Post-Christmas Post

While I really like this strip, it isn't too preachy or corny and mentions both Christmas and New Years, the text is so small you can barely read it--even if the strip is enlarged to 100%.

I hope those of you who celebrate had a good Christmas.  For those of you who don't, chances are you may have gotten the day off on the 24th.  If so, then, you're welcome.  My Christmas was good.  Got some interesting gifts.  From my wife, I got a set of pint glasses from the movie "The Hangover" and a cool set of vintage DC Comics postcards.  The postcards show various comic book covers ranging from New Fun Comics #1 from 1935 to New Gods #1 (1971) to Detective Comics #587 (1988).  I know that last one isn't really vintage but it has a cool cover:

 What I find funny is that there are at least three covers showcasing Superman, Batman and other heroes having some sort of superheroic gay pride parade and I've seen numerous other covers with heroes parading around.  I'm not sure if that was just the most convenient way for the artist to showcase all of those heroes or if parades were really that prevalent back in the 1940s.

And there is even one cover that celebrates Christmas!

Hey, Supes, Santa has been doing this gig for literally centuries before you were even an idea in Siegel and Shuster's mind so I don't think you need to push on Santa's stomach while cramming him into the chimney.

I also got a couple Spider-Man books from my in-laws--notably The Spider-Man Handbook which teaches you how to become Spider-Man from treating your radioactive spider bite to creating a hang-glider made from your webbing.  It should be a really funny read.

Unfortunately, this year I wasn't able to get around to reading Art Spiegelman's Maus as I was working too much and doing too many things around to house to really get it started.  I read it every year at Christmas so it's kind of my one tradition.  I'm hoping to get it read before New Years.

And now, as my own Christmas gift, the origin of my second favorite superhero, the Golden-Age Green Lantern, as presented in All-American Comics #16 from 1940.  Written by Bill Finger with art by Martin Nodell.










And finally, The Born Loser...

At first I was going to chide Brutus for getting his mother-in-law a book based on the life of a president who only known for the Compromise of 1850, being one of the worst presidents in history and being the namesake of one of the worst comic strips in history.

My own "Losers Are Made, Not Born" returns January 1st over at my own site so I hope you'll go over there and check it out.  I will still be here on Sundays and your regularly scheduled comics return next week.