Two years after his first appearance Superman was a phenomenon. If you believe the documentaries the Man of Steel was bigger than Beatlemania.

Superman’s Christmas Adventure (1940)

True or not he was already schilling for Madison Ave. by 1940 with Superman’s Christmas Adventure, dated 1940. Surprisingly there is no indicia citing Superman as a character of National Periodicals.

The copy pictured was a give-away for Bailey’s Department Store, but the issue was also available through Nehi drinks, Ivey-Keith Co., Kennedy’s Boys Shops and Boston Store.

Inside Superman saves Lois, Santa and Christmas even pulling the sleigh when villains Doctor Grouch and Mister Meaney gas the reindeer. By the final panel all is right with the world and Superman wishes everyone a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

Spider-Man’s Christmas (1984)

Spider-Man’s Christmas, a Super-Size Coloring Book, was released in 1984 presumably as companion book to the Marvel Super-Heroes’ Christmas. Aspiring artists were invited to color a story featuring Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Aunt May and the Green Goblin.

An oddity with the book is the fact there are two editions. One is 32-pages in length and another 24 pages.

Hanging 10 on the ‘Net it looks as if the 32-page book has a gold binding and the abbreviated 24-page version has a red binding. Don’t hold me to this, but the descriptions on eBay seem to prove that theory out.

Note the shameless Secret Wars plug

Marvel was on the marketing move in 1984. In addition to its Secret Wars line the company licensed the rights to color its creations with a couple activity books including this one. The only thing rarer than seeing the Rhino peeking through the holly is finding an edition untouched.

Millennials will never know a time when information and entertainment weren’t only as far away as their phone.

For us, the children of the 1970s, we had imagination. Suspending belief we moved from panel to panel between the pages of 20- to 50-cent adventure books of wonder where men and women dressed in colorful outfits, flew and busted the jaws of evil doers.

Christmas With the Super Heroes (1977)

Power Records gave voice to those images.

During the 1970s Power Records snapped up licenses from both Marvel and DC comic companies. Stories were sold on 45 RPM singles accompanying a 20-page book reprinting whatever issue or issues were translated to the record. Eventually these were repackaged on LPs to wring every bit of coinage from fanboys.

With no official title we’ll call this offering Christmas With the Super-Heroes. The LP featured “three exciting stories with Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman,” released in 1977 and running 44 minutes.

Superman’s adventure was entitled “Light Up the Tree, Mr. President.” Unless the Man of Steel can stop him, the president will launch missiles when he lights the National Tree.

Wonder Woman became a “Prisoner of Christmas Island” with Santa Claus taken prisoner by Broomhilda.

Batman and Robin solved the “Christmas Carol Caper” through song and slug fests with the likes of Rudy “Rudolph the Red Nosed Hitman” Snow and Sammy the South Side Santa.

Marie Severin didn’t date this pin-up, but I’d put it somewhere between 1970 and 1972 based on the characters in evidence. This may be the only time Conan experienced Christmas.

Following Superman’s resurrection when the Man of Steel thought he could rock a mullet as mighty as Bono’s the creative crew of Karl Kesel, Stuart Immonen and company tossed their one-time flagship character into a Christmas Eve story entitled “A Night of a Hundred Thieves.”

Amidst candy canes and Christmas trees Superman and the special crimes unit of Metropolis spend the evening outwitting 100 criminals. Not a great story, but standard for the era.

No idea where this came from (contact us), but thought it would be appropriate for the site.  C’mon, Santa, the Grinch and Hulk. Where else can you find this holiday triumvirate? Just goes to prove what a magical time of year Christmas really is.

For me How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the premiere holiday animation as Boris Karloff purrs through Dr. Seuss’ prose.

Update:  Artwork by Michael Delmundo!  – Jeff

DC Special Series 21

A shining star leads Jonah Hex, Batman, the crew from the House of Mystery, Sgt. Rock and Superboy and the Legion of Super Heroes through five holiday-themed stories.

This issue is probably most notable for showcasing Frank Miller’s first Batman work: Santa Claus: Wanted Dead or Alive! The story is penned by Denny O’Neil.

House of Mystery features three, two-page stories told by Cain, the three Witches from The Witching Hour and Destiny from Secrets of Haunted House.

Jonah Hex shows a softer side to his crusty bounty hunter persona in The Fawn and the Star.

Sgt. Rock and Easy Co. fight their way through Italy with the Top Kick even offering an anti-smoking PSA.

Finally Superboy visits with his friends in Star Light, Star Bright…Farthest Star I See Tonight. The Boy of Steel and select Legionaries embark on a journey to find the legendary star of Bethlehem.

To round out what became Superman week Etrigan substitutes yule logs with brimstone as the new millennium nears.

Superman finds pre-Christmas shopping is nothing compared to a rhyming roughhouse with the Demon who is trying to slay his mortal coil. The Man of Tomorrow wins the day with a little help from Enchandora. His reward are the warm arms of Lois Lane while celebrating the final days of the previous century.

The previous year Mark Waid brought us a collection of his favorite holiday stories. In 1989 he returned with a gift wrapped bundle of original tales featuring some of DC’s best known characters as depicted by some of comic book’s best known talent.

It’s hard to pick the best of the bunch, but for me it would probably be the Batman story, “And in the Depths,” written by Dave Gibbons and illustrated by Gray Morrow. For 10 pages readers traverse the life of Batman to the death of Robin.

Christmas With the Super Heroes (1989)

When I was growing up the old Batman stories were reprinted in various forms from the Batman Signet paperbacks to Limited Collector Editions and backup stories in the 100 pagers of the early to mid-1970s. I read ‘em all. Or, as many as I could get my hands on.

I get very nostalgic this time of year for those old tales before Frank Miller Dark Knighted Batman, back when the colors popped and the villains were as goofy as their criminal hijinks.

The second strongest of the lot is a team up with the Barry Allen and Hal Jordan Flash and Green Lantern, respectively, when the JLA’s first satellite headquarters orbited an exact 22,300 miles above Earth.

Flash and Green Lantern, who was a back up in Flash’s comic book for a while, prove Santa Claus does exist – in all of us.

Superman, Wonder Woman, Dead Man and Enemy Ace flesh out the Christmas issue with stories reminding readers the holidays are about giving.