Picking out a Christmas present for your girlfriend can be an intimidating task. You want to get her something that's thoughtful, unique and surprising, but what? Jewelry, chocolate, a spa pass? Too cliche. Definitely don't get her a gym membership. (That didn't go over too well last year.) Clothing? Too difficult. Money? Too thoughtless. A trip to Mars? Too impossible (for now, anyway). Yes, it can be quite the conundrum, but if you ever get stuck, here's something that rarely fails: think about your common interests and experiences and create something heartfelt.
Kells O'Hickey is a sketch artist from Minnesota who surprised his girlfriend, Lindsay, with the perfect gift: Ten drawings of themselves in ten different cartoon styles, from The Simpsons to South Park to Adventure Time. The two love watching animated sitcoms together, and after getting a positive reaction to a couple sketches, he decided to go all out. "I had drawn a few pictures of Lindsay and I in Futurama and Adventure Time styles previously," Kells said in an interview. "And her reaction had given me an idea. I should draw us in my interpretation of the styles of all the shows we've watched." (Also, that doesn't involve spending any money, so it's a win-win.)
Even if you haven't seen all of these shows, you'll definitely recognize the different
animation styles. Although, sadly, Kells didn't do Archer. (Um, phrasing?) It must have been too hard. (Phrasing!) But you have to admire his spunk. (Hey! Phrasing!)
1. The Simpsons
2. Rick and Morty
3. Dragon Ball Z
4. Disney
5. South Park
6. Cuphead (Old school Disney)
7. Bob's Burgers
8. Adventure Time
9. Family Guy
10. Steven Universe
Pretty cool, right? Kells says that Lindsay spent thirty minutes looking at the drawings, then said, "I love you to the moon and back." (Awww.) The holiday gift worked out perfectly, and when Kells shared the drawings on Instagram, they got a ton of positive comment. "Wow, these [drawings] are highly impressive," wrote one man. "I'm not gay but I would love to be his boyfriend to get me some of these!! Lol."
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Also, this seems like a very appropriate present for a millennial couple. We spend so much time talking about TV show and movies. And we keep trying harder and harder to immerse ourselves in fictional worlds, visiting themed amusement parks, trying virtual reality experiences and cosplaying as our favorite characters at conventions. What better way to show your love to your significant other than to translate it through your favorite pop culture? (The pressure is really on for next year, though!)
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