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Barney Rubble with green toenails, Yogi Bear mass graveyards, fake Charlie Browns: welcome to the weird wide world of cartoon merchandising!

Historian R.C. Harvey sets out to rescue great cartoonists of old from obscurity.

Were you a good boy or girl this year? Did you avoid Internet snark, practice goodwill towards your fellow human being, and cross with the light? Yeah, neither did I.

So, as Black Friday and Cyber Monday approach, I offer the following list of graphic novel gift books, designed to help you assuage your guilt, and/or utilize those gift cards you’ll receive from relatives who know you love comics, but are afraid of getting you something you already have.

Of course, you can also use it as a suggestion list for those special geeks in your life. Just be sure to get a gift receipt, just in case they want to trade it in for something else.

As usual, The Beatrix and her minions get no remuneration from linking to Barnes & Noble. I do work for B&N, but nothing I post here is endorsed by Barnes and Noble.

Oh, and my criteria for this list? Anything over $40, published since July 2010.  There’s no rhyme or reason to the order on this list… and since the new server is not liking pictures, please click on the ISBN-13 link, and you’ll be directed to the listing on BN.com, where you can see the covers.  Click on the highlighted publisher name, and you’ll be directed to the exact book listing on their website.  (Some publishers are very bad… they don’t have a dedicated page for these expensive and beautiful books, so I’ve linked to their homepage.)

What would you like Santa [Hanukkah Harry, Kwanzaa Kwame, Agnostic Agnes] to leave beneath your tree? Let us know below in the comments… perhaps Krampus will take pity on all you bad boys and girls!

The Simon and Kirby Superheroes
Joe Simon, Jack Kirby (Illustrator), Steve Saffel (Editor)

• $ 49.95
• Pub. Date: October 2010
• Publisher: Titan Books Limited
• Format: Hardcover, 480pp
• ISBN-13: 9781848563650
• ISBN: 1848563655

Blondie, Volume 1
by Chic Young

• $ 49.99
• Pub. Date: October 2010
• Publisher: Idea & Design Works, LLC
• Format: Hardcover, 280pp
• ISBN-13: 9781600107405
• ISBN: 1600107400

Art of Jim Starlin
by Jim Starlin

• $ 49.99
• Pub. Date: October 2010
• Publisher: Idea & Design Works, LLC
• Format: Hardcover, 312pp
• ISBN-13: 9781600107702
• ISBN: 1600107702

Absolute All Star Superman
by Frank Quitely, Grant Morrison, Neal Adams

• $ 99.99
• Pub. Date: October 2010
• Publisher: DC Comics
• Format: Hardcover, 320pp
• ISBN-13: 9781401229177
• ISBN: 1401229174

DC Super Heroes: the Ultimate Pop-up Book
by DC Comics Staff, Matthew Reinhart

• $ 250.00
• Pub. Date: October 2010
• Publisher: Little, Brown
  3 Comments on Coming Attractions: Holidays 2010, last added: 11/27/2010
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  Tweets that mention Coming Attractions: Holidays 2 said, on 11/26/2010 11:28:00 AM
  

  [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Heidi MacDonald , ComicBookCritics.com. ComicBookCritics.com said: Coming Attractions: Holidays 2010 http://bit.ly/g6RPLy #comics [...]

  Tye said, on 11/27/2010 7:08:00 AM
  

  The Squadron Supreme and Thor Omnibus are still on pre order status. As a gift that will be tough.

  Torsten Adair said, on 11/27/2010 8:35:00 AM
  

  Sometimes, publishers will fulfill (non-returnable) Direct Market orders first, shipping product before the general retailers get it. Of course, support your local comics shop. Not only will you be helping to keep the lights on, but your dollars will stay in the community.

  There have been a few occurrences where a publisher ran into trouble with an overseas printer, and the only copies printed were shipped to comics shops.

  If memory serves, both of these omnibuses were originally scheduled for early 2011, but were pushed forward when Marvel realized that their licensed gift books sold well during the Holidays, but Marvel’s own titles performed badly. Of course, any retailer (or BookScan) would have shown them how well DC’s Absolute editions sell. (Oops! Forgot to list Absoulte Planetary, Volume 2!)

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