In this unprecedented year, deciding on gifts for friends and family is likely to be the last thing on your mind this holiday season. Fanbase Press is here to help with the best recommendations for gifts to give the geek in your life as suggested by our staff and contributors. Not everything falls into the categories of comics, movies & TV, or games. Geeks also like gifts that help them to decorate their home or office or to entertain the geeklings in their lives. In that spirit, we present to you our “geeky extras.”
Bubbles and Things Soaps
Recommended by Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief
At Fanbase Press, we support creators of all innovations and at all milestones in their creative journey. Our first entry for this year’s Holiday Gift Guide (Geeky Extras) is the simply wonderful Bubbles and Things Soaps. Founded in 2018 by the supremely talented Chris Rubin, Bubbles and Things Soaps provides one-of-a-kind scented (and unscented) soaps that are perfect for the hard-to-shop-for geek on your holiday shopping list. Made in small batches and hand-designed with fun (and health) in mind, available soaps include holiday favorite Candy Cane Soap made with Peppermint Essential Oil Scented Shea Butter and Glycerin Soap and the Jack Soap (inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas).
Cost: Prices range from $9 and up
Click here to purchase.
Calliope Candleworks
Recommended by Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief
It is often said that one’s sense of smell carries with it the strongest link memory. Perhaps this is why certain aromatic fragrances conjure such delightful recollections of holidays gone by, of cherished time with family and friends. As the holidays fast approach, there can be no better gift for your loved one than a Calliope Candleworks candle, capable of evoking the most wonderful of holiday memories (combined with a bit of geek-themed merriment).
Led by the very talented Lauren Rock, Calliope Candleworks is an LA-based company that makes hand-poured soy candles with geeky, bookish, pop-culture-y themes! From Twin Peaks, The Princess Bride, and Little Shop of Horrors to Ghostbusters, Elf, and Stranger Things, Calliope’s candles pack a powerful aroma while adding elegant geek style to your home or office.
Calliope Candleworks’ most popular candle series continues to be the “Wheel of Flame” candle, each of which represents a different terrain you might visit on a tabletop game campaign. Your game master can light a new candle every time you venture into a different realm, setting the stage — and the mood — with an evocative scent. Plus, these candles also have a hidden treasure inside: a metal die from Norse Foundry! You will find a beautifully crafted and satisfyingly heavy D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20, or percentile die embedded in the wax, emerging after several hours of burn time. The “Wheel of Flame” candles can be purchased individually or as a set.
Cost: Starting at $17
Click here to purchase.
The Fandom Baker
Recommended by Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief
Does the geek on your holiday shopping list have every movie, book, game, or action figure you think they could possibly want? How about something a little different? The Fandom Baker (Amy Dienhart) creates custom treats for all of your fandom party needs!
Ranging from $24 and up, The Fandom Baker creates custom cookies (generally in amounts of 1 or 2 dozen) for every imaginable fandom: from Star Wars and Dark Crystal to IT, Game of Thrones, and Doctor Who. Don’t see your fandom listed in The Fandom Baker’s Etsy shop? Not to worry! The fan-tastic baker accepts custom order requests, as well!
Cost: Starting at $24
Click here to visit the website.
Cantrip Candles
Recommended by Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief
Whether you are shopping for an avid tabletop gamer or someone who simply enjoys soothing scents wafting through their home or office, look no further than Cantrip Candles. Based in Los Angeles, CA, the company designs and manufactures homemade soy wax candles that foster an immersive environment for tabletop adventures. Creating a special ambiance for various gaming parties, Cantrip Candles are themed for specific settings, whether it be an inviting bakery with fresh bed baking in the oven, a walk through the woods that may hide thieves and elves, a pungent dungeon that may hold untold fortune (or impending doom!), or a dark and cozy tavern where you and your mates can enjoy a brew in between dragon battles.
All of Cantrip Candles’ creations are vegan and made with 100% natural soy wax, fine fragrance oil, and cotton-based wicks. Plus, Cantrip Candles now has gaming-themed patches, matches, pins, tote bags, and more!
Be sure to visit the Cantrip Candles website (www.cantripcandles.com) to peruse the online selection of scented candles available for the gaming fan on your holiday shopping list.
Cost: Starting at $14.50
Click here to purchase.
Disney+
Recommended by Travis Lakata
We were given the gift of Disney+ last year, and it’s been the absolute best thing for our kids. Okay, it’s a solid A+ for me, an avid fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Star Wars franchise. Parents are able to rest comfortably as they can set up an account for themselves, while also designating a separate login option for their kids. This is a great way to make sure that kids only have access to all of the G and PG-rated content.
Additionally, besides all of the Disney classics and more recent films accumulated over the years, Disney+ is continuing to extend their service with original content. Such new content highlights a second season of The Mandalorian and the upcoming Marvel series, WandaVision. There is also a variety of other content within the National Geographic umbrella, including shows that star the likes of Jeff Goldblum and Bear Grylls.
Cost: $6.99 (per month) / $69.99 (per year)
Click here to purchase.
