If a man’s home is his castle, then a teenager’s room is a sanctuary from the king’s imposition. So this holiday season, instead of taxing the little serfs with argyle socks or cardigans, grant them some autonomy by helping them personalize their refuge with funky wallpaper-posters.
Posters, of all types and sizes, are the perfect gifts to transform your teen’s bedroom into their special comfort zone-and all for a pretty paltry sum (less than the typical Nintendo cartridge).
But beware. Whether you’re considering the classic “Hotel De Ville” kissing photo poster by Robert Doisneau or the promo poster from the new ABC-TV show “Lois & Clark, The New Adventures of Superman,” it’s hard to know whether that fickle adolescent will approve. Today’s teen idol is tomorrow’s pop pariah.
In case you are wondering, here are some of the latest ins and outs of celebrities and their posters. Anna Nicole Smith (the Guess? model) is a big hit among libidinous youths, especially in the 1993 Chicago International Film Festival poster dubbed Anna and Mark (with Chicago model Mark Kleckner) ($30). Janet Jackson is a hands-down favorite in the poster of Rolling Stone’s September 1993 cover ($20), while you’d probably have to dare someone to buy a poster of Madonna. And stay away from Luke Perry’s portrait, in favor of Keanu Reeves.
“I’d a love a Brad Pitt poster,” said Donna Yu, 13, of Skokie. “But I’ve tried a couple of places and can’t find one.”
In her case, she’ll probably settle for a magazine pull-out poster. so if the perfect poster eludes your search, a subscription to People, Us or YM may a good alternative.
But with a little thought, and some time surveying poster stores, you probably can find something that will appeal to your progeny. Here are some suggestions on how and where to look.
Movie buffs
If your son or daughter is a movie buff (what teenager isn’t?), a poster from their favorite flick should do the trick. Head to Graphic Expectations, 757 W. Diversey Pkwy., where hundreds of movie posters can be found or ordered.
“Popular among girls this year was the poster from the film `The Fugitive’ ($25),” said the store’s director Arthur Bernberg. “But people’s tastes are so different, we get all kinds of requests.” Shop early for the poster on “The Nightmare Before Christmas” ($45). According to several poster dealers, it will be a rarity this year because it’s expected to be a best-seller and the studio is not releasing many posters.
Sports fan
The gift shop in Michael Jordan’s restaurant, 500 N. LaSalle St., has a spectacular collection of . . . Jordan posters. They cost $6 to $8 and include some classics. If your teenager is thinking about retiring his MJ poster, this may be a good time to draft a replacement. The unpublished Nike poster of “Bumpin’ Thumpin’ A-bomb Dunkin’ U” NBA bad boy Charles Barkley is a great collector’s item at $35.
Art fanatics
For artistic youths, a new line of almost two dozen Dali posters ($20 to $25) that confuse as much as they amuse can be found at Poster Plus, 210 S. Michigan Ave. The store also carries a wide line of posters by the late Keith Haring, the popular graffiti-style artist who drew for Nickelodeon and MTV, and whose work is as big among parents as children.
Cartoons
The place to go for animation art is Circle Gallery of Animation and Cartoon Art, 736 N. Michigan Ave. While the original cartoon cels cost several hundred to several thousand dollars, limited-edition serigraphs from classic Disney cartoons cost $100. There are about 10 titles to choose from.
The last thing we can say is, stay away from anything you like. If it appeals to you, you’re teenager will probably hate it.
