Holidays

Well, we made it to another year. Amazing! Thanks to my fine writers and editors: Torsten, Todd, Jen, Shannon, Kate, Marc-Oliver, Paul O., Paul M. and Bruce for all their hard work. Thanks to Synsidar for the copy-editing help. Thanks to all my wonderful friends and pals who kept me sane: Zena, Nisha, Amy, Charlene, Desi, Trish, Sara, Elim, Dave B., Frank B., Charles, Calvin, Suzu, and everyone else who helped out. Special thanks to Ben McCool, for living up to his name. But the biggest thanks of all to all of you who make The Beat a part of your daily ritual. I'm entering my 10th year of running a daily website and to say that it isn't a lot of work, would be inaccurate. But knowing that so many people enjoy coming here every day is what inspires me to keep going and to improve things. Bigger and better things are coming for The Beat in 2012...and hopefully for each and every one of you reading this.

Nothing tops off a holiday like a nice slice of cheese. The Star Wars Holiday Special, in case you missed the briefing, aired for the first and only legitimate time on November 17, 1978. It was the very first filmed Star Wars spin-off and introduced to the Star Wars mythos Boba Fett, the planet of the Wookies, and Life Day. It also introduced to the Star Wars universe characters played by Art Carney, Harvey Korman and Beatrice Arthur -- all sitcom stars of the era. In case you haven't figured it out, it was a mystically horrific comedy/musical that was, if not the worst thing ever associated with Star Wars, then at least the most ludicrously inappropriate.

Cartoonist/writer/editor Dave Roman has created a Christmas Classic:

An EC classic by Johnny Craig for some holiday ho ho horror.

via

From all of us to all of you -- the very happiest and safest of holidays.

Those Taiwanese animators are at it again with a Christmas scandal...and wishes.

We'll take this occasion of reprinting this year's Center for Cartoon Studies holiday card by Alexis Frederick-Frost to note that thanks to a 12 hour cable outage on my block I've had to repair to the local Not Starbucks for internet. Dear god, this place is a madhouse of men in business suits yapping about plans along with three plucky students from nearby Baruch who looked to have pitched a tent amid empty yogurt containers and one Unabomber type in the back corner typing on a seedy black netbook.

This is no comics content, but many folks have some of their fondest Christmas Eve and Christmas Day memories of staring at a film loop of a burning Yule Log on TV while seasonal tunes gently play in the background. Yes, the video Yule Log has burned its way into the hearts of America. Happily, you can watch and listen to the Yule Log any time just by going to this link, which is new for 2011. Its also available in SD, HD and 3D via free Video On Demand (VOD), and also on many cable systems—check your systems free on demand listings to find it. 

The Secret Headquarters comics shop in LA has been posting some gift suggestions from staffers, and Malachi's are excellent, but so are Part Two and Part 1. Some great ideas there. Go down to Secret Headquarters in you're near or your favorite comics shop or indie bookstore if you're not and support a small business! I did a lot of my holiday shopping as a craft show this weekend and not only got a) unique items you won't see at old Navy at a similar price and b) supported artists and craftspeople. Your giftees will appreciate it!

An ultra violent blend of Paul Blart, the Village People, Robocop and Axe Cop (although it came first), Joe Casey and Chris Burnham's Officer Downe wishes us happy holidays in preparation for this week's debut of the Officer Downe: Bigger Better Bastard Edition. Artist Burnham has since gained fame as a Batman artist, so there's that, too.

Have a Silver Surfin' Christmas with Diana Tamblyn's Marvel holiday cards.