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Dec 16, 2019 Holiday Gift Guide 2019 By Mark Redfern

Welcome to Part 11 of Under the Radar‘s Holiday Gift Guide 2019. This one is centered on collectibles. It’s part two of our collectibles guide (check out part one here).

In terms of our Holiday Gift Guide 2019 we have already posted a guide about video games and two drinks related guides, one for coffee, beer, and wine and another for cocktails. Then we posted part one of our collectibles guide. After that we posted part 5 of our 2019 guide, which was about technology. Part 6 was the first part of our DVD/Blu-ray guide. And then part 7 was about board games. Part 8 was about toys for kids. Part 9 featured kid-friendly DVDs/Blu-rays, books, and board games. Part 10 was all about books and graphic novels. And stay tuned for more guides we’ll be posting on music box sets and reissues, more collectibles, and more DVDs/Blu-rays. And don’t forget that Under the Radar print magazine subscriptions also make a great gift. Plus donating to the charity of your choice in the name of the gift receiver is also a good way to go.

Back to the Future - Marty McFly Hover Board Bottle Opener (Factory Entertainment)

RRP: $19.99

It’s been four years since the 2015 setting of Back to the Future Part II and we still don’t have proper hover boards, not ones that hover anywhere (well, except on water, as Marty McFly learned the hard way). There have been products mislabeled as hover boards, but they have wheels for goodness sake! When the movie was released in 1989 there were actually rumors that Mattel had perfected hover boards, but hadn’t released them to the public as they weren’t deemed safe enough. Of course this was proven to be fake. Back to the Future hover boards may not be real, but there are several replica ones out there, including some accurate life size ones. Factory Entertainment have one that’s also a bottle opener. Since bottle openers are not the most exciting of products, why not have a fun one that’s also Back to the Future Part II hover board? It’ll make for a good conversation piece at your party. (Buy it here.)

The Beatles Yellow Submarine Metal Bottle Opener (Factory Entertainment)

RRP: $19.99

Another fun bottle opener from Factory Entertainment is this Beatles one featuring the iconic Yellow Submarine. It’s an impressive and weighty piece, with a glossy enamel finish. A cool feature is the magnet on the back, meaning you can easily store and display it on your fridge. “Full speed ahead Mr. Parker, full speed ahead!” (Buy it here.)

Batman Stunt Replica LARP Batarang (Factory Entertainment)

RRP: $14.99

Here’s one for your LARPing friends. Don’t know what LARP is? It stands for “live action role-playing game.” Those that pretend to be Batman, Batgirl, Batwoman, or even Robin would make use of this Batarang replica. It’s also perfect for cosplayers. The Batarang is made of soft rubber, so it won’t particularly hurt if you’re hit with one in an epic imaginary Gotham battle. It also comes with a handy nylon carrying case that features a loop for attaching to a belt. (Buy it here.)

DC Comics Bombshells Trading Cards III (Cryptozoic)

RRP: $90.00 per box

The DC Comics Bombshells line takes existing DC characters and re-imagines them as 1940s characters, complete with new retro looks and some costumes for female heroes that more resemble World War II pin-up girls than their traditional costumes. What initially started in 2011 as art prints and statues based on the designs of artist Ant Lucia has evolved into a regular comic book series, T-shirts, mugs, action figures, and more, as well as Bombshell variations on some male DC heroes too. There’s also a line of trading cards from Cryptozoic. The third wave of cards is available now. If you get a full box of them then it comes with a Lil Bombshell Golden Goddesses vinyl figure of one of the characters (we got Catwoman). Each box also has an exclusive hand drawn art card (our box had Starfire giving the peace sign). Some cards have the look of a vintage photograph, others feature the heroes in battle “On the Front Line,” and the “Showstoppers” variations include various DC characters as if they were circus performers, complete with Superman as a strongman. This gift would appeal to existing fans of the Bombshells line or those that appreciate both DC superheroes and a 1940s aesthetic. (Buy it here.)

DC - REVOS Assortment 1 (Factory Entertainment)

RRP: $26.00

Outside of Joker, DC’s two big films of the last year were Shazam! and Aquaman. And while the characters officially haven’t met on the big screen yet, an end credits scene in Shazam! did make fun of the man who talks to fish. Factory Entertainment’s new REVOS line features vinyl figures (so far, so like many other collectibles out there), except that they are on a rounded base, “a proprietary, self-righting mechanism built into the base” that allows them to spin, wobble, rock, and even fight against other figures. The first two in their DC line are Shazam and Aquaman in their movie costumes. (Buy it here.)

Jurassic Park - REVOS Assortment 1 (Factory Entertainment)

RRP: $39.99

The REVOS line also has an assortment featuring three figures from the original 1993 Jurassic Park movie. It features Dr. Alan Grant (played by Sam Neil in the movie) and Dr. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum), alongside a Raptor dinosaur. Neil and Goldblum, as well as Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler, are all expected to reprise their roles in the third Jurassic World movie in 2021, making it a good time to revisit their characters. (Buy it here.)

E.T. Retro Style Tin Tote (Factory Entertainment)

RRP: $15.99

E.T. returned recently in an ad for Xfinity, that was given the blessing of the film’s original director Steven Spielberg and featured original star Henry Thomas as a grownup Elliott, married with two kids of his own. It got a split response, with some delighted to see the return of their favorite extra-terrestrial and others upset that he was being used to sell a product. Factory Entertainment have a tin tote featuring classic images of E.T. from the 1982 film. It’s essentially like an old school lunchbox, but without the thermos. Still, buy this gift for a Generation X friend who takes their lunch to work or for kids that love E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial thanks to their parents showing it to them. (Buy it here.)

Funko Rock Candy: Doctor Who: Thirteenth Doctor (Funko/Fun.com)

RRP: $7.99

While a small section of Doctor Who fans were skeptical about The Doctor regenerating into a woman, Jodie Whittaker has totally owned the role as The Thirteenth Doctor. Her predecessor, Peter Capaldi as The Twelve Doctor, is a fantastic actor who brought a lot of depth to the part. Whittaker is 24 years his junior and brings a freshness and renewed energy to The Doctor. Critics and fans seem generally impressed and Whittaker will be back for her second season in January. The Thirteenth Doctor comes to Funko’s Rock Candy line of 5-inch vinyl figures featuring strong female characters. The Doctor is in good company, joining superheroes (Supergirl, Spider-Gwen), Disney Princesses (Rapunzel, Moana), and even Ripley from Alien and the Grady twins from The Shining. The figure features Thirteen in her iconic outfit: suspenders, boots, jacket, and rainbow colored shirt. (Buy it here.)

Handbook For the Recently Deceased Journal (The Coop/Fun.com)

RRP: $19.99

When husband and wife Adam and Barbara Maitland suddenly die in a freak car accident they don’t know what to do. At first they don’t even realize they are dead. They are back in their house, but don’t remember how they got there. They realize all is not right when they attempt to leave the house and discover a desert void featuring giant sand worm monsters. Then a book appears, entitled Handbook For the Recently Deceased, and it’s confirmed that they are dead. This all happens of course in Tim Burton’s 1988 film Beetlejuice. Now The Coop have recreated the handbook as a journal. On the outside it looks just like the handbook from the movie. On the inside the pages are blank, allowing you to write out all your dreams and plans to accomplish before you die. It’s available from Fun.com. (Buy it here.)

Shazam - Batman Batarang KUZO (Factory Entertainment)

RRP: $10.00

Factory Entertainment have a new range of KUZO collectibles. They are detailed die cast metal collectibles featuring famous props from movies and TV shows. And now we come to the second Batarang on this list and the second item related to Shazam! In the movie the hero’s friend Freddy Freeman collects items from other superheroes, including a bullet that once bounced off Superman and also a genuine Batarang from Batman (which comes in handy later in the film). (Buy it here.)

Star Trek: Discovery Starfleet Hand Phaser Gold Variant KUZO (Factory Entertainment)

RRP: $12.00

The KUZO line also features the hand phaser from Star Trek: Discovery. Discovery is the most cinematic of Star Trek shows, a prequel that takes place before the events of the original Star Trek series in the 1960s. It’s second season streamed this year on CBS All Access, with season three due next year. This phaser is gold. (Buy it here.)

Wonder Woman - Sword & Shield KUZO (Factory Entertainment)

RRP: $10.00

And finally, Factory’s KUZO range also includes Wonder Woman’s sword and shield from the acclaimed 2017 movie. With Wonder Woman 1984 due out next year, this would make a nice little collectible for someone’s desk. (Buy it here.)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Mystery Minis (Funko/Fun.com)

RRP: $5.99 each

Not only is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse perhaps the best Spider-Man film, it’s also one of the finest superhero movies of the decade and one of the greatest animated films of all time. It even won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, beating Incredibles 2, among others. It was a financial success, but only made around a quarter of the $1.2 billion Incredibles 2 made worldwide. Then Sony wisely put it on Netflix, allowing millions more to discover it. And thankfully a sequel is due out in 2022, with a Spider-Women spinoff in the works, as well as some potential Spider-Verse TV series. Funko’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Mystery Minis are three-inch little figures from the movie. They are all blind-boxed, so you don’t know which character you are going to get. There are 10 figures in all, including Gwen Stacey/Spider-Woman, Miles Morales/Spider-Man, Kingpin, Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man, Prowler, Spider-Ham, Peni Parker, Spider-Man Noir, and more. These would make great stocking stuffers for young Spider-Verse fans. (Buy it here.)

Star Wars Chewbacca Ugly Christmas Sweater (Fun.com)

RRP: $14.99 - $39.99 (depending on size)

Fun.com has traditionally had a great collection of ugly Christmas sweaters themed to various classic movies and TV shows. On their website right now they have sweaters featuring Gremlins, Batman, Alf, Beetlejuice, Rick and Morty, character from Toy Story, and even one with Santa punching a shark! Just in time for the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the end of the Skywalker saga, you can get your hands on this amazing Chewbacca ugly Christmas sweater. Not only could you wear it to any upcoming Christmas parties, you could also don it on opening night of The Rise of Skywalker (or whenever you end up seeing it). (Buy it here.)

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