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It might be a little late to order Christmas cards to send out to your friends and family, but you’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy the great art and creativity in some of the geekiest holiday cards out there.
1. Phone Home
This card is not only high tech, but it also just might be the most expensive card out there (at least, the most expensive not adorned in precious jewels). Surprisingly, the price isn’t due to a mark up—this is a DIY card design. The price instead comes from the iPhone nestled inside the card. Sure, you might not want to send one of these to your dentist, but it would be one heck of a way to present an iPhone if you already planned on giving one as a gift anyway.
2. Playing Games
Instructables user bradsprojects created another interactive, tech-based, DIY card, only this one won’t break the bank if you make one for more than a few people. The video game is pretty rudimentary, but any fan of old school games will still appreciate the classic appeal of moving a dot to avoid obstacles.
3. Godzilla's Anatomy
If you love both anatomy and Godzilla, then you’ll certainly appreciate these cards by artist Brad McGinty. Of course, if you prefer great fiction stories, then you’ll love the tale Brad created to help sell these delightful designs:
A few years after my Grandfather returned from the war he decided to start a greeting card company. Armed with one terrible idea and no artistic ability whatsoever, he turned to someone he had met during the war for help, a young Japanese solider he had shot in the face named Haruo. My grandfather spoke no Japanese, and Haruo spoke no English, so how they actually got together is beyond me or anyone else in my family. The idea involved creating American-style greeting cards for both the Japanese and the American markets.
Even if you have no interest in buying the cards, it’s worth reading the rest of the story over at his site.
4. Grumpy Card
Only a few short months ago, Grumpy Cat stole the internet’s heart with her permanently sour scowl. Her owner has since created a website so she can share her cat's delightful expressions with the world. To help support her kitties, she added a shop that included these great Christmas cards. Unfortunately, they’re already sold out, but maybe you die-hard Tard fans will have better luck getting cards with your favorite grumpy kitten next year.
5. It Must Be Italian
It’s rare for a family photo holiday card to end up this amazingly geeky, but Amanda Earles of Candid Moments Studios managed to bring A Christmas Story to life in her fantastic family photo card this year.
6. The Most Beautiful Card in the Room
Any Flight of the Concords fan will recognize the great “present” pun in this card, showing one of the band’s famous meetings. Creator Elliot Quince did such a great job with the card that Rhys Darby, aka Murray Hewitt, even tweeted the card to his followers.
7. Call the Doctor
I don’t know what the Doctor did to this Dalek to get him to serve cocktails, but whatever the plotline behind this Doctor Who Christmas special, I want to know the whole story. If you like the art and humor of these cards, but you aren’t really a Whovian, don’t worry: artist AliciaMB has also created Christmas cards themed after Star Wars, The Avengers, The Hunger Games, and more.
8. Nice Nose
Chewy the Red Nosed Wookie might not be as famous as Rudolph the Reindeer, but he’d do a lot better when it comes to helping you guide a Millennium Falcon across an asteroid belt. Of course, Etsy seller CastleMcQuade has plenty of other geeky holiday cards available for those who aren’t too into Star Wars (including a fantastic It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia design) as well as plenty of other Star Wars Christmas cards.
9. Hoth-Hoth-Hoth
For a more classic holiday card look with a Star Wars twist, look no further than these Hoth-y Holiday cards by Etsy seller Mike Goes Geek that depicts a classic Hoth scene in the iconic Rankin/Bass claymation style.
10. Left 4Christmas
If you simply loved Left 4Dead 2, then share that adoration with those closest to you with these adorable cards designed by artist Alexandria Neonakis and available in the Valve Store.
11. Sea Unicorn
Everyone loves narwhals—after all, they are like unicorns of the sea, and with this great holiday card by Etsy seller castornpollux, you get to see how the rare, majestic creature likes to decorate for Christmas.
12. Venn Out
Is any list of geekery truly complete without a Venn diagram? If you answered “no” with a resounding decisiveness, then you’ll certainly love these Venn diagram cards by Etsy seller BisforBrown that depict “what we wish you” this holiday season.
If you happened to order or send out any geeky holiday cards this year, tell us about them in the comments, or even better, share the pictures with us!
For 12-12-12, we’ll be posting twenty-four '12 lists' throughout the day. Check back 12 minutes after every hour for the latest installment, or see them all here.