In 1989, comics author and novelist Neil Gaiman sent a Christmas card to friends and family that included a very dark take on the story of Santa titled "Nicholas Was..." In the years since it has not only become something of an expensive collector's item, but also inspiration for fan-made works, including a rather inventive pop-up book pointed out by The Mary Sue. Gaiman challenged readers to create new interpretations of the story last year as well, and you can see the results -- which included a puppet version -- in a holiday blog post.

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