Walking Dead
Once upon a time there was a show called The Walking Dead. Some people started watching it and then left when the end came. Other people started watching it and never really stopped. You’ll know you’re in the second group if years later you still: have opinions about the Shane situation, feel a confusing mix of emotions whenever you think about the prison storyline or believe beyond a doubt that Rick Grimes deserved a better ending. Enough about us. You’re that person. That’s why we didn’t let someone who watches it casually put this collection together. We did it ourselves because we’re fans too.
At first thinking about what to buy a Walking Dead fan sounds simple. But open a website and try looking. Official merch tends to be uninspired and overpriced, or cheap to the point where it feels pointless. It also looks like it was put together by someone who watched the highlight reel instead of actually following the show. We wanted things that were better than that. So we searched far and wide for gifts that would actually resonate with someone who can spot the difference between a tacky Lucille keyring bought from the side of a motorway and something a fan would love to own.
If it made the cut into this collection, it passed the test. Would a true fan care about this? Not just recognise it but actually care about it enough to want to own it? That’s the standard we held every potential gift to. It meant considering fans of the show itself but also the comics, ones that have watched certain episodes more times than they’re willing to admit and ones that will argue over the best season till they’re blue in the face. Those are our people and those are the people we selected gifts for.
Nothing here is here just to fill space. Some of it is really clever and will make your friend know you truly understand why they love the show. Some of it is something they wanted but would never buy themselves and let’s be honest, those are always the best gifts. None of it is trying to pass off being related to The Walking Dead by throwing some barbed wire and spray paint on it.
The Walking Dead isn’t going away. It went on for eleven seasons and amassed one of the most passionate fan bases any TV show has ever seen. Nine seasons worth of built up loyalty deserves better than a generic coffee mug with a character slapped on the side. We think we’ve found something better.