a classic for aspiring artists of all ages: Stan “The Man” Lee and John Buscema, Marvel creators for decades, have collaborated on this classic book devoted to teaching new generations to create their own superhero comic strips in the mighty Marvel tradition.

#3
Stan Lee’s How to Draw Superheroes
by Stan Lee, et al

Does your loved one already own the previous reference guide? This year, Stan Lee returns to build on the previous work and give a more generic approach on how to design comic characters. While the classic tome points primarily to posing, this new book might be seen as the advanced course on character creation. Why do we love Stan Lee after so many decades of his work? How can we learn to create such iconic characters? Stan exposes his secret tools and techniques for bringing strong, inspiring heroes and heroines to life. These invaluable insights from one of the greatest superhero creators of all time are must-haves for all fans of Lee’s incredible warehouse of superhero comic work.

#4
The DC Comics Guide to Creating Comics
by Carl Potts

But what if your beloved comic-creator-to-be is more a fan of the Dynamic Competition? DC has the perfect book for them this year!
It’s the ultimate resource for anyone looking to make intriguing, action-packed DC Comics just like the experts. Going beyond the typical art and writing lessons, Potts explores new and exciting visual storytelling techniques, showing readers how to tell clear and compelling stories. Billed as “The most comprehensive DC Comics creation resource to date”, THE DC COMICS GUIDE TO CREATING COMICS is a very well rounded reference to comics creation.

#5
Superheroes!: Capes, Cowls, and the Creation of Comic Book Culture
by Laurence Maslon and Michael Kantor

If you took a class on the impact on culture of comic books, this would likely be your text book. This beautiful illustrated text tells the story of the superhero in American pop culture, with interviews, character biographies and more than 500 illustrations. This would be a welcome read by any true fan comics or student of culture.

+1
The Essential Supernatural: On the Road with Sam and Dean Winchester
by Nicholas Knight

You know our “Top Five” lists always have a bonus entry, and this one’s no exception. What if you have a geek on your list who doesn’t perfectly fit any of the previous ideas? For those hard-to-buy-for geeks, we’re gonna assume they love watching The CW’s Supernatural. Any fan of the show will love this deluxe coffee table companion book. Not only does it break down every character and creature from every season, but it also includes artifacts from the show. It is for good reason that this is lauded as “the ultimate visual guide for Supernatural and its legions of fans.”

Keep the heroes on your list happy all year long at ComicsOnline.com and Weird-Girls.com for all your gift idea needs and for everything geek pop culture!