Three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree … following up on our gift-giving guides from last week, where we heard from various comic folks on Monday and Friday, our third and final gift-giving guide post features gift recommendations from the Blog @ Newsarama crew.

As with the pros, we answered two questions:

1. What comic-related gift or gifts would they recommend giving this year, and why?
2. What gift (comic or otherwise) is at the top of their personal wish list, and why?

So here we go …

Michael May

1. For the gamer in your life, Artesia: Adventures in the Known World is an unbelievable fantasy role-playing game that strikes a great balance between realism and ease-of-play. And since it takes place in the world of Mark Smylie’s excellent Artesia comic, it also includes all-new as well as reprinted art from that series.

2. So many, excellent Absolute editions are out now, but I’d be most happy with Absolute Sandman or Absolute New Frontier. I’ve been holding off on buying the Sandman trades for just such an occasion, and somehow I successfully ignored the praise of everyone in the world and didn’t read New Frontier as it came out. Now I’m itching to read it for the first time and the Absolute edition is the way to do that.

Lisa Fortuner

1. This year I actually gave a non-comic reading relative Will Eisner’s New York: Life in the Big City. It’s a book of well-written short stories with beautiful artwork.

2. I would like everyone’s wasted time from this year, bottled, for when I run out of my own time next year.

Graeme McMillan

1. In the dithering manner to which I’ve become accustomed, it depends who you’re buying for, really. People who like superheroes and only superheroes should be given Absolute DC: The New Frontier, one of the few books that are worth a $75 price tag — for the story alone, never mind all the extra things in the back (Annotations! Sketches!) and the beautiful design. As a plus, there’s a whole thing about the government trying to arrest superheroes in the story that doesn’t involve clones or the Negative Zone being turned into the Phantom Zone, so, you know. People who don’t like superheroes and already own some Kevin Huizenga should be given De:Tales, the Dark Horse collection of short stories by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba that came out this past summer. It may not have been my favorite book this year or a massive seller or anything, but it’s a nice anthology of stories that believe in love and magic, and that seems something appropriate for the holidays (Plus, amazing artwork). I’m a big sap, I admit it.

2. My hair to grow back and some free time in which to groom it.

Stephanie Chan

1. I think one of the sweetest gifts you can buy an aspiring manga artist is Manga Studio. It’s not as powerful as a professional graphic program like Photoshop, but it has everything you need to make a comic in one package and much less money. It covers all the basics for a comic creation software from layouts to lettering and there are even delicious screen tones! It’s compatible with the PC or Mac.

For a Canadian that doesn’t regularily buy comics, or none at all, one gift I highly recommend is the biographical graphic novel about Canadian revolutionary Louis Riel. It’s the one book I really want to see in every Canadian library and school, and it’s the one book everyone seems to truly enjoy.

2. Money! That’s always a good gift that everyone loves receiving! This is actually the first time I outright asked for cash since I’m going to Ottawa and Quebec City in the end of January/early February.

Unfortunately, I usually consider asking for money as “cheating” on your wish list. So I gave my wish list a quick overview. As sweet as a PS3 would be, there aren’t enough games out for it yet for me to really enjoy. I also have the Nintendo WIi on my list, but I realized I’m just going to buy one before the 25th. I need a new external hard drive, but I just got one yesterday. I want to see Video Games Live, but I already have tickets lined up.

So now I look and see that the top item on my list is sporty/urban Spirit brand outfits from La Senza or some cyberpunk clothing from Canadian designer Plastik Wrap. Aquas, blues and black are my favorite colors, and I usually wear a size small.

Kevin Melrose

1. I think I’ve recommended Linda Medley’s beautiful Castle Waiting hardcover for most every occasion over the past several months, so there’s no need to stop now. It’s ideal for the friend or family member who enjoys fairy tales, humor and warm, touching stories.

2. For myself, nothing comics-related. However, I’m eyeing a laptop computer. We’ll see …

Chris Hunter

1. I wish I had about ten copies of We3 to just give away to family and friends. It just has such an emotional undercurrent to the story mixed with so many other elements that the amalgamation of all of them is simply one of the best stories I have ever read and want others to read as well.

2. I’m really digging this new gizmo I found online – www.airdesk.com. A computer desk anywhere really appeals to me right now. Oh Santa, please? Oh, and I also need a DVD burner. I know, I know, I’m way behind the times…

Tom Bondurant

1. I bet a superhero fan would like DVD-ROM editions of forty-odd years worth of comics from GIT Corp. It strikes me as an inexpensive way to fill in the gaps in a hard-copy collection, gauge interest in the back issues (or Masterworks or Essentials), or maybe spark an interest in the new books (and then be disillusioned by the ways in which Civil War has completely wrecked them, of course…). Titles include Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, Ultimate X-Men and MAD Magazine. These are only the core books, with no crossovers or tie-ins (no Spectacular Spider-Man, West Coast Avengers, X-Factor, etc.), but again, why deprive the recipient of the thrill of hunting for back issues?

For comics fans of any stripe, or anyone interested in the medium, I don’t see how you could go wrong with one of Scott McCloud’s books on the subject. I’m still learning from Understanding Comics after almost 13 years, and for advanced studies there’s Reinventing Comics and the new Making Comics.

2. As for my personal wish list, it’s topped by Absolute New Frontier. With all the superlatives I’ve heard, it’ll be hard waiting for Dec. 25 to see if it’s under my tree.

JK Parkin

1. A lot of really great books have come out recently that would make great Christmas presents for anyone from the casual to hardcore fan. As just about everyone else has mentioned, the Absolute editions make fine gifts for the more hardcore fans. For the casual, I’d recommend Pride of Baghdad, Best American Comics 2006, the Scott Pilgrim books (start with the first one and save the other two for later; then you’ll have something to buy them on their birthday), Walking Dead or American Born Chinese, depending on their tastes.

On the video game front, Marvel:Ultimate Alliance is a lot of fun, but if I were to recommend the best game I bought this year, that would have to be Bully by Rockstar Games. There’s even a comic book store in the game, so technically it does have a comic book tie-in …

And lastly, there are several DVD collections out now that will likely appeal to comic fans. The two I’m looking forward to getting are the collection of the first season of the Tick cartoon and the Venture Brothers.

2. After many months apart, my wife, dog and three cats finally joined me out here in California, making our transition from the Lone Star State to the Left Coast complete. That’s the best present I could have asked for; everything else will be gravy.

From the entire Blog@Newsarama crew, joyous holidays and a happy new year to everyone out there in comic land!

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