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Illustration: Vicky LetaHappy Valentines Day, you lovely nerds! io9's favorite tradition on this most romantic day is back, with another round of pop culture gag cards to send to your sweetie from some of the last year’s highlights in sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and more. As always, our thanks to G/O Media art director Vicky Leta for bringing our punny missives to life.Illustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: Vicky LetaIllustration: …

Image: RSVLTS, BoxLunch, WB Shop, Hot Topic, Alamo Drafthouse, Heroes & Villains, JBLValentine’s Day is on the horizon! So whether you’re partnered up or celebrating with friends, here are some fun fandom picks for gift-giving and beyond. Celebrate with ideas inspired by Lore Olympus, Shrek, Star Wars, Studio Ghibli, and more pop culture that evokes the bonds of both romantic and platonic relationships.Check out this Valentine’s Day slideshow for io9's selection of options to celebrate. BoxLunch, ShopDisney, Hot…

Image: Bandai, Larian Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, Vicky Leta/Gizmodo, IFC, Mario Tama (Getty Images), and HBOA new year is upon us, but don’t say goodbye to the old one just yet! For the past 3 weeks io9 has been delivering our Year in Review for all things 2023—our favorite films and shows, cool toys, people we lost, the trends that defined a year of sci-fi, fantasy, and genre pop culture, and so much more. Why not take a look and see what you missed? Image: Bandai, Larian Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, Vicky…

Image: HasbroTen years ago, Hasbro announced something akin to a disturbance in the Force—and Star Wars toy fans’ wallets: The Black Series, a brand new line that would bump the iconic heroes and villains of the galaxy far, far away up to 6" scale for the first time (and away from the 3.75" scale Star Wars changed the game with).Since then, countless characters from movies, games, comics, streaming shows, and more have made their way onto our desks and shelves—classic heroes like Han, Luke, and Leia; all-new ones still…

Image: Marvel StudiosThe Marvel Cinematic Universe has managed to catapult several actors to stardom, and Chris Hemsworth is one of its best poster boys. Previously best known for playing Kirk’s dad in the opening minutes of Star Trek’s 2009 reboot, the first Thor movie from 2011 supercharged his career like a bolt of lightning, to the point where he’s got a new action franchise in the form of Netflix’s Extraction and the recent Disney+ series, Limitless.Limitless recently premiered, and it’s during the fourth episode…

These are some times we’re living in. While it’s important to keep aware and informed when it comes to current events, sometimes a literary escape can be excellent therapy. Enter our massive list of October sci-fi and fantasy releases—which include some seasonally-appropriate horror titles, too.The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018 edited by N.K. Jemisin and John Joseph AdamsA collection of outstanding science fiction and fantasy works published in 2017, chosen from magazines, journals, and websites.…

Photo: Skelton PorterIt’s almost the big weekend! Here’s your last chance to be featured in our annual costume show on Halloween this upcoming Monday. So if you’re going to an epic party, parade, out for candy, or staying in but dressing up, send us your pop-culture inspired costumes. Heck, if there’s a cosplay look from conventions like San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con, or Midsummer Scream that you want to flaunt,we’ll take those too. If you need help finding some costume ideas, here are some suggestions inspired…

Are you the god of hammers or what bestie?Yes, this song shows up in the opening scene, but it’s the return of the Led Zeppelin banger in the finale that really earns this needle drop a place on this list. Thor getting his mojo back, Loki doing Loki things, Valkyrie showing up and kicking ass with fireworks in the background, and Hulk hulking out vs Fenrir? Pure cinema. It’s a renaissance painting, but with Marvel characters and sick-ass fight choreography and half-decent CGI (sort of, sometimes). The song works hard, but…