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        The holiday is again rapidly approaching. Along with holiday decorations, shopping, and the classic holiday music, comics with Christmas stories always added to the season for me, so I thought this would be a fun thread. Some DC picks are: BATMAN 219 (2/1970) backup by Friedrich, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. Batman shows up at police headquarters, no crime is occurring, so he sings Christmas carols all night with the police officers there. Kindness and good fortune makes people all over town think twice about crime, suicide, etc. larger image of it HERE BATMAN 239 (2/1972) by Dennis O'Neil, Irv Novick and Giordano. A down-on-his-luck x-convict, his daughter, and a Scrooge-like company owner are helped by Batman. Plus a backup Golden Age Batman Christmas story by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, also reprinted here. http://fullsize/239.GIF BATMAN 247 (3/1973) by O'Neil, Novick and Giordano. Batman hunts down a criminal who has stolen a germ-warfare weapon. The story is divided into two chapters, the first occurring at Christmas, the second part a week later on New Years' Eve. http://fullsize/247.GIF PLOP 10 (3/1975) Cain, Abel and Eve sneak aboard Santa's sleigh and force him to put up with their stories while he rides around the world delivering presents. Art by Aragones and others. http://fullsize/10.GIF DC SPECIAL SERIES 21 (SUPER STAR HOLIDAY SPECIAL, 1979) featuring a Batman story by O'Neil, Frank Miller and Steve Mitchell. Along with other stories of Jonah Hex (Fleisher/Ayers), Sgt Rock (Kanigher/Ayers) and the Legion(Levitz/Garcia-Lopez). http://fullsize/21.GIF SECRET ORIGINS 10 (1986), featuring the Phantom Stranger in four different stories. Christmas stories of a more Biblical nature, by Alan Moore/Joe Orlando, Mike Barr/Jim Aparo, and Levitz/Garcia-Lopez. http://fullsize/10.GIF Some great non-DC books: BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34 (2/1983) Stories with a humorously bizarre look at Christmas. "Son of Santa" by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Kupperberg, "Howard the Duck's Christmas" by Steven Grant and Paul Smith (a very funny take-off on the movie It's a Wonderful Life, with some of the nicest Paul Smith pages I've seen), "Slaybells" by Mike Carlin, and "Santa Bites the Big Apple" by Al Milgrom. This is one of my favorite Christmas comics. http://fullsize/34.GIF GUMBY'S WINTER FUN SPECIAL (from Comico, 12/1988) by Steve Purcell and Arthur Adams. A very fun story with a childlike sense of innocence and adventure. Gumby and his pals go on an incredible journey to rescue Santa. And 40 gorgeous pages of Arthur Adams art. http://fullsize/1.GIF X-MEN 143 (3/1981) by Claremont/Byrne/Austin. Not exactly a Christmas story, but with some great Christmas atmosphere scenes, including a young couple out in the woods selecting a Christmas tree, and the X-Men at home decorating for Christmas and getting into the spirit of the season. http://fullsize/143.GIF Those are some of my Christmas picks. Anyone else? ---------------------  "This Man, This Wonder Boy..."
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I always try to watch as many of the animated Christmas specials as I can each year. They were part of the thrill of the Christmas season growing up, and when you see them each year, you're suddenly 8 years old again. In 1998, I went to a video store and rented: - SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN,
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER,
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS,
THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS,
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
A SIMPSONS CHRISTMAS,
and
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
And I collected them all on one 6-hour tape. And each year, the woman next door to me borrows it to show her kids. She says her two daughters are just glued to the set every minute the video plays. One of the great pleasures of Christmas is providing all the little decorations, music, festivities and atmosphere to a new generation of children, keeping the season's magic alive. For children, and for the adult children as well (like me).
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Hanukkah has also begun.
I don't celebrate Hanukkah, but Adam Sandler's "The Hannukah Song" (Parts 1 and 2) is just as much a part of the holiday season.
To those who celebrate, have a great Hanukkah!
A link to Darknight's Hanukkah (or Chanukkah, for those of you with better spelling than me) topic:
HERE
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I'm also a big fan of the Biblical movie-epics from the late 1950's and early 1960's, including:
The Robe
Ben Hur
Spartacus
The King of Kings
and
The Ten Commandments
Great movies, one and all. And all great Biblical representations, to get back to the roots of what the season is all about.
Hollywood classics I try to watch again, whenever possible. Especially during the Christmas season.
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Quote:
Dave the Wonder Boy said:
Hanukkah has also begun.
I don't celebrate Hanukkah, but Adam Sandler's "The Hannukah Song" (Parts 1 and 2) is just as much a part of the holiday season.
Since you brought up favorite Christmas stories in comics, I finally got my hands on that JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA issue where The Atom learns about Chanukkah. I think it's one of the very few mainstream Chanukkah-related comic book story out there, and I'm glad to see my holiday treated not only with respect, but represented accurately.
Are there any more Chanukkah related comic book stories out there? Wasn't there a Batman story in a holiday issue a few years back?
Quote:
To those who celebrate, have a great Hanukkah!
Thank you.
Quote:
A link to Darknight's Hanukkah (or Chanukkah, for those of you with better spelling than me) topic:
HERE
Either way is okay, considering it's a transliteration of a Hebrew word.
Last edited by Darknight613; 2004-12-12 6:10 PM.
"Well when I talk to people I don't have to worry about spelling." - wannabuyamonkey
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SUPERMAN #165 -- What do you get the JLA for Christmas? Rubber bands for Plastic Man, A box of chocos cookies for Martian Manhunter, one of those things you shake up and it snows inside for Aquaman, jewelry polish for Green Lantern, tube socks for the Flash, a mjolnir for Wonder Woman, and a magnifying glass for Batman.
Of course, this was just before all that "Return to Krypton" stuff.
Eddie Guerrero said
"I've been here before. Backed into a corner, another huge obstacle, time to make a choice. You seem to be a bit preoccupied, Brock. You're not gonna be facing Eddie Guerrero the opponent tonight. You're gonna be facing Latino Heat!! They say there's No Way Out. I can think of at least one, ese (sp?). Can you?"
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Darknight613 said:
Are there any more Chanukkah related comic book stories out there? Wasn't there a Batman story in a holiday issue a few years back? In MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL 1993, a story has Doc Sampson from HULK telling a group of Jewish kids the story of Chanukkah. (not a great Channukah story, but it's the only one I can think of right now. If I can think of others, I'll mention them later). I have the MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL issues from 1991 and 1993 (both with poster-worthy Arthur Adams wraparound covers).  The 1993 one has slightly better stories. A Wolverine story by Michael Golden, a Spiderman story by Stan Lee/Steve Lightle, a Thanos story by Starlin/Lim/Austin, and a Daredevil story by Nocenti/Grindberg, among others. The 1996 one has much better printing, and a good Spiderman story by Waid/Olliffe/Breeding. (Mark Waid seems to have been a driving force in creating Christmas specials at both Marvel and DC in the 80's and 90's.) The 1996 issue also has a story with Kitty Pryde (who is portrayed as Jewish) that is a preachy story about a church-burning, and she briefly mentions she is home visiting her family for Chanukkah. X-MEN 143 (in my opening post) also briefly mentions that Kitty is Jewish, and sees her parents over the holidays. Some interesting non-Chanukkah stories that touch on Judaism: - BATMAN 237. A story involving Jewish holocaust survivors tracking Nazi war criminals, who Batman stumbles on at a Halloween costume party, at a rural mansion in Rutland, Vermont. With guest appearances by many real-world fans and comics creators, including New York Comic Con promoter Tom Fagan, Dennis O'Neil, Cary Bates, Berni Wrightson and Gerry Conway.
FANTASTIC FOUR 56 That, bizarrely, after 41 years since the FF first appeared, suddenly reveals Ben Grimm is Jewish. Grimm visits the rough neighborhood of Yancy street, and meets an old Jewish shopkeeper he knew growing up, who is threatened by anti-semitic violence.
And also the X-MEN: GOD LOVES, MAN KILLS Marvel Graphic novel from 1983, by Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson. Where hatred toward mutants is used as an allegory to other types of racism, and it is revealed that Magneto's family was killed by the Nazis.
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Arthur in "the Tick" is Jewish and I recall a Tick Chanukkah story entitled, I believe "JEWS ARE MIGHTY!!"
And, of course, there was the character "Judah the Hammer" in Mike Baron's "Nexus."
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Quote:
Sideways said:
SUPERMAN #165 -- What do you get the JLA for Christmas? Rubber bands for Plastic Man, A box of chocos cookies for Martian Manhunter, one of those things you shake up and it snows inside for Aquaman, jewelry polish for Green Lantern, tube socks for the Flash, a mjolnir for Wonder Woman, and a magnifying glass for Batman.
Of course, this was just before all that "Return to Krypton" stuff.
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I like that one Batman story where he had to track down this killer on Christmas who cooked up poor people like turkeys while they were still alive and ate them even if they weren't dead yet. In the end when all was said and done, Bruce had a nice turkey dinner with Alfred and Dick.
It was awesome.
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I remember in one of the DC holiday specials, there was a nifty Darkseid story. Apparently some invader was penetrating all the defenses on Apokolips. Turns out it was Santa, delivering a lump of coal to Darkseid!
I also enjoyed that one issue of Action Comics that had Superman vs. Etrigan at Christmastime.
Knutreturns said: Spoken like the true Greatest RDCW Champ!
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I liked this story I think Byrne did it for a DC Holiday book.The story was called Silent Night I believe,with Enemy Ace.No words but a touching story that always stuck in my memory.
It's a dog eat dog world & I'm wearing milkbone underwear.
I can get you a toe.
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Dr Tzin Tzin steals Xmas in one Batman Christmas story.
And of course the infamous Batman / Plastic Man story where Bats tips a down-on-his-luck Plas a dime.
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My favourite Christmas stories are the ones from when I was a kid:
That issue of DC COMICS PRESENTS where Superman teams up with Santa Claus against the Toyman (long before he became a goth child-killer... Toyman, not Santa Claus, of course). I think it was #67.
Also, the FUNNY STUFF STOCKING STUFFER from 1984/85 was fun. It starred a lot of DC's golden age funny animal characters updated slightly for the '80s.
There were also a few issues of THE BEST OF DC -- which was a digest-sized series of mostly reprints -- that reprinted some Christmas stories. Two of my favourites were the ones reprinting RUDOLPH, THE RED-NOSED REINDEER by Shelly Mayer (issue #4) and the SUPER JRS. HOLIDAY SPECIAL from issue #58 (1984) that was an all-new 65 page adventure and was very entertaining to my 10-year-old self.
 
(I'll probably edit in some covers for those later on.)
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Sideways said:
SUPERMAN #165 -- What do you get the JLA for Christmas? Rubber bands for Plastic Man, A box of chocos cookies for Martian Manhunter, one of those things you shake up and it snows inside for Aquaman, jewelry polish for Green Lantern, tube socks for the Flash, a mjolnir for Wonder Woman, and a magnifying glass for Batman.
Of course, this was just before all that "Return to Krypton" stuff.  This is one I haven't seen. It looks like a fun story, I'll have to pick it up. Pariah said:
I like that one Batman story where he had to track down this killer on Christmas who cooked up poor people like turkeys while they were still alive and ate them even if they weren't dead yet. In the end when all was said and done, Bruce had a nice turkey dinner with Alfred and Dick.
It was awesome. Man, that's wonderfully twisted ! I'd like to know the issue number so I can read that one. King Snarf said:
I remember in one of the DC holiday specials, there was a nifty Darkseid story. Apparently some invader was penetrating all the defenses on Apokolips. Turns out it was Santa, delivering a lump of coal to Darkseid!
I also enjoyed that one issue of Action Comics that had Superman vs. Etrigan at Christmastime. I've never heard of these either. More I'd like to see.
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allan1 said:
I liked this story I think Byrne did it for a DC Holiday book.The story was called Silent Night I believe,with Enemy Ace. No words, but a touching story that always stuck in my memory. Yeah, from CHRISTMAS WITH THE SUPERHEROES # 2 (1989). This issue has a thick collection all-new stories, by:  - Chadwick,
Gibbons/Morrow,
Shanower,
Messner-Loebs/Doran/Templeton,
Brennert/Giordano,
and the captionless Byrne story you mention.
The first issue (from Christmas 1988) has all reprinted stories, from the 70's mostly, with a nice Byrne cover, and a nostalgic editorial by Mark Waid.  Included in this 80-page issue are: - Batman, "Wanted:Santa Claus, Dead or Alive" by O'Neil, Miller and Mitchell (from DC SPECIAL SERIES 21, 1979)
Justice League, "The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus" by Wein, Dillin and Giordano (from JLA 110, 1973)
Teen Titans, "The TT's Swingin' Christmas Carol" by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy (from TEEN TITANS 13)
Legion, "Star Light, Star Bright" by Levitz and Garcia-Lopez (also from DC SPECIAL SERIES 21, 1979)
Superman, "Twas the Fright Before Christmas" by Wein/Bridwell, Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (from DC COMICS PRESENTS 67, 1983)
and
Batman, "Silent Night, Deadly Night" by Mike Friedrich, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano (from BATMAN 219, 1969)
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Oh! I just remembered that one JLA issue where Plastic Man tells Woozy's nephew about the time the JLA teamed up with Santa!
"Santa has heat-vision!"
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Dave said:
Dr Tzin Tzin steals Xmas in one Batman Christmas story.
And of course the infamous Batman / Plastic Man story where Bats tips a down-on-his-luck Plas a dime. The Tzin Tzin one I don't know. Possibly BATMAN 285 ?  The Batman/Plastic Man story is in BRAVE & THE BOLD 148 (March 1979).  And yeah, the ten-cent donation to an old friend bordering on vagrancy was certainly less than generous. The Time Trust said:
My favourite Christmas stories are the ones from when I was a kid:
That issue of DC COMICS PRESENTS where Superman teams up with Santa Claus against the Toyman (long before he became a goth child-killer... Toyman, not Santa Claus, of course). I think it was #67.
.
Also, the FUNNY STUFF STOCKING STUFFER from 1984/85 was fun. It starred a lot of DC's golden age funny animal characters updated slightly for the '80s.
.
There were also a few issues of THE BEST OF DC -- which was a digest-sized series of mostly reprints -- that reprinted some Christmas stories. Two of my favourites were the ones reprinting RUDOLPH, THE RED-NOSED REINDEER by Shelly Mayer (issue #4) and the SUPER JRS. HOLIDAY SPECIAL from issue #58 (1984) that was an all-new 65 page adventure and was very entertaining to my 10-year-old self.
.
(I'll probably edit in some covers for those later on.) You're right on the DC COMICS PRESENT # 67 story. 
The others you list are new to me. More back issues to explore. 
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Quote:
Dave the Wonder Boy said:
Quote:
Pariah said:
I like that one Batman story where he had to track down this killer on Christmas who cooked up poor people like turkeys while they were still alive and ate them even if they weren't dead yet. In the end when all was said and done, Bruce had a nice turkey dinner with Alfred and Dick.
It was awesome.
Man, that's wonderfully twisted ! I'd like to know the issue number so I can read that one. 
Actually I was joking. But I would like to see it.
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Christmas Time. A time of joy, goodwill, giving graciously, and receiving with equal grace. A time to forgive, make a difference, help those who need us, and forget our differences. Don't give in to the pressure exerted by those who say they hate Christmas. Rise above it because Christmas is truly what you make it. Having said that, what's a Christmas television special without the music? I have two 6-hour tape collections of my own. Here are some clips, if you can guess which shows I recorded them from: clip 1 clip 2clip 3clip 4clip 5
There is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes, and maybe it’s too much for us, but it’s all on you. Because if we can’t protect the Earth, you can be damn well sure we’ll avenge it.
Hello?
Put Natasha on the phone.
Who is this?
This is her fucking son's father. Who is this?
This is her fucking son.
..........oh.......
Call back in 20 minutes. *click*
Boy, you could get lost in a sky like that. I wish I had those balloons again.
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I'm with you on your point about the soundtrack making many of these shows a memorable part of Christmas, McGurk. One I'd highly recommend is the A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, by Vince Guaraldi. I've thought of getting soundtracks for Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer and others, but I really hear them enough when I play the recorded Christmas specials. But yeah, Christmas music is a huge part of the holiday atmosphere. (I tried accessing your links, but they crashed my system. It's not your fault, there's a lot of links that cause my system to crash, particularly sound and video stuff. I haven't gotten around to getting my system cleared of spyware yet. I think it's a combination of spyware and not enough memory.) Another great holiday story I thought of is in MARVEL FANFARE # 1 (Dec 1981).  link to full-size image HERE A Daredevil story by Roger McKenzie and then-newcomer Paul Smith, inked by Terry Austin. It has some great Christmas scenes with the characters in Daredevil, as well as a nice human-interest story about a street-Santa experiencing a Christmas miracle. And beautiful Smith/Austin art. This was just a few months before Smith did an X-men story in MARVEL FANFARE 4, and then took over X-MEN in issues 165-175, in one of the best runs on X-MEN. And again, as I listed in my opening post, Smith followed up with a Howard the Duck Christmas story in BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34 for Christmas 1982. One of my all-time favorite stories, with some wild and charming twists on a classic Christmas story, Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life.
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I think my favorite one is where at the end of a JLA story the team gives the Red Tornado a new costume. I think it's the above listed,Justice League, "The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus" by Wein, Dillin and Giordano (from JLA 110, 1973)
BTW anyone remember a Ziggy Christmas special a long ways back? I never cared for the strip but remember liking the character in the special.
Fair play!
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Quote:
Dave the Wonder Boy said:
Hanukkah has also begun.
I don't celebrate Hanukkah, but Adam Sandler's "The Hannukah Song" (Parts 1 and 2) is just as much a part of the holiday season.
To those who celebrate, have a great Hanukkah!
A link to Darknight's Hanukkah (or Chanukkah, for those of you with better spelling than me) topic:
HERE
ROY BATTY tells the Ultimate Hannukkah story!
This New Years Eve...
Why watch Dick Clark?
When you can see MrJla's balls drop!
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DAREDEVIL 169 by Frank Miller (the issue where Bullseye was hallucinating, and saw everyone in the streets of New York City as wearing red Daredevil costumes) is another story that shows people at Christmastime out holiday-shopping, and with all the trappings of the season. Captured well in Miller's art.  Daredevil is a character whose had an unusually high number of Christmas stories. And good ones. Thanks also for the images you added to your earlier post above, Time Trust.
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Another story set over Christmas is Miller and Mazzuchelli's DAREDEVIL:BORN AGAIN storyline, originally in DAREDEVIL 227-233 (1985)  It has Turk in a street-Santa costume, as well as a lot of other Chistmas season imagery. And taps into the Catholic Virgin-Mary/Madonna-and-child image, with DD's mother and the whole "saved"/"born-again" aspect of Matt Murdock in the story.
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Another Daredevil Christmas story is in DAREDEVIL 241, By Ann Nocenti and Todd McFarlane.  Plus another good DD story by Nocenti and Grindberg in the MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL for 1993.  ( I wish I could find a clearer scan of this last cover, and I wish I could show the full wraparound cover for both the 1991 and 1993 specials. Both of these Arthur Adams covers are very poster-worthy. )
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Another great: ENEMY ACE:WAR IDYLL, written and painted by George Pratt. I'm thinking in particular of the scene between Allied and German troops along the trenches on Christmas Eve.  An excellent story, in any season. Originally released in hardcover in 1990, in trade in 1991. Although it has since been re-released.
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I was over at http://www.worldbook.com/
to see what is listed for SANTA CLAUS.
There are so many constant new variations created in comics, movies and elsewhere, and I was curious what the Santa Claus myth began as, and when the modern image of Santa Claus emerged.
For those interested:
Quote:
SANTA CLAUS:
.
The idea of Santa Claus developed from stories about a real person named Saint Nicholas. Historians know little for certain about him. He was probably born in Patara, in what is now Turkey. When he was 19 years old, Nicholas became a priest. He later served as bishop of Myra, near Patara. He died during the A.D. 300's.
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According to legend, Saint Nicholas once aided a poor nobleman who had three daughters. No men would marry the daughters because the nobleman did not provide any of them with a dowry. A dowry is money or property that the bride's family gives the bride or the groom or his family when the couple marry. Saint Nicholas threw three bags of money through an open window of the nobleman's house to show that the daughters now had dowries. As a result, they were able to marry. The legend of Saint Nicholas as a man who brings gifts may have developed from this story.
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( How the Santa Claus legend began: )
The custom of giving gifts on a special day in winter was practiced before Christianity was founded. After Christianity was well established, Saint Nicholas became a symbol of the custom among Christians. During the Reformation of the 1500's, Protestants substituted nonreligious characters for Saint Nicholas. In England, for example, the saint was replaced by a gentleman called Father Christmas. This character was called Pere Noel in France and Weihnachtsmann in Germany.
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The people of the Netherlands were especially fond of Saint Nicholas. The first Dutch settlers who came to America had a figure of Saint Nicholas on the front of their ship. The Dutch settlers maintained their custom of celebrating the saint's feast day on December 6. They told their children that the saint visited their homes and left gifts on Saint Nicholas Eve. In time, English settlers adopted the legends and festivities associated with Saint Nicholas. English-speaking children spoke the Dutch name for the saint, Sinterklaas, quickly and excitedly so that it sounded like Santy Claus or Santa Claus.
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( Santa's appearance: ) Until the 1800's, people pictured Saint Nicholas as a tall, thin, stately man who wore a bishop's robe and rode a white horse. In 1809, the American author Washington Irving published Knickerbocker's History of New York, in which he presented a new version of the saint. Irving described Saint Nicholas as a stout, jolly man who wore a broad-brimmed hat and huge breeches and smoked a long pipe. Irving's Saint Nicholas rode over treetops in a wagon and filled children's stockings with presents.
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On Dec. 23, 1823, a poem titled "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" appeared in the Troy (New York) Sentinel. This poem begins with the familiar line " 'Twas the night before Christmas." Clement Clarke Moore, an American scholar, is generally credited with writing the poem, but Henry Livingston, an American land surveyor, may have written it.
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In the poem, Saint Nicholas appears as a stout, jolly man with twinkling eyes and a red nose. He wears a suit trimmed with white fur and rides a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. The saint's visit takes place on Christmas Eve.
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Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist, completed the present-day image of Santa Claus. Nast created a series of drawings for Harper's Weekly magazine between 1863 and 1886. These drawings represent Santa Claus with a white beard. In various cartoons, Santa is shown working in his shop, driving a sleigh pulled by reindeer, or placing toys in stockings hung over a fireplace.
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( Santa-like characters in other countries: )
Today, people in many parts of the world are familiar with the legend of Santa Claus. But he is primarily an American tradition. People in most countries have adopted other imaginary characters who supposedly bring gifts on a certain day of the year other than Christmas.
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In the Netherlands and Belgium, Saint Nicholas visits homes on St. Nicholas Eve, December 5. He leaves small gifts in shoes that the children put near the fireplace, to be opened on St. Nicholas Day, December 6. He often is accompanied on these visits by a character named Black Pete, who carries a birch rod to whip naughty children. People in Austria, Hungary, and parts of Germany also celebrate St. Nicholas Day.
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In southern Germany, people usually say the Christkind (Christ child) sends the gifts on Christmas Eve.
But in northern Germany, most people say the Weihnachtsmann (Christmas Man) brings the presents. From the name Christkind came the character Kris Kringle, who gradually became identified with Santa Claus.
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In France, Pere Noel leaves small presents in homes on Christmas Eve.
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In Sweden, the Jultomten, an elflike character, brings gifts on Christmas Eve.
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This elf is called Julenissen in Denmark and Norway.
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Darknight613, I remembered another Chanukkah story, from JLA 188 (cover date March 1981), "The Miracle At 22,300 Miles", by Gerry Conway, with art by Rich Buckler and Frank McLaughlin.  This has both good story and good art, a story in which a seemingly miraculous event occurs aboard the JLA orbital satellite, and a parallel re-telling of the Chanukkah event gives insight into what occurred, while explaining in detail what Chanukkah is about. Although you said (on page 1) that you recently picked up a JLA Chanukkah story where the Atom learns about Chanukkah, and this is probably the issue you mentioned.
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I can't believe no one has mentioned the Ultimate Warrior Christmas Story yet! I'm sure that's one of Llance's favorites!
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Quote:
Dave the Wonder Boy said:
Another great:
ENEMY ACE:WAR IDYLL, written and painted by George Pratt. I'm thinking in particular of the scene between Allied and German troops along the trenches on Christmas Eve.
larger cover image HERE
An excellent story, in any season. Originally released in hardcover in 1990, in trade in 1991.
Although it has since been re-released.
I quite liked this. I thought it was a good homage to old soldiers.
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King Snarf said:
I can't believe no one has mentioned the Ultimate Warrior Christmas Story yet! I'm sure that's one of Llance's favorites! ?? Not one I'm familiar with. Can you list the exact title so I can look it up? I couldn't find it under ULTIMATE WARRIOR. Yeah, T-Dave, ENEMY ACE:WAR IDYLL is a terrific story. I've described it as the Great American Novel in comics form (and by that I mean in the tradition of Hemingway and F Scott Fitzgerald, in the tradition of naturalist fiction.) And as King Snarf mentioned on page 1 of the topic... King Snarf said:
Oh! I just remembered that one JLA issue where Plastic Man tells Woozy's nephew about the time the JLA teamed up with Santa!
"Santa has heat-vision!" 
In addition to the JLA story I listed above (issue 188), one of the most recent greats is JLA # 60 (2001), written by Mark Waid, a charming, clever and funny story that incorporates a lot of the modern trends in our culture, of action figures, corporate layoffs, outsourcing, etc. Very funny.
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How could I forget DCU Holiday Bash I, II, and III? I bought all three of them last year during the summer. The guy sold them to me for 50 cents each because it was way off season.
They have short Christmas stories involving several DC characters. I remember a scene where Max Mercury tries to tell Bart (Impulse) that there's no Santa Claus. Max says "People just aren't that selfless. The man spends his whole life in service of other people." Bart says "Superman? Hello?" and Bart compares Santa to other DC heroes, like he can read minds like Martian Manhunter to find out who's good or bad, he can disappear from your house like Batman, he can shrink down chimneys like the Atom.
That's about the extend of my memory. I'll have to try and find them and read them again.
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One of my favorites has to be one of the silliest, as well. I don't have it here, but the third story in SHAZAM! # 11 (I think) had the Sivana Family (Thad, Sr., Thad, Jr. & Georgia) trying to speed up time so that Christmas only lasted a few short hours.
Oh, and last week's Shonen Sunday had a Christmas themed cover featuring Inu-Yasha and Kagome. You can view it here . It's very kawaii (Japanese for cute).
Last edited by ShazamGrrl1; 2004-12-18 6:28 AM.
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ShazamGrrl1 said:
One of my favorites has to be one of the silliest, as well. I don't have it here, but the third story in SHAZAM! # 11 (I think) had the Sivana Family (Thad, Sr., Thad, Jr. & Georgia) trying to speed up time so that Christmas only lasted a few short hours.
I enjoyed that one too, Shazamgrrl. To me it captures the sense of fun and playfulness that was typical of the Golden-Age/Silver-Age comics storytelling style.  And here's two more Christmas offerings from 1989: A She-Hulk story where She-Hulk is offered help from Santa Claus, whose supernatural powers as St.Nick ("he knows when you've been sleeping... he knows if you've been bad or good...") make him the ultimate detective in helping She-Hulk track down a criminal.  Also from 1989, A good story by Dave Michelinie and Todd McFarlane in AMAZING SPIDERMAN 314, where Peter Parker and Maryjane are evicted on Christmas Eve, and Pete learns that thinking of others instead of himself brings his family together for the holidays, and results in a very enjoyable Christmas for everyone.  And finally, from 1990, a Peter David story in INCREDIBLE HULK 378, where the Rhino, to get into the holiday spirit disguises himself as a department-store Santa, but is too short-tempered to deal with the kids, which sets him up for a clash with the Hulk, but both try to settle down when their actions upset a little girl, and they try to convince her that things are not as they seem, and that: Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus. 
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A number of the DC stories from the 1970's and prior listed above are collected in the two LIMITED COLLECTORS' EDITION "CHRISTMAS WITH THE SUPERHEROES" collections, in issues 34 (Christmas 1974) and 43 (Christmas 1975). The reprints are not sourced in these books, but are indexed HERE.   This was where I read most of these stories originally, before I tracked down the issues where they were originally printed. They're wonderful Christmas collections. LIMITED COLLECTORS' EDITION 33, 42 and 50 also reprinted the Rudolph stories, prior to the DC BLUE RIBBON DIGEST ISSUES that Time Trust listed on Page 1 of the topic:   
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Two or three Christmases ago, I was in the supermarket and saw a new flavor of BEN & JERRY's ice cream that I just have to share: FESTIVUS (The holiday for the rest of us!) It's described on the box as: "brown sugar cinnamon ice cream loaded with gingerbread cookies & a ginger caramel swirl" I bought it, and it was delicious ! But unfortunately, they only made it that one year. It must have been a one-time license contract to use the name. I'm glad I saved the box, it's a funny little conversation piece. And many might not believe me, if I didn't show them the box. Now I'm all primed for Festivus. I've got the pole up. Who will join me for the ritual airing of grievances?
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Quote:
allan1 said:
I liked this story I think Byrne did it for a DC Holiday book.The story was called Silent Night I believe,with Enemy Ace.No words but a touching story that always stuck in my memory.
I've read that one but I don't remember what book it was in. I tihnk it was in one of the DC Christmas collections, that was a good one.
Not a comic, but the episode of Batman the animated series wehre there's something like 3 or 4 short stroies packed in 1 half our long episode, and in one of them, Harly and Ivy go on a shopping spree and Ivy controls Bruce into paying the tab. He eventually breaks free of her hold then changes and captures them.
The entire episode had some fun and amusing parts to it.
It's a rented tux ok? I'm not going comando in another man's fatigues.
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Quote:
Dave the Wonder Boy said:
Now I'm all primed for Festivus.
I've got the pole up.
Who will join me for the ritual airing of grievances? 
Count me in.  
It's a rented tux ok? I'm not going comando in another man's fatigues.
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Me three! ... Or is that four?
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(soon as I figure out what to grieve about)
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Okay, I have a grievance:
I am sick of all you people that don't use your turn signals at all or AFTER the unsignaled turn is made! They were built there for a reason! Where'd you get your license from? A cereal box?
Next!
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I've got a doozie and it helps that I spent hours living this today...
I don't get why they don't turn the heat on in the auditorium at church when they know people will be in there doing something like rehurse (worshp team), light and set change, etc. It was litterally so cold that I didn't even take my coat and scarf off. I was already wearing jeans, a tshirt and denim shirt under that, which normally when I do set changes I can't have long sleeves on because it gets so hot on stage with the lights on. But I turned just about all the lights, at one point, and you could barely feel the heat from them.
When I left, my hands were so cold they were nearly frozen, and as if that wasn't bad enough, they literally looked dryer than they were prior to that. Not too long before we broke for lunch at 2, I took the coat and scarf off because they were getting in my way but put my gloves on.
man was it cold in there. They FINALLY put the gas heat on some time after 3, supposidly the electric heat was on, but it was only 58 degrees in there. I pointed out to those that didn't realize this, that with the outside doors being like they are, double doors, no dividers or weather stripping in the center (at least it feels like there isn't any) all the cold air comes in through there, causing ti to be way colder in there. I found that out the hard way a few weeks ago when I could still get by with my jean jacket and a long sleeve shirt under it, when I sat in front of one of them, directly in front of the center of it, and a few feet away from it. I had my jacket on the entire time and was still cold.
It's a rented tux ok? I'm not going comando in another man's fatigues.
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An excellent offbeat non-comics Christmas tale: Harlan Ellison's short story "Santa Claus -vs- S.P.I.D.E.R.", originally published in 1969. Santa Claus is a secret agent, and being Santa Claus is the best cover he ever had. He fights an evil shadow organization that is possessing the minds of world leaders, and the story is also rife with biting humor and political commentary. It's one of Ellison's best. Anyone who enjoys Ian Fleming will immediately recognize deliberate and amusing similarities. It can currently be found in bookstores in Harlan Ellison's omnibus collection EDGEWORKS: VOLUME 4. "Santa Claus -vs- S.P.I.D.E.R." also appeared in the December 1979 issue of HEAVY METAL. 
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I was also quite amused by this bad-attitude Santa image from the December 1977 cover of HEAVY METAL: 
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How could I have forgotten the Battle Pope Christmas Special?!? Jesus gets in a fight with a destitute Santa, and BP has sex with Jesus's mom!
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King Snarf said:
How could I have forgotten the Battle Pope Christmas Special?!? Jesus gets in a fight with a destitute Santa, and BP has sex with Jesus's mom! Uh... I'm sorry, but that's a level of blasphemy that I find really uncomfortable. It's like if Garth Ennis or Grant Morrison or someone did a Christmas story where a bunch of thugs gang-raped Mrs. Claus. Only the image is a lot more offensive in the above special, because the story is talking about the mother of a Messiah who is sacred to somewhere upwards of a billion people. Maybe it's a lot more playful and suggestive and less vulgar than it sounds, but... wow. Playful irreverence is one thing. But that is hardcore blasphemy. I think one you'd enjoy that's hardcore but a bit less over-the-top is LOBO'S PARAMILITARY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. 
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In a more traditional view of Santa, artist Norman Rockwell did a number of beautifully atmospheric covers featuring Santa. I counted ten Saturday Evening Post covers of Santa by Rockwell, during the 40 years or so he did covers for the magazine. Here are a few I could find online: Santa's HelpersSaturday Evening Post, December 2, 1922  larger image HERESanta at his globeSaturday Evening Post, December 4, 1926  larger image HEREDear SantaSaturday Evening Post, December 21, 1935  larger image HERESanta At the Map, Saturday Evening Post, December 16, 1939 issue.  http://shop.com.edgesuite.net/The Truth About Santa Saturday Evening Post, December 29, 1956 issue.  larger image HEREAnd here's a link to images by 19th century illustrator Thomas Nast, and text about Nast, describing his role in shaping the modern visual concept of Santa Claus: http://www.sonofthesouth.net/Original_Santa_Claus.htm
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Believe it or not, Norman Rockwell didn't have that happy life he always depicted. The pastor talked about ihm during his message a few weeks ago.
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( My favorite of the Rockwell Santa images I posted above: )  Batwomanamy said:
Believe it or not, Norman Rockwell didn't have that happy life he always depicted.
Yes, that's true, Amy. Rockwell lived in a really rough neighborhood, had a less than ideal family life, and as you say, had a pretty ugly childhood. Rockwell tried in his art to invoke an idyllic America, as he had wanted his growing up years to have been, rather than as they truly were. I once had a French girlfriend I showed Rockwell's work to, and I commented that I loved Rockwell's work because it captures the warmth in American people, the best in American people. She remarked that the people in the pictures looked French to her, that they could just as easily be French, and that she felt they captured the kindness, the best, in all people.
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A while back, I was Christmas shopping in the mall with my girlfriend, and one store had new copies of the Dr Seuss book The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I was surprised, the original copyright is 1957.
The animated 30-minute cartoon was made in 1966.
Chuck Jones, who directed the animated cartoon special (as well as many of the wonderful Warner Brothers cartoons) died in February 2002.
The narration voice in the Grinch animated special is Boris Karloff.
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I saw on a special a few years back that the guy who does the voice of Tony the Tiger also sings the Grinch song.
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Quote:
Dave the Wonder Boy said:
Quote:
King Snarf said:
How could I have forgotten the Battle Pope Christmas Special?!? Jesus gets in a fight with a destitute Santa, and BP has sex with Jesus's mom!
Uh...
I'm sorry, but that's a level of blasphemy that I find really uncomfortable.
It's like if Garth Ennis or Grant Morrison or someone did a Christmas story where a bunch of guys gang-raped Mrs. Claus. Only the image is a lot more offensive in the above special, because the story is talking about the mother of a Messiah who is sacred to somewhere upwards of a billion people.
Maybe it's a lot more playful and suggestive and less vulgar than it sounds, but... wow.
Playful irreverence is one thing. But that is hardcore blasphemy.
Well, you clearly haven't read it. Do so. NOW.
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i always liked when black lightining would say "sweet christmas"...
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Quote:
britneyspearsatemyshorts said:
i always liked when black lightining would say "sweet christmas"...
I thought that was Luke Cage, from POWER MAN/IRON FIST.
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Knutreturns said: Spoken like the true Greatest RDCW Champ!
All hail King Snarf!
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Another excellent find is the COMICO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (1988), with five well-scripted and very original stories by: Doug Wheeler, with art by Ken Holewczynski, Bernie Mireault, Tim Sale, Bill Willingham/Chris Warner, and Steve Rude/Al Williamson, with a cover by Dave Stevens.  And very nicely printed and colored. Many of these artists I haven't seen before. Almost all are stories of Christmas in the far future, with people discovering the true meaning of Christmas. The first story in particular is a remarkably traditional Christmas story, considering it's set two hundred years in the future. This is the best Christmas comics stories collection I've read since BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34.
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 ANT-MAN'S BIG CHRISTMAS special is another one I'd highly recommend, by Bob Gale and Phil Winslade, originally published in 1999. It's a loosely traditional Christmas story with a lot of humor, depicting a mix of pleasant holiday festivities with the family, and also of tolerating annoying inconsiderate people, and what you'd really like to say, if you weren't trying so hard to be polite. And superhero mischief in the form of pranks. Aside from JLA #60, it's the best Christmas comics story of the recent past.
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I also thought I'd mention SPECTRE #12, from 2001, by J.M DeMatteis and Ryan Sook. What can loosely be described as a surreal Dickens-style Christmas story. Complete with an appearance by Charles Dickens himself. 
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DETECTIVES INC, by Don McGregor and Marshall Rogers, has a pleasant concluding scene, where they're watching ice skaters in Rockefeller Plaza in a late December winter setting. In the DETECTIVES INC graphic novel (Eclipse, 1980), or in color in the 1984 two-issue comic book reprint.  
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I just re-read PETER PARKER SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN 112 (March 1986), written by Peter David, with art by Mark Beachum and Pat Redding. Which looks like a cynical megamacho romp from the cover, but is actually a very fun and charming story, where Peter Parker thinks he's going to wind up alone on Christmas, and it's only because he keeps walking away from people who want to invite him to their Christmas celebrations, before they have the opportunity to invite him. 
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Another I recently found is BRAVE & THE BOLD 184 (March 1982) teaming Batman and the Huntress, in a story by Mike Barr and Jim Aparo. The two heroes discover an apparent connection between Thomas Wayne (Batman's father) and a local mobster. I'm always amused by these "Batman No More!" -type stories, where the hero apparently gives up their masked identity forever, and generally only sticks to that vow for a few panels, and not even a whole issue. I especially enjoyed the opening Christmas scene in this issue. 
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And two surprising last-minute additions to the Christmas story list from Marvel, just out this week:  X-MEN 165, Feb 2005, by Chris Claremont and Sal Larocca, a great offering, filled with scenes of warmth, humor, and holiday magic as only a Claremont-scripted family of mutants could provide.  larger cover, + interior pagesPUNISHER RED X-MAS special, by Justin Gray, Mark Texiera and Jimmy Palmiotti. Which is good in its way, if you like your Santa Claus involved in a mob war with big guns and lots of testosterone. It's somewhat of a comedy relief when Punisher, with characteristically grim/dark Punisher-brand humor, manages to extort some holiday charity out of those brutally maintaining a hold on their mob profits.
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Quote:
Track Santa's Christmas Eve ride across the world right from your own computer. NORAD tracks St. Nick as he delivers joy across the globe -- and you can, too! Come back Dec. 24 to watch his travels, live.
visit the official NORAD Tracks Santa website
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Another exceptional collection is WITHIN OUR REACH, a nicely formatted squarebound anthology of Christmas stories, co-published by Star Reach and Marvel in 1991. Stories include: - An O.Henry adaptation by Craig Russell
A Concrete story by Paul Chadwick.
A Spiderman story, with Roy & Dann Thomas script/Jeff Butler art.
A Victorian-Era "Sherlock Holmes Christmas", story by Martin Powell/Patrick Olliffe.
And a somewhat psychadelic Santa Claus story by Norm Breyfogle.
Plus other stories by:
Tim Sale
Eric Shanower
Rafael Kayanan
All nicely packaged and colored. 
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I remember one holiday special from Marvel that had a cute Punisher story. Microchip and Frank make a bet that Frank can't stop a series of robberies without hurting someone, and Frank proves he's more than up to the challenge.
Knutreturns said: Spoken like the true Greatest RDCW Champ!
All hail King Snarf!
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too blessed to be stressed
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I guess there's a lesson to be learned in there somewhere. Pretty funny, Franta. King Snarf said:
I remember one holiday special from Marvel that had a cute Punisher story. Microchip and Frank make a bet that Frank can't stop a series of robberies without hurting someone, and Frank proves he's more than up to the challenge.
That was in the 1992 issue of MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL (cover-dated January 1993), in a story by Carl Potts, Rick Levins and Al Milgrom. I showed the cover in the first post on page 2 of the topic (again, sorry for the less-than-sterling quality of the cover image, the only one of it I could find.)
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Sideways said:
How could I forget DCU Holiday Bash I, II, and III? I bought all three of them last year during the summer. The guy sold them to me for 50 cents each because it was way off season.
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They have short Christmas stories involving several DC characters. I remember a scene where Max Mercury tries to tell Bart (Impulse) that there's no Santa Claus. Max says "People just aren't that selfless. The man spends his whole life in service of other people." Bart says "Superman? Hello?" and Bart compares Santa to other DC heroes, like he can read minds like Martian Manhunter to find out who's good or bad, he can disappear from your house like Batman, he can shrink down chimneys like the Atom. You said this back on page 2 of the topic. My apologies for not responding sooner. I wanted to fully read these issues before I responded. But I couldn't agree more with your assessment. I think the Impulse story was the best of the ones I read. On Friday, I picked up DC UNIVERSE HOLIDAY BASH issues 1 (1997) and 3 (1999), although I couldn't find issue 2. And I was surprised, despite what I considered lackluster art throughout, the stories themselves were remarkably good. In issue 1:  Highfather and Orion fill in for a department-store Santa who doesn't show up, in "A Highfather Christmas", and their supernatural antics re-awaken the spirit of the season, and save Christmas for what would have otherwise been some very disappointed kids and parents. (story by Walt Simonson, art by Sal Buscema) And also good in this issue is "The Vessel", a Chanukkah story starring Kyle Rainer/Green Lantern, in a story that retells the history of how Chanukkah began, and also deals with anti-Semitic violence. (story by Michael Jan Friedman, art by Roger Robinson and Phyllis Novin.) In issue 3 (the 1999 issue):  The highlight was the Impulse story, "No Bart, There Is No Santa Claus" (story by Mark Waid, art by Craig Rosseau and Mike Sellers) which was very charming, about the selfless and giving aspect of Christmas, with a lot of well-played humor, and wonderful unexpected twists. Also good in this issue is "Home for the Holidays" (story by Scott Beatty, art by Damian Scott and Sean Parsons), about an imprisoned supervillian, who is lonely on Christmas and misses his family, and contemplates a jailbreak so he can see his wife and son. A touching story.
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Another treasure-trove of Christmas stories are the Disney comics. I picked up this 1988 CHRISTMAS PARADE special at cover price last year. A nice Carl Barks cover, to top this thick collection of Christmas stories.  You can see this and the second issue HERE
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One of my personal favorites: 
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Honestly, I didn't like that one, C W. But then, I don't like the level of profanity, violence, and deliberate foulness of Garth Ennis' work in anything I've read by him. He seems to pride himself in how vulgar and blasphemous he can be. I vaguely recall the story being about a sadistic, drooling, foul-talking filth-encrusted wino, out on a killing spree, which the two anti-heroes of the series dispatch at story's end. One that I loved, that had a similar irreverence for the holiday, but still managed to not include the more over-the-top elements is BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34, which I listed previously here. Another that I just picked up this week is a new MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL. I especially enjoyed "The Mole Man's Christmas", which contained playful reference to the movie Citizen Kane, with the FF in a search for the Mole Man and his obsession with Christmas since childhood. Plus an Avengers Christmas story. And a third story featuring the FF in a more Dickens-patterned setting.
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Quote:
Wonder Boy said:
Honestly, I didn't like that one, C W.
But then, I don't like the level of profanity, violence, and deliberate foulness of Garth Ennis' work in anything I've read by him. He seems to pride himself in how vulgar and blasphemous he can be.
I vaguely recall the story being about a sadistic, drooling, foul-talking filth-encrusted wino, out on a killing spree, which the two anti-heroes of the series dispatch at story's end.
...yeah, but it rhymed!
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Another for the collection: The AMBUSH BUG STOCKING STUFFER SPECIAL 
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From the true-meaning-of-Christmas school of storytelling, STARMAN 27: 
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I reread Adventures of Superman #462 a few weeks ago. The cover says "Homeless for the Holidays" and in it, Allie is discovered to have been living in one of the closets at the Daily Planet but was too embarrassed to ask for help. The message here is that we're not Superman, but we should do something to help anyone in need. No wonder this story was reprinted in the Lois & Clark trade paperback.
I used to roam the world fighting monsters and sleeping in mud. Now look at me, living in a castle, sleeping in a bed. Aren't I sweet? Yuck!
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Quote:
Wonder Boy said:
BATMAN 219 (2/1970) backup by Friedrich, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano. Batman shows up at police headquarters, no crime is occurring, so he sings Christmas carols all night with the police officers there. Kindness and good fortune makes people all over town think twice about crime, suicide, etc.
larger image of it HERE
BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34 (2/1983) Stories with a humorously bizarre look at Christmas.
"Son of Santa" by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Kupperberg,
"Howard the Duck's Christmas" by Steven Grant and Paul Smith (a very funny take-off on the movie It's a Wonderful Life, with some of the nicest Paul Smith pages I've seen),
"Slaybells" by Mike Carlin, and
"Santa Bites the Big Apple" by Al Milgrom.
This is one of my favorite Christmas comics.
http://fullsize/34.GIF
GUMBY'S WINTER FUN SPECIAL (from Comico, 12/1988) by Steve Purcell and Arthur Adams. A very fun story with a childlike sense of innocence and adventure. Gumby and his pals go on an incredible journey to rescue Santa. And 40 gorgeous pages of Arthur Adams art.
http://fullsize/1.GIF
These are probably my faves also.
The only other one I'd mention would be the old issue of "Teen Titans" which was really dopey, but Nick Cardy's depiction of Wonder Girl in a Santa minidress made it one of the best Christmas stories ever.
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I actually enjoyed that Teen Titans story also, G-man. I liked the Dickens element, and for whatever flaws, thought it was a charming story. Nick Cardy is an under-rated artist, who I think is finally getting some due praise for his versatility and individual style. In 1973-1974, he was doing most of DC's covers. I first read this Titans story in the CHRISTMAS WITH THE SUPERHEROES treasury collection. H H H said:
Adventures of Superman #462  Yeah, I read that one too. I kind of liked it and didn't like it, maybe because it was perhaps a bit too real. The homeless girl portrayed wasn't a beauty queen or in any way glamorous or spectacular. She was just a regular person down on her luck. And perhaps we need more stories like that, ones that portray regular human beings, who aren't exceptional or charismatic, but makes us appreciate them simply as vulnerable human beings, who contribute to making our world better in a humble way, and not as charismatic superstars.
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This is the best Thanksmas ever!
"Are you eating it...or is it eating you?" [center] ![[Linked Image from i13.photobucket.com]](http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/captainsammitch/boards/banners/blogban3.jpg) [/center] [center] ![[Linked Image from i13.photobucket.com]](http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/captainsammitch/boards/banners/jlamiska.jpg) [/center]
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A VERY KLINGON KHRISTMAS This hilarious parody firmly plants Klingons at the center of the Christmas story—where they rightly should be—including everything from a Santa equipped with retractable claws, tribbles in the stockings of naughty Klingon boys and girls, and the spirited holiday warmth of a hot cup of mulled blood wine. Illustrated in a classic Norman Rockwell–inspired style, A Very Klingon Khristmas is the perfect holiday gift for every Star Trek fan! I especially loved this customer review:
Seared Into My Klingon Heart
By Adam Burkard on October 29, 2013
I was so inspired by this book that I killed all of my enemies in glorious battle immediately after reading it! Admittedly, a tear was brought to my eye when the baby Kahless was given his first D'ktahg and the prophecy was foretold that he would be the one to vanquish Molor and unify the empire. Further in, I was flooded with memories of Khristmases long ago, when my father stuffed my stocking with toys taken from his slain enemies for being an honorable child while my brother was locked in his room with a stocking stuffed with a tribble and a morsel of bread for running away from a fight earlier that year. Ah, to be a young warrior again. !Qa'Pla!
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Not sure if I posted this one before but...  very fun with lots of heart.
Fair play!
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Is that Moon Knight skiing in the background?
There was a Batman story where the evil Dr Tzin Tzin stole Christmas! Quite beastly. Jim Aparo Batman's jaw had dropped in mindnumbing horror. Thankfully the Star of David lit up the sky.
Oh, and a Batman//Plastic Man Brave and Bold story with excellent Jose Luis Garcia Lopez art where King Faraday is zapped by the Parasite dressed as a mugger Santa... hang on. Wasn't Plastic Man dressed as Santa? Maybe I'm getting them muddled. More booze over here.
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That is actually a character called Doorman. The group is basically a version of the Legion of Substitute Heroes Marvel style. They had been the Great Lakes Avengers but had to switch their name because the Avengers threatened to sue them.
I fondly remember that Plastic Man team up and yes he was dressed up as Santa. At that time in his history he had a tough time finding work because of his criminal history. The letter column back than for the Brave and the Bold received letters about a wealthy Batman/Bruce Wayne flipping a couple of coins at Plas and wishing him a merry Christmas. It didn't bother me at the time because I just figured Plas with his powers would find something.
Fair play!
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Actually, the only place Plas had trouble finding work was in B&B. For some reason Bob Haney always depicted plastic man as a down on his luck superhero even when he was portrayed as happy-go-lucky and successful in other DC books. It's another example of how Bob Haney stories were always WTF moments in bronze age DC continuity
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That is actually a character called Doorman. The group is basically a version of the Legion of Substitute Heroes Marvel style. They had been the Great Lakes Avengers but had to switch their name because the Avengers threatened to sue them.
I fondly remember that Plastic Man team up and yes he was dressed up as Santa. At that time in his history he had a tough time finding work because of his criminal history. The letter column back than for the Brave and the Bold received letters about a wealthy Batman/Bruce Wayne flipping a couple of coins at Plas and wishing him a merry Christmas. It didn't bother me at the time because I just figured Plas with his powers would find something. That's right -I remember that. Wayne Enterprises must have had a cash flow problem. G-man - you're right: it was very much out of theme for Plastic Man's usually goofy storied with Woozy Winks.
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From HOUSE OF MYSTERY 191, a great little three-pager from Wein and Wrightson, that has a perfect blend of grim reality of the world we live in, mixed with a charming twist of humor and Christmas magic.  The complete story here, for your viewing pleasure. Done about 6 months before Wein and Wrightson got their first bit of acclaim with their HOUSE OF SECRETS 92 "Swamp Thing" short story, followed a year later when they became industry grandmasters with their award-winning 10-issue SWAMP THING run.
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BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34 (2/1983) Stories with a humorously bizarre look at Christmas. "Son of Santa" by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Kupperberg, "Howard the Duck's Christmas" by Steven Grant and Paul Smith (a very funny take-off on the movie It's a Wonderful Life, with some of the nicest Paul Smith pages I've seen), "Slaybells" by Mike Carlin, and "Santa Bites the Big Apple" by Al Milgrom. This is one of my favorite Christmas comics. I just re-read this one a few days ago. I love how Howard the Duck, like George Bailey, was going to commit suicide, and an angel showed him what the lives of those around him would be like if Howard had never been born. Everyone's lives turned out better without him!  A less reverent collection of Christmas stories than other books listed, but a great one.
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I also love this page from X-MEN 143, with Kitty Pride holding mistletoe over Peter's head and kissing him, making Peter blush. The scene of the couple getting a Christmas tree is a nice holiday scene too, up until, y'know, they get eaten by aliens.
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I'm also a big fan of the Biblical movie-epics from the late 1950's and early 1960's, including:
The Robe
Ben Hur
Spartacus
The King of Kings
and
The Ten Commandments
Great movies, one and all. And all great Biblical representations, to get back to the roots of what the season is all about.
Hollywood classics I try to watch again, whenever possible. Especially during the Christmas season. I'm watching Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life right now on USA, I got up a little early and it happened to be on. I looked in the guide, a little later today on TCM, they have The Robe (11 AM), Ben Hur (1 PM), King of Kings (5 PM) and later in the day some of my other Christmas favorites and Capra classics, Mr Deeds Goes To Town (8 PM) and Meet John Doe (3:30 AM) and later Mr Smith Goes To Washington (8 AM Monday). That's one heck of a Christmas marathon. And except for It's A Wonderful Life, all commercial free and unedited, if you have the opportunity to watch or DVR them.
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Comic-book wise, I'd like to highlight "The Seal-Men's War on Santa Claus", written by Michael Fleisher, with art by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer, among Kirby's last 1970's jobs for DC. Highlighted not because it's such an exceptional story, but because it's one that went on such a long and struggled path to finally be published. Kirby did issues 1, 4, 5 and 6 of a SANDMAN series in 1974-1975. "The Seal Men's War on Santa Claus" was to be the 7th issue of the series, but was cancelled before ever being published. In 1978, it was re-packaged with a 5-page framing sequence to appear in KAMANDI 61, but the "DC Implosion" prevented its publication for a second time. Although it was published on a very limited basis as Xerox copies of the original art in CANCELLED COMIC CAVALCADE, issue 2 (late 1978), at less than 100 copies, and only for copyright protection reasons. It finally saw print in some form in BEST OF DC BLUE RIBBON DIGEST 22, March 1982 ("Christmas With the Superheroes") in color, but in a smaller digest size with less than great print quality. Finally in 2013 it saw print in decent form in the JACK KIRBY OMNIBUS volume 2 hardcover, packed in with a lot of other scattered 70's Kirby material, including the rest of the 70's SANDMAN Kirby issues.  Basically, the seal-men declare war on Santa Claus because he brought the sealmen (a civilization Santa had previously been friendly with) the wrong presents, that they couldn't use because of their flipper-paws, and that really ticked them off! Peace is made after the misunderstanding is cleared up and the proper presents are delivered. Pleasant silliness, in the Kirby tradition.
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Given the heat of the political divide this year, I guess it was inevitable:  HOW THE TRUMP STOLE CHRISTMAS, written and illustrated by Brian Denham, from Antarctic Press.
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This morning I woke up about 6 AM, and watched one of my favorites on TCM, Meet John Joe (1940) starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. And caught the latter half of Santa Claus is Coming To Town on another channel from 9 to 9:30. I love Burgermeister Meisterburger, the mayor who outlaws Santa Claus!  I looked him up to see who does the voice for the character, because he sounds familiar, with a very distinctive voice. An actor/voice actor named Paul Frees. Some of the other films and shows he voices in: - Knight Rider (TV Series)
K.A.R.R.
- K.I.T.T. vs. K.A.R.R. (1984) ... K.A.R.R. (voice, uncredited)
Wonder Woman (TV Series)
Prologue Narrator / Franklin D. Roosevelt
- The New Original Wonder Woman (1975) ... Prologue Narrator / Franklin D. Roosevelt (voice, uncredited)
Hawaii Five-O (TV Series)
McGarrett Imposter / Goro Shibata
- The Ninety-Second War: Part I (1972) ... McGarrett Imposter (voice, uncredited)
- Odd Man In (1971) ... Goro Shibata (voice, uncredited
Jackson 5ive (TV Series)
Various Characters / Mr. Carruthers
- The Winner's Circle (1971) ... Various Characters (voice)
- Bongo, Baby, Bongo (1971) ... Various Characters (voice)
- Mistaken Identity (1971) ... Various Characters (voice)
- Drafted (1971) ... Various Characters (voice)
- Pinestock, U.S.A. (1971) ... Mr. Carruthers (voice)
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Singer of 'The Darktown Strutters' Ball' (voice, uncredited)
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
Ending Voiceover (voice, uncredited)
Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
Colossus (voice, uncredited)
Patton (1970)
Voice (voice, uncredited)
Frosty the Snowman (TV Short, 1969)
Santa Claus / Traffic Cop / Additional Voices (voice)
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (TV Series)
Evil Vangore / Sazoom
- Banana Splits Show # 3/A Trap for Turhan/A Letter of Peril/Danger Island 5/Danger Island 6 (1969) ... Evil Vangore / Sazoom (voice)
- Banana Splits Show # 8/Isle of Treachery/The Pirate Adventure/Danger Island 15/Danger Island 16 (1968) ... Evil Vangore / Sazoom (voice)
- Banana Splits Show # 5/The Wizard Ramnizar/The Plot of the Puppetmaster/Danger Island 9/Danger Island 10 (1968) ... Evil Vangore / Sazoom (voice)
- Banana Splits Show # 4/The Great Gold Robbery/The Ring/Danger Island 7/Danger Island 8 (1968) ... Evil Vangore / Sazoom (voice)
- Banana Splits Show # 2/The Ransom/The Jewel of India/Danger Island 3/Danger Island 4 (1968) ... Evil Vangore / Sazoom (voice)
The Pink Panther Show (TV Series)
Man talking to Pink Panther / Texan Hunter / Pink Panther
- Pinkfinger (1969) ... Man talking to Pink Panther (voice)
- Sink Pink (1969) ... Texan Hunter / Pink Panther (voice)
The Little Drummer Boy (TV Short, 1968)
Aaron's Father, the Magi (voice)
In Cold Blood (1967)
Radio Announcer / Officer Asking for Rap Sheet (voice, uncredited)
The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show (TV Series)
Morocco Mole / Chief Double Q / Squiddly Diddly (1967-1968) (voice)
Mr. Terrific (TV Series)
Narrator
- The Sultan Has Five Wives (1967) ... Narrator (uncredited)
- Stanley Joins the Circus (1967) ... Narrator (uncredited)
- Try This on for Spies (1967) ... Narrator (uncredited)
- Stanley the Track Star (1967) ... Narrator (uncredited)
- Stanley Goes to the Dentist (1967) ... Narrator (uncredited)
Get Smart (TV Series)
Greenstreet Character / Lorre Character
- Casablanca (1966) ... Greenstreet Character / Lorre Character (voice, uncredited)
I Dream of Jeannie (TV Series)
Narrator
- Guess What Happened on the Way to the Moon? (1965) ... Narrator (voice, uncredited)
- My Hero? (1965) ... Narrator (voice, uncredited)
1965 The Secret Squirrel Show (TV Series)
Squiddly Diddly / Morocco Mole / Double Q / ...
- Sub Swiper/Way Out Squiddly/Prince of a Pup (1965) ... Squiddly Diddly / Morocco Mole / Double Q / ... (voice)
Mary Poppins (1964)
Barnyard Horse (voice, uncredited)
The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)
Crusty (voice)
Krazy Kat (TV Series)
Ignatz Mouse / Officer Pupp / Charcoal Grey / ...
- Adman on the Loose (1963) ... Ignatz Mouse / Charcoal Grey / Mr. Loco / ... (voice, uncredited)
- Krazy and the Krooked Kaper (1963) ... Ignatz Mouse / Officer Pupp / Krooked Kat / ... (voice, uncredited)
- The Desert Island (1963) ... Ignatz Mouse / Officer Pupp (voice, uncredited)
- Series-ous Business (1963) ... Ignatz Mouse / Officer Pupp (voice, uncredited)
- Bungle in the Jungle (1963) ... Ignatz Mouse / Officer Pupp (voice, uncredited)
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (TV Movie, 1962)
Stage Director / Charity Man / Fezziwig / ... (voice)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Narrator (voice, uncredited)
Top Cat (TV Series)
Various voices / Iron Man Muldoon / Tony
- Dibble's Double (1962) ... Various voices (voice)
- Dibble Breaks the Record (1962) ... Iron Man Muldoon (voice)
- The Con Men (1962) ... Tony (voice)
- All That Jazz (1961) ... Various voices (voice)
- The Maharajah of Pookajee (1961) ... (voice)
The Flintstones (TV Series)
TV Announcer / Mr. Rockenschpeel / Mr. Bedrock / ...
- The Happy Household (1962) ... Mr. Rockenschpeel / Mr. Bedrock / TV Announcer (voice)
- The Babysitters (1960) ... Mr. Granite / TV Announcer (voice)
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962)
Resistance Driver (voice, uncredited)
The Dudley Do-Right Show (TV Series)
Inspector Nathaniel Fenwick / Narrator #1
- The Disloyal Canadians/Finding Gold/Stokey the Bear (1961) ... Inspector Nathaniel Fenwick / Narrator #1 (voice)
101 Dalmatians (1961)
Dirty Dawson (voice, uncredited)
1959-1961 Rocky and His Friends (TV Series)
Boris Badenov / Inspector Fenwick / Captain Peachfuzz / ...
- When Moose Meets Moose, or Two's a Crowd/The Midnight Chew-Chew, or This Gum for Hire (1961) ... Boris Badenov / Captain Peachfuzz / Cloyd / ... (voice)
- Hop Skip and Junk, or Bullwinkle's Big Tow/Bucks for Boris, or The Green Paper Caper (1961) ... Boris Badenov / Captain Peachfuzz / Cloyd / ... (voice)
- Many a Thousand Gone, or The Haul of Fame/Down to Earth, or Me and My Shatter (1961) ... Boris Badenov / Captain Peachfuzz / Cloyd / ... (voice)
- Underwater Eyeball or The Deep Blue See/Underwater Moose or The Aqua-lunk (1961) ... Boris Badenov / Captain Peachfuzz / Cloyd / ... (voice)
- Boris Makes His Move or The Mice Man Cometh/Big Cheese Boris or I'd Rather Be Rat (1961) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Window Pains or The Moosetrap/Doorway to Danger or Doom in the Room (1961) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Knock on Wood or Bullwinkle Takes the Rap/A Knock for the Rock or The Lamp Is Low (1961) ... Inspector Fenwick (voice)
- Metal-Eating Mice/Bullwinkle Bites Back! or Nothing But the Tooth (1961) ... Peter Cooper (voice)
- Battle of the Giants or It Takes Two to Tangle/Bye Bye Boris or Farewell My Ugly (1961) ... Boris Badenov / Captain Peachfuzz / Cloyd / ... (voice)
- The Squirrel Next Door or High Neighbor/The Spell Binders or Hex Marks the Spot (1961) ... Boris Badenov / Captain Peachfuzz / Cloyd / ... (voice)
- Verse and Worse or Crime Without Rhyme/Truck Drivers in the Sky or Follow the Fleet (1960) ... Boris Badenov / Captain Peachfuzz / Cloyd / ... (voice)
- The Big Blast or A Many Splintered Thing/The Steal Hour or A Snitch in Time (1960) ... Boris Badenov / Captain Peachfuzz / Cloyd / ... (voice)
- The Cliff Hanger or Taken for Granite/Supersonic Boom or The Old Mount's A-Moverin (1960) ... Boris Badenov / Capt. Peachfuzz (voice)
- Jet Jockey Rocky or The One Point Landing/Plots and Plans or Too Many Crooks (1960) ... Boris Badenov / Capt. Peachfuzz (voice)
- Bullwinkle's Rise or This Goon for Hire/Boris Bites Back or A Rebel without a Pause (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Rocky and the Rock or Braver and Boulder/Mountain Mover or Boris Sneaks a Peak (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- The Missing Mountain or Peek-A-Boo Peak/Go Down Moses or The Fall Guy (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- The Train on the Plain or The Overland Express/Danger in the Desert or Max Attacks (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Sourdough Squirrel or Hardrock Rocky/A Creep at the Switch or Sudden Pacific (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- You've Got a Secret or Out of Sight - Out of Mine/Boris and the Blade or Sheik, Rattle and Roll (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- The Boy Bounders or Plane Punchy/A Peek at the Peak or Your Climb is My Climb (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Burning Sands or The Big Hot Foot/Death in the Desert or A Place in the Sun (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Crash Drive or Oedipus Wrecks/Fender Benders or The Asphalt Bungle (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- The Road to Ruin or Mine Over Matter/Two Flying Ghosts or High Spirits (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Upsidaisium/Big Bomb at Frostbite Falls or The Exploding Metropolis (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Water on the Brain or the Deep Six and 7/8/Bullwinkle Goes to Press or All the Moose That's Fit to Print (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- The Ground Floor or That's Me All Over!/Fools Afloat or All the Drips at Sea (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Down to Earth or the Bullwinkle Bounce/Fall Story or Adrift in the Lift (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Give 'Em the Works or Rocky Around the Clock/Crime on My Hands or Hickory Dickory Drop (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Calaboose Moose or The Crime of Your Life/When a Felon Needs a Friend or Pantomime Quisling (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Box Top Robbery/A Fault in the Vault or Banks a Million (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Bullwinkle Makes a Hit or I Get a Bang Out of You/Three on an Island or Tell It to the Maroons (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- The Inspector-Detector or A Kick in the Plants/Canoes Who? or Look Before You Leak (1960) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- The Bars and Stripes Forever/Hello Out There! or There's No Place Like Space (1959) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Rocky's Dilemma or A Squirrel in a Stew/The Submarine Squirrel or 20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea (1959) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- The Scrooched Moose/Monitored Moose or The Carbon Copy-Cats (1959) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Bullseye Bullwinkle or Destination Moose/Squeeze Play or Invitation to the Trance (1959) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
- Jet Fuel Formula/Bullwinkle's Ride or Goodbye, Dollink (1959) ... Boris Badenov (voice)
The Dick Tracy Show (TV Series)
Go Go Gomez / Heap O'Calorie / B.B. Eyes / ...
- The Medicine Show Case (1961) ... Go Go Gomez / Flattop / B.B. Eyes (voice, uncredited)
- The Gold Grabbers (1961) ... Go Go Gomez (voice, uncredited)
- The Fixed Stare Case (1961) ... Go Go Gomez (voice, uncredited)
- The Castle Caper (1961) ... Go Go Gomez (voice, uncredited)
- The Camera Caper (1961) ... Go Go Gomez (voice, uncredited)
- The Big Punch (1961) ... Go Go Gomez (voice, uncredited)
- Gang Town (1961) ... Go Go Gomez / B.B. Eyes / Flattop (voice, uncredited)
- The Elevator Lift (1961) ... Flattop / B.B. Eyes (voice, uncredited)
- Stamp Scamp (1961) ... B.B. Eyes (voice, uncredited)
- Lighthouse Creepers (1961) ... Go Go Gomez (voice, uncredited)
- Horse Race Chase (1961) ... Go Go Gomez (voice, uncredited)
- Gym Jam (1961) ... Flattop (voice, uncredited)
- Wheeling and Stealing (1961) ... Heap O'Calorie (voice, uncredited)
- Tick Tock Shock (1961) ... Heap O'Calorie (voice, uncredited)
- Penny Ante Caper (1961) ... Heap O'Calorie (voice, uncredited)
- Tanks a Heap (1961) ... Heap O'Calorie (voice, uncredited)
- Rogue's Gallery (1961) ... Heap O'Calorie (voice, uncredited)
- Gruesome Twosome (1961) ... Heap O'Calorie (voice, uncredited)
- Cheater Gunsmoke (1961) ... Heap O'Calorie (voice, uncredited)
- Surprised Package (1961) ... Heap O'Calorie / Tony (voice, uncredited)
- A Case for Alarm (1961) ... Go Go Gomez / Flattop / B.B. Eyes (voice, uncredited)
- Tacos Tangle (1961) ... Go Go Gomez / B.B. Eyes / Presidente (voice, uncredited)
- Scrambled Yeggs (1961) ... Heap O'Calorie (voice, uncredited)
- Hotel Havoc (1961) ... Go Go Gomez (voice, uncredited
Where the Boys Are (1960)
Narrator (voice, uncredited)
My Three Sons (TV Series)
Announcer
- Countdown (1960) ... Announcer (voice, uncredited)
Spartacus (1960)
Caius (voice, uncredited)
The Time Machine (1960)
Talking Rings (voice, uncredited)
The Untouchables (TV Series)
Radio Voice / Public Address Voice / Franklin D. Roosevelt
- The Unhired Assassin: Part 2 (1960) ... Radio Voice / Public Address Voice / Franklin D. Roosevelt (voice, unconfirmed)
Mister Magoo (TV Series)
Police Officer / Col. Bottomley / Director / ...
- Who's Zoo Magoo? (1960) ... Fred the Shoemaker / Butler / Police Officer (voice, uncredited)
- Skipper Magoo (1960) ... Col. Bottomley (voice, uncredited)
- Private Eye Magoo (1960) ... Radio Announcer / Masked Bandit / Police Officer (voice, uncredited)
- Muscles Magoo (1960) ... Marvin Muscles / Carnival Barker (voice, uncredited)
- Magoo's Western Exposure (1960) ... Blackie Bart / The Masked Hombre / Hotfoot (voice, uncredited)
- Cyrano Magoo (1960) ... Cyrano de Bergerac (voice, uncredited)
- Yachtsman Magoo (1960) ... Yachtsman / Captain / Col. Bottomley (voice, uncredited)
- Magoo and the Medium (1960) ... Assistant / Police Officer (voice, uncredited)
- The Vacuum Caper (1960) ... Big Jack (voice, uncredited)
- Double Trouble Double Trouble (1960) ... Director (voice, uncredited)
- Maestro Magoo (1960) ... Prof. Von Schtooker (voice, uncredited)
- Tycoonland (1960) ... Director (voice, uncredited)
- Dangerous Dan Magoo (1960) ... Narrator / Big Ben (voice, uncredited)
The Best of Mr. Peabody & Sherman (TV Series)
- Benjamin Franklin/Pancho Villa/Christopher Columbus (1959) ... (voice)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Funeral Director / Speakeasy Waiter (voice, uncredited)
The Shaggy Dog (1959)
Narrator / J.W. Galvin, Psychiatrist (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series)
Off-Screen Announcer / Train Station Announcer / Swanson / ...
- The Crooked Road (1958) ... Off-Screen Announcer (voice, uncredited)
- The Manacled (1957) ... Train Station Announcer (voice, uncredited)
- De Mortuis (1956) ... Swanson (voice, uncredited)
- Fog Closing In (1956) ... Mary's Father (voice, uncredited)
- Momentum (1956) ... Radio Announcer (uncredited)
A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958)
Several Characters (voice, uncredited)
The Brothers Karamazov (1958)
Innkeeper (voice, uncredited) (This was also William Shatner's first film)
Dragnet (TV Series)
- The Big Dip (1957)
- The Big Fall Guy (1956)
The Woody Woodpecker Show (TV Series)
Wally Walrus (1953-1961) / Charlie / Doc (voice)
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
Alien (voice, uncredited)
Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
Unidentified Character (voice, uncredited)
Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
Voice (English version, voice, uncredited)
The Thing from Another World (1951)
Dr. Vorhees (uncredited)
When Worlds Collide (1951)
Narrator / U.S. President (voice, uncredited)
and: - In the early 1970s, he was reportedly making $50,000 a year just for doing the voice work of the Pillsbury Doughboy.
His early radio career was cut short when he was drafted into World War II. He was at Normandy on D-Day. He was wounded in action and was returned to the United States for a year of recuperation.
He attended the Chouinard Art Institute under the G.I. Bill. His first wife's failing health forced him to drop out and return to radio work.
It was common for voice artists to do multiple roles when dubbing foreign-language films into English. There are a number of examples in which he also did multiple roles when replacing the dialogue (looping) in Hollywood films.
He became so experienced at doing multiple characters on radio shows that in 1948 he was given his own show, "The Player" in which he would do all of the characters.
Provides multiple voices in Flight from Ashiya (1964), getting into three- and four-way conversations with himself.
Is heard as at least four different voices in Spartacus (1960), including the guard whom Kirk Douglas hamstrung in the opening sequence.
He is the Ghost Host or narrator at the Haunted Mansion Attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
A very familiar voice indeed!
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 From the MARVEL CHRISTMAS MAGAZINE (2010), this recycled the beautiful wraparound cover for the 1993 MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL by Arthur Adams.
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 ARCHIE CHRISTMAS CLASSICS, a collection of Archie Christmas stories, from days of Christmas past.
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 A Dave Sim CEREBUS Christmas card.
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 A great Golden Age Christmas cover, from CAPTAIN MARVEL ADVENTURES 19, Jan 1943.
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Courtesy of the http://www.12comic.com online free library of comics, here's BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34, from Christmas 1982. My favorite Howard the Duck story, a great parody of It's A Wonderful Life, where a guardian angel prevents Howard the Duck from commiting suicide, and shows him all the people whose lives were changed because they knew Howard, and rather than improved from knowing him, every one of their lives would have been better without him! http://www.12comic.com/issue.jsp?p=21&id=190227065607d860All the other stories were good too, but for me that's the best of the bunch.
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Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
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Courtesy of the http://www.12comic.com online free library of comics, here's BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34, from Christmas 1982. My favorite Howard the Duck story, a great parody of It's A Wonderful Life, where a guardian angel prevents Howard the Duck from commiting suicide, and shows him all the people whose lives were changed because they knew Howard, and rather than improved from knowing him, every one of their lives would have been better without him! http://www.12comic.com/issue.jsp?p=21&id=190227065607d860All the other stories were good too, but for me that's the best of the bunch. Loved that issue. The Mike Carlin story was great too.
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Yeah, the BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34 collection of Christmas stories is a great collection all the way through, one of my favorites. Along with the COMICO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, presenting four more science-fictional mostly future Christmas stories. I also have a great fondness for many of the DC Christmas stories, that either first appeared or were reprinted in the CHRISTMAS WITH THE SUPERHEROES collections. And in DC SPECIAL SERIES 21, particularly the O'Neil/Miller Batman one.
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. Back in season again... GUMBY'S WINTER FUN SPECIAL , published in 1988 ! https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Gumby-s-Winter-Fun-Special/Full?id=164451#1There was also a previous 1987 issue, GUMBY'S SUMMER FUN SPECIAL, both written by FLAMING CARROT writer Bob Burden, with nice art by Arthur Adams. This was pretty early on in Arthur Adams' career. The first thing I saw by Adams were some pin-ups in 1984 in the back pages of a 4-issue Ditko reprint series titled DOCTOR STRANGE CLASSICS. And technically his first published work, ALIEN WORLDS 3-D issue 1 (and only) in July 1984, one of Pacific's last published issues. Arthur Adams' first regular series that rocketed him to stardom was a six-issue LONGSHOT series, whimsically scripted by Ann Nocenti. Then Adams did some incredible work on a crossover in X-MEN ANNUAL 9 and NEW MUTANTS SPECIAL 1 in 1985. And Adams did 3 or 4 subsequent X-MEN ANNUAL issues after that. And on the heels of that, Adams did these two GUMBY specials in 1987 and 1988. With these dozen or so issues alone, pretty much cementing his place in comics history. In this case, one you can pull out at Christmastime to enjoy again.
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Merry Christmas to everyone. Here's a 3-page story by Wein and Wrightson from HOUSE OF MYSTERY 191, cover-dated March-April 1971 https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/House-of-Mystery-1951/Issue-191?id=70722#28Perhaps more relevant in 2020 than when it was first published.
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You’ve probably already covered the Legion from that 80’s special where Superboy has them look for the Christmas star but it’s one of my favorites with great Garcia Lopez artwork and an optimistic story where even though they didn’t get what they wanted they saved several races on a doomed planet. It touches on the Legion’s different religions and spiritual beliefs too.
Fair play!
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the G-man |
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Fair Play! 15000+ posts
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And Merry Christmas everyone
Fair play!
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Somehow I picture you dressed like Tiny Tim when you said that, M E M ! You’ve probably already covered the Legion from that 80’s special where Superboy has them look for the Christmas star but it’s one of my favorites with great Garcia Lopez artwork and an optimistic story where even though they didn’t get what they wanted they saved several races on a doomed planet. It touches on the Legion’s different religions and spiritual beliefs too. The one from the DC SPECIAL SERIES 21 Christmas Special? https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/DC-Special-Series/Issue-21?id=62929I liked that special best for the Dennis O'Neil/Frank Miller Batman story, I love that story. The Legion one was also reprinted in the 1988 CHRISTMAS WITH THE SUPERHEROES special. Reprinting several great DC Christmas stories, all credited on the first page. https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Christmas-With-the-Super-Heroes/Issue-1?id=88097#2 The Levitz Legion story is good too, I'm amazed how many writers doing these Christmas stories, across many issues, showed remarkable maturity in discussing life situations and religion at such a young age in these stories. Wein and Wrightson were about 21 when they did the above linked HOUSE OF MYSTERY 191 story in 1971. I think Levitz was about 25 when he did the Legion story you mentioned in Dec 1979. Before Levitz started working as an assistant editor and writer for DC (starting in 1973 or 1974) he was already owner and manager of THE COMIC READER fanzine for about 5 years, while he was still in high school ! These guys were all remarkably talented and ambitious, and most of them started working professionally in comics writing stories when they were still in high school. Jim Shooter turned pro when he was only 13 ! THE COMIC READER was the most prominent comic news publication in the 1970's, and then kind of went the way of the brontosaurus when THE COMICS JOURNAL (1977) and AMAZING HEROES (1981) came along.
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. ![[Linked Image from milehighcomics.com]](http://www.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/large/10619859880.34.gif) BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34, from Christmas 1982. My favorite Howard the Duck story, a great parody of It's A Wonderful Life, where a guardian angel prevents Howard the Duck from commiting suicide, and shows him all the people whose lives were changed because they knew Howard, and rather than improved from knowing him, every one of their lives would have been better without him! https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Bizarre-Adventures/Issue-34?id=105107All the other stories were good too, but for me that's the best of the bunch. Updated with new working link, where you can read the whole issue.
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. ![[Linked Image from milehighcomics.com]](http://www.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/large/38580066352.1.gif) GUMBY'S WINTER FUN SPECIALHere for your Christmas reading pleasure, by writer Steve Purcell and artist Arthur Adams. Another favorite of mine, where everyone's favorite claymation friend teams up with Santa Claus and helps him save Christmas. Taken to the bowels of Hell, no less ! For those not already in the know, there was a previous GUMBY'S SUMMER FUN SPECIAL by Bob Burden and Arthur Adams. At least as fun and quirky as anything Bob Burden did in his FLAMING CARROT series.
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Franta's hilarious easily-aroused and front-heavy snowman. It expired, so I searched for a replacement link of the same GIF : https://media.tenor.com/images/fa9b2ef463fc6f17e84ea37b0be3776a/tenor.gifToo funny to not bring back.
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. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAShttps://readcomiconline.li/Comic/How-the-Grinch-Stole-Christmas/Full?id=192135#1The original Dr. Seuss book (1957), published almost 10 years before the 1966 annual television special. I saw a hardcopy in a store a year or two pre-Covid, it was selling for 35 or 40 dollars. Great to see the original version. Interesting to know that the "Dr. Seuss" author was neither an actual doctor, and that despite a lifetime of writing children's books, he never had any children. The animated special was directed by Fritz Freleng, who also did many of the Bugs Bunny and Road Runner cartoons, and shares the same intelligent and sophisticated comedic timing. And was voiced by Boris Karloff.
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Comic-book wise, I'd like to highlight "The Seal-Men's War on Santa Claus", written by Michael Fleisher, with art by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer, among Kirby's last 1970's jobs for DC. Highlighted not because it's such an exceptional story, but because it's one that went on such a long and struggled path to finally be published. Kirby did issues 1, 4, 5 and 6 of a SANDMAN series in 1974-1975. "The Seal Men's War on Santa Claus" was to be the 7th issue of the series, but was cancelled before ever being published. In 1978, it was re-packaged with a 5-page framing sequence to appear in KAMANDI 61, but the "DC Implosion" prevented its publication for a second time. Although it was published on a very limited basis as Xerox copies of the original art in CANCELLED COMIC CAVALCADE, issue 2 (late 1978), at less than 100 copies, and only for copyright protection reasons. It finally saw print in some form in BEST OF DC BLUE RIBBON DIGEST 22, March 1982 ("Christmas With the Superheroes") in color, but in a smaller digest size with less than great print quality. Finally in 2013 it saw print in decent form in the JACK KIRBY OMNIBUS volume 2 hardcover, packed in with a lot of other scattered 70's Kirby material, including the rest of the 70's SANDMAN Kirby issues. Basically, the seal-men declare war on Santa Claus because he brought the sealmen (a civilization Santa had previously been friendly with) the wrong presents, that they couldn't use because of their flipper-paws, and that really ticked them off! Peace is made after the misunderstanding is cleared up and the proper presents are delivered. Pleasant silliness, in the Kirby tradition. Here's the same Kirby "The Seal Men's War on Santa Claus" story from BEST OF DC 22, only with the full collection of accompanying stories, and on larger pages that are easier to navigate. https://viewcomiconline.com/the-best-of-dc-issue-22/Along with several other Christmas classics, from the Golden Age forward https://www.comics.org/issue/36154/1. "A Swingin Christmas Carol" by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy 23p, from TEEN TITANS 13, Jan-Feb 1968 2. "Merry Christmas" by Dennis O'Neil, and Novick/Giordano 6p, from BATMAN 247, Feb 1973 3. "Freddy Freeman's Christmas" by Bill Woolfolk and Bud Thompson 8p, from CAPTAIN MARVEL JR. 46, Feb 1947. 4. "A Christmas Peril" by Don Cameron and Jerry Robinson 12p, from BATMAN 27, Feb-Mer 1945. 5. "The Seal Men's War On Santa Claus" by Michael Fleisher and Jack Kirby/ Mike Royer 18p, r CANCELLED COMIC CAVALCADE 2, Fall 1978 6. "Robin's (Very) White Christmas" by Rozakis and Delbo/Colletta 9p, from BATMAN FAMILY 4, Mar-Apr 1976 7. "The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus" by Wein and Dillin / Giordano 20p, from JLA 110, Mar-Apr 1974.
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,011 Likes: 31
brutally Kamphausened 15000+ posts
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OP
brutally Kamphausened 15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,011 Likes: 31 |
. BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34, from Christmas 1982. My favorite Howard the Duck story, a great parody of It's A Wonderful Life, where a guardian angel prevents Howard the Duck from commiting suicide, and shows him all the people whose lives were changed because they knew Howard, and rather than improved from knowing him, every one of their lives would have been better without him! https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Bizarre-Adventures/Issue-34?id=105107All the other stories were good too, but for me that's the best of the bunch. Again, the previous links work, but here's another site that has less ads and for me is more easy to navigate: BIZARRE ADVENTURES 34 https://viewcomiconline.com/bizarre-adventures-issue-34/
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,011 Likes: 31
brutally Kamphausened 15000+ posts
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OP
brutally Kamphausened 15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,011 Likes: 31 |
. ![[Linked Image from comicspriceguide.com]](https://comicspriceguide.com/img/comics_price_guide/cover/marvel/uncanny-x-men_volume-1_1981-2011_143_variant_B_direct.jpg) Another I love for its modest traditional Christmas scenes, in X-MEN 143, the very last issue of the Claremont Byrne/Austin run (Dec 1980, cover-dated March 1981). With basically a Christmas Eve at home, X-Men style. A nice couple out in the wilderness selecting and cuting down a Christmas tree to take home (before bad stuff begins to happen), and Kitty Pride taking Peter Rasputin by surprise under the mistletoe, among other scenes. https://viewcomiconline.com/uncanny-x-men-1963-issue-143/
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,011 Likes: 31
brutally Kamphausened 15000+ posts
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OP
brutally Kamphausened 15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,011 Likes: 31 |
Another great: ENEMY ACE:WAR IDYLL, written and painted by George Pratt. I'm thinking in particular of the scene between Allied and German troops along the trenches on Christmas Eve. An excellent story, in any season. Originally released in hardcover in 1990, in trade in 1991. Although it has since been re-released. full book online at: https://viewcomiconline.com/enemy-ace-war-idyll-tpb/Because of the high cover price ($24.95 in hardcover, $14.95 in paperback) I doubt it got a large audience when it came out. But it certainly deserves reader acclaim. Great story, with beautiful painted art. I purchased it in both hc and tpb form.
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,011 Likes: 31
brutally Kamphausened 15000+ posts
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OP
brutally Kamphausened 15000+ posts
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 25,011 Likes: 31 |
And on the ligher side, but no less good... ANT-MAN'S BIG CHRISTMAS special is another one I'd highly recommend, by Bob Gale and Phil Winslade, originally published in 1999. It's a loosely traditional Christmas story with a lot of humor, depicting a mix of pleasant holiday festivities with the family, and also of tolerating annoying inconsiderate people, and what you'd really like to say, if you weren't trying so hard to be polite. And superhero mischief in the form of pranks.
Aside from JLA #60, it's the best Christmas comics story of the recent past.
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![[Linked Image from milehighcomics.com]](http://www.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/09754732392.22.jpg)