Krampus

On the evening of December 5, children across the world will set out their shoes hoping that on the morning of December 6, they will awake to find them full of treats from Saint Nicholas. But in many parts of Europe, Saint Nicholas Eve is also known as Krampusnacht, a night when Saint Nicholas's wild companion, the Krampus, roams the street looking to punish the wicked. And so in the spirit of previous holiday comics such as The Klaubauf's Wager, Tio de Nadal, and The Baker's Dozen, we at Comics Alliance are happy to present a brand new original comic by Benito Cereno and Chuck Knigge; a surprisingly historical tale of Krampusnacht.

If you're not familiar with the Aquabats Super Show, then let me tell you, friends, it was pretty great. It ran for three years on the Hub, following the adventures of the Aquabats, a real-life superhero-themed band known for battling monsters onstage, recast as a group of musical superheroes who traveled the world battling evil with the power of rock 'n' roll and guitars that shoot lightning, featuring guest stars like Weird Al and Tony Hawk, and frequently written and directed by Homestar Runner co-creator Matt Chapman. In other words, it's the perfect television show. Needless to say, the Christmas special was just as amazing as the rest of the series, as the Aquabats journey to a town where Christmas has been outlawed by the Krampus, who took over with plans to hand out a birch-rod beating to anyone who dares to celebrate the holidays.

Though the menace that is Krampus traditionally taunts/beats/drags children off to meet the devil during the first two weeks of December, it's always a good idea to maintain vigilance throughout the entire holiday season - especially if you're a ComicsAlliance reader. If you read our stuff, we can only imagine the kind of comic book content you indulged in over the course of 2010. Lucky for you, we had renowned creator Anthony Clark illustrate a proper greeting card warning that helps us all maintain vigilance should the demonic punishment Krampus come a calling!

Over the last few years, the centuries-old figure of Alpine Europe, the Krampus, has become increasingly well known in the United States, thanks to books (et al) by Monte Beauchamp, and appearances on The Venture Bros, some Anthony Bourdain show or other, and The Colbert Report. As a result, the Krampus has become the subject of popular merchandise, including t-shirts, greeting cards, stickers, and figurines, leading some to assert that the Krampus, perhaps like Christmas itself, has become too commercial. Comics are no exception to this trend.

Q: What's the worst Christmas comic you've ever read? -- @franzferdinand2 A: Folks, I have read a lot of Christmas comics. For a while, they were the only thing I actually "collected." I'd buy any Christmas story I could find, any comic with Santa Claus in it, anything that had the requisite number of sleighs and trees with lights on 'em, and as a result, I have seen some genuinely terrible Christmas stories. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of good ones too, but when you're reading every Christmas story out there, you run across plenty that are overly cynical, mean-spirited, or just plain not very good. And every now and then, you read the two-part Krampus story in Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose, which is a piece of work unto itself.

I don't watch a whole lot of anime these days, but there was a time, my friends. There was a time. It's not often that I think about it, but when I saw the anime-inspired artwork of Mike Luckas, I was immediately drawn back to memories of those younger summers where I cared an awful lot about Faye Valentine and Vash the Stampede. It was sort of like getting in that time machine from Back to the Fu

Back in 2010 we were extremely lucky to get Anthony "Nedroid" Clark to create a variety holiday greeting cards to help you, valued reader, celebrate your occasion of choice. Since then, it's become something of an annual tradition to remind you all that the perfect commemorative card (although we apologize for not reminding you during Hanukkah...

Over a lifetime of reading comics, Senior Writer Chris Sims has developed an inexhaustible arsenal of facts and opinions. That's why, each and every week, we turn to you to put his comics culture knowledge to the test as he responds to your reader questions...

As the CA staff hangs their stockings by the chimney with care, we've reached into the archives for one of our favorite comics that Did Not, Will Not, and occasionally Can Not Happen as artist Nate Bellegarde illustrates the story that rocked the Christmas Multiverse: Krampus On Infinite Earths... Read More ...

What's up celebrators of the holiday season? You look like you could use some cards -- and we've got cards! Last year we had the esteemed Anthony "Nedroid" Clark (who recently teamed with Benito Cereno for an amazing Christmas comic) create a variety of holiday greeting cards, and guess what...