The Most Unique Calendars For 2016

As our world becomes increasingly reliant on electronic, the good old-fashioned paper calendar appears to be as popular as ever. Visit any mall and you’ll find dozens of new 2016 calendars with a variety of different themes. Calendars featuring the characters or scenes from Star Wars are, of course, very popular, and so are those that feature boy bands like One Direction, but not as much as the yellow Minions according to one report. Cartoon characters, sports, and pin-up calendars are always popular but are often the same. If you are in the mood for something new, then take a look at these unique 2016 calendars.

Rescued Pets 2016
Sure, topless firefighter calendars were pretty clever when they first arrived, but the concept has almost worn out its welcome and is considered tacky by some. As an alternative, the local fire department in Lakeland, Florida, teamed up with SPCA Florida to create “Rescued Pets 2016.” It is a clever calendar that not only honors the local service men and women but also brings an awareness about the animal rescue program, reports TV channel WFLA. Each month sports different service professionals posing with these pets in different locations and with gentle humor. Finally, a firefighter calendar that won’t make grandma blush.

The Minx
Men may never tire of pin-up calendars, but you’re not likely to find one that is body positive. Illustrator Jen Oaks told Cosmopolitan that she had always been a fan of pin-up art, but noticed that no one ever did any that featured plus-sized models, “so I drew what I thought was hot.” And “The Minx” calendars are resonating with both men and women, as it not only celebrates heavier women but also women of different races with a style that is a tribute to the 1970s. Oaks says that she took inspiration from popular powerful women of that decade, including Cher, Pam Grier, and Jane Fonda.

Nice Jewish Guys
Although Andy Cohen has been creating his “Nice Jewish Guys” calendar since 2011, many are unaware that it even exists. Unlike other pin-up calendars, every guy featured in the 2016 calendar wears a shirt. This isn’t about sex appeal, it’s about promoting the nice guy. But what started out as a whim, has become a big project for Cohen.

“I was joking, ‘What about ‘Rick’ in a Members Only jacket? He loves Chinese food,'” Cohen told the Daily Beast about his idea of anti-pin-up calendar. He now has to weed out 12 men from the other 1,000 of applicants each year. Who knew that there were so many nice Jewish guys?

Pirelli Calendar
Earlier this month, AdWeek reported how the Pirelli Tire Company decided to take a drastic departure from their usual pin-up style calendar. For 2016, Pirelli hired photographer Annie Lebowitz to shoot photos of accomplished women in striking, non-sexual poses.

“They suggested the idea of photographing distinguished women. After we agreed on that, the goal was to be very straightforward. I wanted the pictures to show the women exactly as they are, with no pretense,” says Lebowitz.

Featured in the calendar are Amy Schumer, Serena Williams, Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, and others. But no tires.

Year in Space
According to Popular Science, the “Year in Space” calendar is “the only 2016 calendar you need.” It is the brainchild of Steve Cariddi and the Planetary Society, who have been putting together this piece for 20 years now. The monthly calendar highlights coming events in the year — events happening in the cosmos that is. But while it looks forward, it also looks back with highlights with space history.

“The relationship that Carl Sagan fostered back in 1993 is still going strong, and I’m thrilled to work with the Society each year,” says Cariddi. “I like to think that this collaboration, in a small but direct way, honors the legacy of Sagan, particularly his ability to make a lasting impact on the people whose lives he touched.”

Australia Weather Bureau Calendar
Those interested in weird weather or just weird things, in general, will appreciate the “Australia Weather Bureau Calendar” which features incredible photos of truly odd weather events. Each year, many photographs are submitted of desert showers, strange cloud patterns, and oddly shaped rainbows.

Bureau spokeswoman Vicki Middleton told Courier Mail that they sold 60,000 copies of the calendar last year and it should not surprise you that it was the best-selling calendar in the that country.

“This year we received more than 800 entries, which made it a really tough job to whittle down to the winning images,” she said.

Typodarium Calendar
For many, typefaces are just a means for communication but for others, but it is a form of art. Fast Company recently profiled this daily calendar that highlights a different font for every 366 days of 2016. With the help of 223 designers from 223 countries, each page features a different font with a brief history on how it got its name, who created it and other related information. It is published in Germany by Verlag Hermann Schmidt Mainz, who says is “a totally legal designer drug for people who have got the typography virus.”

Fast Company explains that “now in its ninth year, the Typodarium remains one of the best ways to explore the weirder, wilder side of typefaces, throughout the year.”

[Photo by: ArtsyBee/Pixabay.com]