Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Funnies (1950) 1

At 128 pages, the November 1 release of this 25-cent giant may give the reader enough time to finish it by Christmas.

Dell Publishing Co., released this ad-free Christmas comic in 1950. Included were stories, puzzles, holiday sheet music and more.

The book begins with Bugs reclining beneath a leafless tree waiting for Christmas to arrive.

His musings are interrupted by a bird bearing a letter. Intercepting the post, Bugs learns it is addressed to the local chimney sweep. Upon opening the missive, the local sweep learns Santa wants all the chimneys cleaned before he arrives Christmas Eve.

Bugs offers to help the daunted sweep and the two set about their chores.

In the process Bugs ruins Elmer Fudd’s trimmed tree. To make amends, the bunny sets out to cut down a fresh one.

While in the woods, Bugs meets a shepherd looking for Santa Claus. Bugs learns the shepherd builds miniature mechanical men who help make the presents.

At the shepherd’s shop, Bugs discovers a giant robot who then rampages through the countryside until Bugs provides some kindred spirit to calm the construct of iron.

All’s well that ends well when Bugs returns to Elmer’s with a replacement tree and the gang stops by to put presents underneath.

The story is followed by a two-page spread of a game version of the previous story.

Bugs Bunny’s Famous Funnies (1950) 1

Porky Pig shares the spotlight with Bugs in the second story. This fantastical tale has nothing to do with Christmas unless you count the avarice both share as they search for the mythical money tree.

Their journey takes them to a far-away kingdom and back courtesy of a magical pencil.

Two pages of Fascinating Facts About Christmas follow.

Sylvester the Cat is up next. His furry fanny is tossed to the snow on Christmas Eve in this nameless story.

His fortune seems to change when he meets Angus Macrory looking for a watch dog that same night. Sylvester uses his feline charms to convince the Scotts man he can do as good a job as any canine.

However, no good job goes unpunished, or something like that. Sylvester finds himself back in the snow when he stops Santa from making an unannounced delivery.

Party Pastime is a prose tale starring the Looney Tunes gang.

Bully Trouble stars Henry Hawk outside the Christmas season. He must find a way to solve his bully troubles so he can make a soapbox racer.

The holidays return with Sniffles and Mary Jane’s Christmas Eve adventure.

Mary Jane is able to shrink to mouse-size and join Sniffles under the tree to wait for Santa. They doze off and are mistaken for dolls to be delivered to other children. Handy elves save the eve and both return home for Christmas morning.

Emler and Daffy Duck team for a story better suited for President’s Day. The lazy drake finds himself a slave to Elmer when he can’t fly south for the winter. A non-politically correct ending stalls a whip-wielding Elmer.

Bugs takes a wrong turn at “Albee-Kirkee” to find himself sunning at the South Pole. Twerpo the penguin takes a liking to Bugs who doesn’t return the feelings. But, Bugs can’t allow his admirer to become dinner and cross dresses to save Twerpo.

Bugs decides to stay when he learns days are six-months long and the Aurora Australis will keep him warm.

Little Pancho Vanilla teaches his papacito a lesson when the elder matador tries to force his profession on his son.

The book finishes with another prose short and a printed version of the 1949 Holiday for Drumsticks short starring Daffy.