Prince: The Coloring Book
I’ve never really gotten into adult coloring books, partially because I don’t have the time and partially out of a lack of motivation. But I can get down with Prince: The Coloring Book, the latest in independent publisher Feral House’s line of grown-up activity books dedicated to fallen rock gods. (Bowie and Lemmy have received similar tributes.) From the introduction casting a suspicious eye on the official cause of Prince’s death—the words “Illuminati conspiracy theory” are evoked at one point—you know this isn’t kids’ stuff, an impression that carries through some of the book’s more titillating illustrations. (As we all know, a sexless Prince tribute would be no Prince tribute at all.) Yes, your dream of coloring in Prince’s bikini briefs will be fulfilled several times over, among the 42 different interpretations of the Purple One rendered in a wide variety of styles by 42 different illustrators. Sharpen your purple crayons, because you’re going to need them. [Katie Rife]
Star Wars stickers
I already wrote about my appreciation of Topps collecting its entire run of Star Wars trading cards into four volumes, and now they’ve gone and put a cherry on that blue milk shake by releasing the complete set of stickers as well. The collection includes a few sheets released in 2015 as a promotional tie-in to The Force Awakens as well as a few poster-sized sheets left mostly blank for sticker application purposes. The best part is that on the reverse side, the posters have images that were originally made by collecting and laying out 20 sticker cards. It’s pleasantly sentimental to see the bright colors and blobby, rounded corners that frame each sticker and the selection of portraits cut into random geometric shapes. What I had forgotten about from when I was a little one running around in a mangled bathrobe-as-Luke Skywalker-tunic were the stickers stamped into letters of the alphabet. I’ve given the book to my kid, since it’s needlessly cruel of me to stick it on my bookshelf. So now I can look forward to the day she presents me one of the included posters having spelled out “Stop making me try to like Star Wars” in little Boba Fett-imprinted letters. [Nick Wanserski]
Charley Harper puzzle
A few months ago my co-worker Marah Eakin gave me the best puzzle I’ve ever done. It’s a 500-piecer depicting Charley Harper’s Tree Of Life, and I put it together three times before passing it on. What makes it the perfect puzzle is Harper’s designs: Each one is totally singular, and having to hyper-focus on them elevates puzzle-putting-together into crafting a work of art. Any good puzzle is addicting, feeding the part of your brain that craves the satisfaction of putting two pieces together properly, over and over again. But with Tree Of Life, these pieces are composed of a trim black beetle next to a blob creature with what look likes bicycle spokes in it, next to a red flame design that’s perhaps coral. It’s just so much fun. If you’ve ever even moderately enjoyed a puzzle, you will love this one. [Caitlin PenzeyMoog]