Mardi Gras is only a week away, and festivities are ramping up. One of the biggest areas that celebrates the holiday in the United States is out in the Gulf Coast, particularly New Orleans. In addition to being a Mardi Gras destination, the city also has ties to franchises with large fandoms. Here is a buyers guide that celebrates the pop culture from the Big Easy this Carnival season.
New Orleans Pop Culture Buyers Guide: Action Figures
Marvel has a number of superheroes that call New Orleans their home and some of them have been given the toy treatment. The man of the hour currently is Sam Wilson. He has several action figures in the Marvel Legends line, and his most recent is the deluxe figure inspired by his appearance in the film Captain America: Brave New World. Although the comic version of the character is originally from Harlem, the MCU’s version is from Delacroix, Louisiana, which is outside the city.
With a name like Remy LeBeau, you know he’s Cajun. The mutant known as Gambit is also from the Crescent City. He’s quite a popular character receiving several releases that past few years. He’s been included in the X-men 60th Anniversary 3-pack with Banshee and Psylocke, all in the X-men uniforms. He is also in the X-men ’97 Wave 1 line resembling his animated counterpart. Then, later this year, he will be part of the Nemesis Build-A-Figure wave with a comic inspired look. Now only if we can get a Channing Tatum figure from Deadpool and Wolverine.
Finally, we have Monica Rambeau. She was packaged as Captain Marvel in the The Avengers 60th Anniversary 2-pack along with Doctor Doom. If you prefer her cinematic accurate version, Rambeau did appear in the Totally Awesome Hulk Build-A-Figure wave as Photon from The Marvels movie.
New Orleans Pop Culture Buyers Guide: Art
Looking to spruce up the house? You can’t go wrong with Displate metal posters. They contain artwork from over 200 popular brands including a Disney. Tiana is New Orlean’s very own Disney princess and she’s tied with the city’s steep culinary traditions. This poster highlights her restaurant. It has vibrant colors and the shading and lights provide an intimate night setting.
Though the character herself is inspired by local chef, the late Leah Chase, the designs of the awnings are reminiscent of Commander’s Palace, a renowned dining destination. Displate posters are easy to set up taking less than a minute due to the unique magnet mounting system. Unfortunately, the magnet can only be placed once. It does make it easy to swap in a new Displate poster into the same spot or you can purchase another magnet mounting system separately if you change your mind.
New Orleans Pop Culture Buyers Guide: Lifestyle
The works of Anne Rice have received a new life thanks in part to AMC’s Immortalverse. The cable network adapted her novel series Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches into a shared universe of television shows. Both have roots in New Orleans. We introduce the Interview with the Vampire Loustat pillow. It features main characters Louis and Lestat whose complex relationship drives the narrative. Despite the animosity between them, they will forever be linked together.
Mayfair Witches takes place in a mystical and mysterious world so what better way to channel that than through the Mayfair Witches Tarot two-tone mug. Tarot card reading, a method of fortune-telling that plays a role in the second season, inspires the artwork. The mug is microwave safe so it can hold drinks both warm and cold.
Speaking of witchy products from TV, there is also the American Horror Story Coven sherpa art blanket. It will help you stay warm at home or wherever you take it, and features the key art from the third season of the popular anthology horror series. Coven incorporated New Orleans historical figures such as Madame LaLaurie, the Axeman, and Voodoo practitioner, Marie Laveau.
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