Year In Review

A Mockingbird Gift Guide: 2020 Edition

A Harrowing of Hell Comic Book, A Bonhoeffer Shower Curtain, and More!

David Zahl / 12.9.20

That time again! Click here to check out last year’s guide.

For the Therapist Looking to Acknowledge the Season Without Triggering Any Patients: A WAUmanufacture Krippsta Minimalist nativity scene

For the Friend From College With Whom You Re-Connected During COVID and Want to Commemorate That Somehow: A Masked Santa ornament or Joe Exotic action figure

For Your Manga-Obsessed Millennial Cousin Who Insists that American Comics Haven’t Been Worth Reading Since Alan Moore Stopped Writing: The Harrowing of Hell, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth, or Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen?

For the Recovering Evangelical 30-something Finally Ready to Reclaim What Was Awesome and Good About Their Upbringing: An Electric Jesus Stay Cool bandana or Skip Wick Harvest Concert Ministries coin pouch

For the Youth Minister Who Once Accused You of Worshiping Father, Son, and Holy Bible: A Dove Essential t-shirt to wear while reading Simeon Zahl’s The Holy Spirit and Christian Experience (and listening to Dove, The Band of Love)

For the Recent Seminary Grad Looking to Trick Out Their New Apartment with Theological Whimsy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer shower curtain or Rudolf Bultmann refrigerator magnet or Oxford martyrs coaster set or Soren KierkeGOURD throw pillow or basically anything in Chris Corbin’s amazing Redbubble shop

For the Boss You Know You Need to Get a Gift for but Don’t Really Feel Like it After She Announced No Bonuses This Year: Pickle candy canes

For the Nostalgia-Addicted Father With Young Kids Whose Xmas Tradition Involves the First Season of Stranger Things: Garbage Pail Kids monopoly set or pair of Freezy Freakies gloves

For the Well of Sound Listener (or Co-Host!) in Your Midst: Smiley Smile sweatshirt or Cher’s Pet Peeves t-shirt from Taffy Sinclair, or the brand-new Light in the Attic reissue of the Supreme Jubilees’ gospel-disco masterpiece It’ll All Be Over

For Your Friends From Church You Haven’t Seen in Person for Going on Eight Months and You’re Skeptical Will Come Back Post-Vaccine: a Daily Grace devotional from Mbird (still available by Xmas via Barnes and Noble!) or an Unveiling Mercy one from Chad Bird

For Their Sunday School-Deprived Kids, Bless Their Hearts: Storymakers Advent comics and a copy of Dangerous Journey

For the Curved-In Pastor in Dire Need of Some Clothes that Pop on Zoom: an Augustine of Hippo sweatshirt from IAM Apparel

For Your Middle-School Aged Daughter Who’s in Way Too Much of a Hurry to Grow Up: a subscription to the Slime Box of the Month Club

For the Sad Clown in Your Vicinity and/or House: a pop-up portable fire pit and a copy of Wright Thompson’s Pappyland

For the Neighbors Who Would Never Say So But You Get the Sense Are a Little Embarrassed About How Invested They Got in the Election: A “Presidents are Temporary – Wu-Tang is Forever” campaign sign

For Your Frenemy on Social Media Always Bragging About How Much Reading They’ve Gotten Done During Quarantine But You Suspect Could Go Deeper in Their Actual Choices: The Elegy Beta by Mischa Willett or Bright Flows the River by Taylor Caldwell

For Your Frenemy on Social Media Who Casually Mentioned That They Learned a New Language During Quarantine As If It Weren’t a Big Deal and Whose Kids You Can’t Help but Notice Have Never Had to Go Remote for School: A copy of La Ley y el Evangelio

For the Boomer in Your Life with a Jukebox Where Their Soul Should Be: Peace in the Last Third of Life by Paul Zahl

For the Ultra-Sheltered Kid Down the Street Who Comes Over to Play with Your Kids’ Nerf Guns Even When They’re Not There (and You’re Fairly Sure Will Never Go Back to School Ever): A set of uncommongood’s Yoga Joes toy figures

For the Elementary School Teacher Looking to Spice Up Their Sticker Game: Horror Villain Sticker Pack from Super Secret Fun Club (or Back to the Future)

For the Co-Worker Who You’re Pretty Sure Has Been Looting the Office Snack Drawer in Your Absence: A subscription to the Bokksu monthly Japanese snack box

For the Nephew Who’s Finally Old Enough to Know When He’s Being Trolled: Leg Toy from Obvious Plant or Absent Father action figure from BadMonster Toys (too far?)

For the Mockingcast Superfan Aiming to Rep the Brand in Style: A Get in the Pool! t-shirt or Mockingcast mask

For the Anglophile Mother in Need of Some Non-Pharmaceutical Help Getting to Sleep: The Crown‘s Queen Evening Tea 36-count collectible tin

For the Aunt Who’s Been Going Through a Rough Time but Not Rough Enough to Dilute Her Sass: An if-you-want-the-rainbow-you-gotta-stand-a-little-rain Dolly Parton umbrella from Kayci Wheatley

For Anyone You Truly Love: A subscription to the Mockingbird Magazine, along with a fetching Mbird tote or t-shirt