Saturday, December 24, 2011

80's Oddities: Comico Christmas Special #1 (Comico, 1988)


What better way to spend Christmas Eve then by talking about one my favorite comics from Christmas past. Comico Christmas Special #1 features five unique holiday stories all written by Doug Wheeler (Swamp Thing) and drawn by some of the best in the biz, including Steve Rude and Tim Sale, as well as a nice cover by Dave Stevens.

The issue kicks off with "Living for Christmas", a futuristic story of a man who chooses to sleep in suspended animation and only wakes up during Christmas each year. Great story about the importance of family and what Christmas truly means...and clearly, that meaning is lost on Mr. Altman...whose family has long past away now that he has lived for over 185 years.


Next up is "Too Many Santas", a tale of a boy who realizes that Santa Claus can't be real if he is ringing bells on every street corner in town. Things take a turn for the worse when the "real" Santa arrives to deliver the boy's gifts...only to be met by a loaded gun. Interestingly enough...the boy is about to learn the true secret of Santa....



"The Stiflemix Diaries", penciled by Tim Sale (Batman: The Long Halloween), examines another futuristic tale where Christmas has been banned in all other months except December by the Government. A secret group called the Noel Liberation Brigade have assembled to carry out their mission to "Free Christmas" and are planning a protest, all of which are documented in the Stiflemix Diaries.



Up next is "One Winter Day", a tale of a typical December morning in Erie Pennsylvania, and a look into a boy's torment as he is forced to shovel snow off the driveway again and again. How will he escape this duty?




The last story, "Traditions Everlasting" is the best tale of the issue and is beautifully drawn by Steve Rude (Nexus). Here is the story in it's entirety for you to enjoy. Merry Christmas!


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