The short answer: if he loves comics, he probably owns the ones you'd guess. Give him something that serves the collection, an experience around it, or the one comic no shop can sell him: a story where he is the hero. Below are ideas grouped by the kind of fan he is. One is ours: we make personalized comic books, so it is marked. The rest we don't sell.
If he collects
He knows what he has, and he has opinions about condition. Don't guess an issue; help the collection.
- A proper home for his books. Bags and boards, a sturdy storage box, or a frame for the cover he loves most. Every collector needs more, and few buy enough.
- His favorite issue, graded. Pay to have the copy he treasures professionally graded and sealed. It is his own book, so you can't pick the wrong one.
- A step toward his grail. If he has ever named the issue he is hunting, a contribution toward it says you listened. Ask a friend of his for the exact edition first.
If he reads more than he collects
- The run he never finished. A collected edition or omnibus of the series he keeps mentioning, in a format that sits well on a shelf.
- A pull list, paid ahead. Many local comic shops hold new issues for regulars. Prepay a few months at his shop, so every new issue is a small gift.
- A comic shop crawl. A day visiting the best shops in your city or the next one, with lunch, and a set budget for him to spend.
If he loves the art
- Original art from an artist he follows. Many comic artists sell original pages, sketches or prints from their own sites or at conventions.
- A commissioned sketch of his favorite character, or of the two of you, from an artist whose style he admires.
- A blank sketch cover, drawn by an artist at a convention, made just for him.
If he goes to conventions
- Tickets to the next convention near you, with the day planned around the panels and artists he cares about.
- The extras he never buys himself: a signing, a photo op, a premium pass.
- The costume piece he has been talking about for a year.
A comic where he is the hero (ours)
He owns comics. He has never owned one about himself. We make a 26-page comic book written from what you tell us (his job, his habits, the jokes only the two of you get), with his face, drawn from your photos, on the cover and through the story. Pick the look he would pick, from a modern comic style to anime. A person checks every page before it is sent.
- The PDF: $49 USD, typically the same day.
- The printed comic: $89 USD, with the PDF first, shipped to the US, the UK and Canada (except Quebec), shipping included.
One photo is enough for a free preview of him as a comic hero before you pay. Start with a free preview
For Christmas
- Order now and it's expected well before Christmas: your PDF typically arrives the same day, there's time for your free revision, and the printed book arrives in about 3 weeks after you approve. Last day to order for expected delivery before December 25: 4 December (US, UK and Canada).
- After that, choose the PDF. It arrives typically the same day, ready to print at home or give on a screen.
- For print, approve the PDF or ask for changes within 3 days of delivery. For orders placed December 1 to 4, the window is 24 hours. If we do not hear from you, we print it as delivered.
- Convention tickets and shop gift cards work at the last minute too: print the ticket or the card and wrap it with a comic from his favorite series.
Quick picks
| If you have | Try |
|---|---|
| A day | A pull list at his shop, a shop crawl planned, a comic where he is the hero (the PDF arrives typically the same day) |
| A week or two | Storage or a frame, a collected edition, convention tickets |
| A month or more | His favorite issue graded, a commissioned sketch, a step toward his grail |
Questions people ask
What do you get a comic book lover who already has a huge collection? Something that serves the collection rather than adds to it: storage or a frame, his favorite issue graded, a convention day. Or the one comic he can't already own: a story where he is the hero.
I don't know which comics he reads. What is safe? Avoid guessing an issue. A prepaid pull list or gift card at his local shop, storage for his books, or an experience like a convention or a shop crawl all work without knowing his list.
Can I get a real comic book made about my boyfriend? Yes. A personalized comic book is written from details you give and drawn from photos of him. Ours is 26 pages, $49 USD as a PDF or $89 USD printed, and you can see him as a comic hero free from one photo before you pay.
More ideas: our gift page for a boyfriend, our gifts for him, and how to choose a personalized comic book.
