It’s no surprise that talk shows and talk show hosts want to expand their brand with ancillary products tied to the show. You know, get fans to buy a collection of Thank You Notes from The Tonight Show or music from a late night band, like The Roots.
But from time to time, someone else comes out with a product tied to the talk show industry that so silly and different that you want to own it just because.
You can find a lot of those items on the small business and handmade craft website Etsy. More than half of our list is from that site – and we could probably create a half dozen more lists based on some of the fun and clever items we found there.
Here are five of those quirky items we’ve found recently that you may want to add to your collection:
1. ‘Air Wars’ novel
Comic book fan? Then you may want to pick up a copy of Air Wars, the latest graphic novel from Bluewater Productions. The series hopes to pull readers behind the scenes to learn more about talk show greats like David Letterman, Chelsea Handler and Jon Stewart.
“With the announcement that both Stewart and Letterman are stepping down, the landscape of talk shows and political parody is changing,” said Bluewater publisher Darren G. Davis in a statement. “Clearly, the people featured in this creative nonfiction volume have influenced news broadcasting and pop culture. The stories about their success are as fascinating as any of the news they report and as funny as their jokes.”
This isn’t the first time talk show hosts have appeared in comic books. Marvel Comics famously featured David Letterman assisting The Avengers in a mid-80s comic, back with Letterman was still on Late Night on NBC. And Stephen Colbert slung webs with Spider-Man in the late 2000s.
2. David Letterman portrait
Speaking of Letterman, etsy artist Meagan Marie Smith is offering a one-of-a-kind portrait of the Late Show host. The canvas was painted in 2009. The oil painting is all yours for $300. The portrait captures Letterman’s high cheekbones and trademark tooth gap. It’s definitely a conversation starter. It also has a modern art appeal and, honestly, would like great in a media room.
3. Saint Jimmy prayer candle
Who wouldn’t want a prayer candle with Jimmy Fallon as the patron saint? In this quirky item from etsy artist Saint Celebrity, Fallon adorns a traditional prayer candle dressed as Sara (with no H, because Hs are Ew!) from the parody song “Ew!,” and the regular Tonight Show segment.
In the video, Fallon and the Black-Eyed Peas’ will.i.am, dressed as teenage girls, sing about all the things they think are gross, underscoring each statement with a powerful “Ew!” A great gift for an office desk or dorm room.
4. Ellen DeGeneres baby onesie
Who doesn’t want to dress their newborn son or daughter up in a onesie plastered with daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres’s portrait? If you’re one of those people who just need to show off their fandom for Ellen – and you’re an expecting parent – or know one – this is the gift for you. The silk screen onesies are from etsy artist Nicole K (her shop is Rainbow Alternative). The Philadelphia artist hand-stencils and spray paints each onesie. They are not mass produced, so each is a one of a kind.
5. Okra Winfrey portrait
It’s one thing to own a hand-painted portrait of Oprah Winfrey. Quite another to own a hand-painted portrait of “Okra Winfrey.” But you can have just that from etsy artist Swag Cabin. The painting (delivered as a poster) reimagines the iconic daytime talk show host as the vegetable Okra.
The artist has a penchant for recasting celebrities as food items. You can also pick up a Stephen Colpeart or a Tuna Fey.