The Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories - Guest Review

 

 My pal James Cassara is back with a Guest Review - this time with a holiday theme!  

   The history of holiday themed comics, specifically those marketed for and celebrating December 25, goes far back in the history of comic book publishing.  

   Some of the very best were the annual offerings from Dell Comics, written and drawn by The Good Duck Artist Carl Barks, and found in issues of Walt Disney’s Comics And Stories.  

   If you’ve never read “Christmas In Shacktown” I urge you to track down one of the many reprints available. I have no problem naming it one of the 10 greatest comic book stories ever created. 

   In conjunction with IDW Books, Craig Yoe, himself the co-publisher (along with his wife Clizia Gussoni) has designed and edited a solid collection of Christmas themed stories, dating from the 1940s through the early 1960s.  

   You won’t find any Carl Barks here - all the stories contained in this book are public domain - but you will find delightful tales by Walt Kelly, who later hit the big time with his comic strip Pogo, as well as famed Little Lulu artist John Stanley, who took Marjorie Henderson Buell’s creation to heights it hadn’t previously seen. 

   While the work of Kelly and Stanley are the highlights of this collection there are several that I was unfamiliar with that can easily hold their own. 

   Several tales are written and storyboarded by Kelly but finished by Dan Gormley, a longtime Dell and Fawcett workhouse whose career is sadly overlooked. His “Letter For Santa” originally published in Santa Claus Funnies from 1962 is a real delight.  So too is his adaptation of Clement Clark Moore’s classic “Night Before Christmas.” Gormley gives this familiar chestnut (roasting on an open fire?) a comical twist that had me laughing out loud. 

   Also noteworthy is a fun “Atomic Mouse,” a 1957 tale from Charlton Comics written and drawn by Al Fago, whose comic career spanned more than four decades. 

   While most of the strips are drawn in a bigfoot “funny animal” style there are two fascinating outliers. Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” illustrated by DC Silver Age steady Mike Sekowsky and “The Christmas Story” illustrated by Alberto Gioletti, best known for his long tenure on Turok Son of Stone. 

   As you’ve likely gathered there are no superhero stories here, although Atomic Mouse certainly comes closest, but for those willing to widen their horizons and try something different this 170 page hardcover is a great place to start.  

   My only criticism, and it’s not a minor one, is the lack of historical background, something Yoe Books typically excels in. The original publication sources are only found on the indicia page, and in very small print. I only noticed them after several perusals of the book. I would very much have preferred them up front and center on the contents page.   

   Also lacking is any introductory material placing these stories into the context they deserve.  Don’t get me wrong, I greatly enjoyed the book but those absences felt like a missed opportunity.  

   As a reading experience The Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories gets a solid B+ but its lack of an introductory framework and the hard to find sources of original publication may knock that down a half grade or so. Still, it’s a great way to introduce younger readers to the joys of Christmas Comics, and you just might find them every bit as fun.  

   Christmas may be 11 months away but it’s never too early to start assembling your gift list!