In this week’s The Primer, I talked about brand identity, especially when it comes to the two major comics publishers. So I thought “what a perfect time to highlight my favorite comics branded shopping that isn’t the big two.”
When I first started branching out into other publishers, Saga was the number one comic recommended to me. The Walking Dead had been featured at Halloween Horror Nights (one of my favorite fall events), and then I was obsessed with a different Grayson from Invincible. What did they all have in common? Image comics.
Image publishes a plethora of titles, and seems to cater to a more adult-oriented audience. My favorites of their merchandise are from the Skybound Entertainment site, the media company that produces most of their entertainment adaptations and product. These items feature cheeky apparel, fun-themed accessories, and oh-so-much blood.
The Walking Dead
I’m not exactly known as a hardcore Walking Dead fan, but several of my friends are so much into the show that they’ve gone on the tour of the filming locations. Obviously, I need to get into it more.
Lucille’s Sluggers Embroidered Patch
I’m not well versed in the Walking Dead Universe, but even I can recognize Lucille, Negan’s barbed wire baseball bat weapon. This embroidered patch features crossed barbed wire bats in a standard circular patch design with “Lucille’s Sluggers” around it. It’s marketed as “Eye-Catching” but maybe keep it away from Glen…
Clementine Variant Hoodie
The TellTale game series debuted ten years ago, and introduced the fanbase to Clementine. Last year, she received her first solo title in Clementine: Book One. For fans of the game and the character, Skybound has an exclusive variant cover featured on this hoodie (Or shirt or bag, but I’m a big cozy hoodie gal) Sizing up for that massively oversized comfort, this hoodie is perfect for binge-watching The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead Bloody Logo Throw Blanket
Of course, cozying up for The Walking Dead wouldn’t be complete without a little blood splatter. This plush throw blanket features the comic’s title logo and bloodiness. The nature of this logo is a little more punchy and pop-art than that of the AMC adaptation of the series, so it’s a perfect piece for a walker with a little more pep in their step.
Saga
When I started to expand beyond just superhero comics, there was no title more recommended to me more than Saga. I have the first three paperback trades, and when I finished the first, I literally turned to my mother and went “Oh. That’s why everyone wanted me to read it.” It’s fun and epic and so well written. I’m obsessed.
McFarlene Saga Action figures
My office is full of wild comic and pop culture merchandise and these McFarlene Saga action figures are exactly the kind of action figure statues I love having. Offering Alana and Marko, Hazel and Isabel, and The Will and the Lying Cat, they’re so much fun to have posed in a collection or on a desk.
Ghüs Plushie
As I said, I’m only on volume three, but that means I’ve met Ghüs. This adorable plushie of my favorite walking, talking seal made me squeal out loud. He’s the perfect addition to any plush pile.
Invincible
In the middle of the pandemic blues, Image, Skybound Entertainment, and Amazon Prime brought a shining beacon of fun to my life with their adaptation of Invincible. I’m eagerly awaiting the second season, as the first season was such a great adaptation of the original comic source.
Invincible Bloody Logo Sticker
My laptop and phone cases are covered in stickers and this bloody logo sticker is a neat way to get people talking about the show. Because really, how many blood-covered stickers have you seen on a water bottle?
Think Mark Think Tee-Shirt
In a shirt designed to pay homage to Invincible’s most meme-worthy scene, this graphic tee features Omni-man yelling “Think Mark, Think!” as in the most heart-wrenching scene of the whole series. Also available in bloody versions just in case the daddy issues weren’t enough for ya.
Vinyl Tote Bag
Hands down, my favorite project on this list and at the top of my “When I have a paycheck again” wish list is this tote bag to replace my current bag. Why? It’s made of recycled billboards. That’s right. The Invincible billboards that were used to promote the series were recycled into a limited number of vinyl tote bags. It’s such a cool idea and I’m so fascinated by the concept. It’s a grown-up take on duct-tape wallets that don’t take 500 years to break down.
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