And, lest we forget, everyone should show their teacher a little love on Valentine’s Day.

Often there is that unrequited interest a student will show for their instructor. As long as it doesn’t progress to the point of the Police’s Don’t Stand So Close to Me, there’s no problem. Teachers actually receive the most Valentine’s Day cards each year. Next are children followed by mothers and wives.

The tradition of exchanging cards in the class room began more than 70 years ago. If you’ve been following the postings this Valentine’s season, you’ll have seen cards dating as far back as 1940. It was recorded that Fred Roth, a fourth grader in a small farming town in Lewiston, Minnesota, gave his sweetheart, Louise Wirt, a Valentine’s Day card in 1917. He may have started the tradition that continues to this day.

The card reads, “Forget me not!

I ask of thee

Reserve one spot

In your heart for me.”

The two would eventually marry. The card has outlasted both and now is in the possession of their granddaughter.

Okay, I kinda wanna try these out myself.

DC’s Super Friends was still airing in the 1980s when these hit the shelves. The show’s full tenure ran from 1973 to 1985. It’s original incarnation would premiere and rerun through 1977 when an annual renewal would continue till its demise in ‘85.

Apparently one of the licenses sold would lead to these Uber cool Valentines cards that were almost too good to give away. This sheet features the Joker, Batman, Superman and Aquaman.

Each have had their share of romantic partners, Joker with Harley Quinn/Harlequin. Harley has the distinction of first being introduced on Batman: The Animated Series.

Batman/Bruce Wayne with Julie Madison from way back in Detective Comics 31. Vickie Vale who first appeared in Batman 49. She would go on hiatus from the Bat titles between 1964 and the early 1980s. Selina Kyle/Catwoman who was introduced in Batman issue one. Talia Al Ghul from Detective Comics 411. There would be others, but the above mentioned were the ones who got away.

Unlike his playboy counterpart, Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman has only had eyes for one woman: Lois Lane.

Arthur Curry/Aquaman is pretty much a one-woman hero himself. That honor falls to wife Mera.

Welcome to February.

As with December we’re gonna count down to the big day: Valentine’s Day. Instead of ornaments we’re gonna use the commodity of the month, Valentine’s Cards.

Not those contrived, costly Hallmark cards, either. These are the the meaningful missives passed out in elementary school.

I grew up in the 1970s when you bought those box bound greetings by the dozen in a colorful container, promising puppy love could flourish as your favorite mascot pitched your woo.

The night before handing them out, you sat down with mom and made a list of your fellow classmates. Then came decisions as to who received which of the barely three dimensional greetings.

The following day you were turned loose to drop these sappy salutations into school-made boxes or bags.

I don’t know if this still transpires today, but here’s a memento of days gone by and a good example of what passed for poetry for primary school pupils.

If you haven’t done it yet, finish reading this THEN go take down your Christmas tree. Today is National Take Down Your Christmas Tree Day.

Batman 33 (1940)

It’s also the Feast of the Epiphany or Three Kings.

Western Christianity celebrates this as the day the Magi, or three Kings, first saw the Christ child. Some traditions designate today as Little Christmas. The traditional date of the feast is January 6. Yet, it has been celebrated in some countries on the Sunday after January 1.

While Robin does his best Chevy Chase impression on the cover, the issue brings only one holiday story to the table. In the Search for Santa Claus, the Dynamic Duo spend Christmas Eve keeping a Santa clone from misadventure. Three faux Santas visit three locations, a children’s hospital, an orphanage and a theater; to spread yuletide cheer. One is a missing relative of three would be killers hoping to eliminate a branch of the family tree from a fortune in inheritance.

The opening story stars the Penguin in Crime on the Wing.

If you don’t have a Batman Golden Age omnibus, maybe find this story in digital form as a reward for taking the tree down for another year.

Hopefully your Christmas was another one to remember.

Camera phones allow us to capture the moment and post it within seconds to any social platform for all to see.

Not so in the 1970s.

When I was growing up, moments were captured on film if they were captured at all. Which is probably why I have so few records of Christmas morning beyond the staged shots meant to ensure limited and sometimes expensive photographs captured just the right feel.

Same with video cameras.

Those magical moments I wish were recorded for posterity are only in memory. My memory. Mom is gone and Dad has dementia.

As I’ve mentioned, Christmas mornings were reserved for opening stockings, eating breakfast and tearing into the colorful mysteries under the tree.

Wish I could remember what Christmas it was. Maybe 1975? It was sometime around the peak of my Mego World’s Greatest Super Heroes mania. I already had a pretty full stable of the eight-inch likenesses as envisioned, manufactured and marketed by the Mego Corporation.

In 1972, Mego licensed characters from both National Periodicals (DC Comics) and Marvel Comics. By 1973 heroes were hitting the shelves.

Not sure which was my first. Probably Batman; the one with the removable mask.

Anyway, others followed. Aquaman. Human Torch. Mr. Fantastic. The Thing. Green Arrow. Joker. Penguin. Riddler. Shazam. Captain America. Falcon. Hulk. Iron Man. Lizard.

I still needed Spidey and Robin. Especially the other half of the Dynamic Duo. It was my mission to make sure those were under the tree that year.

Growing up we lived in northern Virginia, not far from Washington D.C. For Christmas we would drive up and watch the lighting of the National Tree. Then we would visit Tyson’s Corners and shop. For a kid it was the best.

I can still remember picking out Spider-Man and Superman after the festivities. I was allowed to have one or the other. I think I chose Spidey. Superman was to be a gift from my grandparents that Christmas, though my kind hearted Grandmother did offer it to me early. That act of kindness was vetoed by my parents.

That Christmas morning I was surprised (?) with Superman, but more importantly with Batman’s faithful chum, Robin, who I had been seeking for some time. In addition there was a much larger present waiting for me. To my surprise it was the Mego Mobile Bat Lab.

Mobile Batlab

For those unfamiliar with the vehicle I’ve included a photo.

There are no photos of me opening the Bat Lab nor are there any photos of me with the Bat Lab while it was in my possession. Can’t remember how long that was, but I’m sure it was much too short.

During that time, however, it was the only part of the Mego fleet of vehicles I owned. There was a Batmobile, Batcycle, Batcopter, Spidey Mobile, Joker van and more.

That didn’t matter. Slippers served as cars and were promptly chased down by the Bat Lab.

To add a little realism, I would sit down and cut out “money” from green construction paper. Even going so far as to print denominations on the bills. Yes, I was an only child and had way too much time on my hands as well as an obsessive personality.

As with all memories, I’m sure my Mego time was much shorter than I remember.  But, however long it was hours well spent. Good and bad guys clashed in epic battles. Most were made up, but a few were cobbled from comic book storylines.

The Bat Lab? It was gone long before the box. Mom and Dad used the box to house ornaments for the next 15 years.

Star Wars became part of an international phenomenon in 1977. It became my next obsession. Still is to a degree. Super heroes were substituted for space heroes. By 1980 I was too old to continue the toy habit and both were gone.

Comic books did continue and when my son, Dylan, was about the same age as I was when Mego hit the shelves, ToyBiz debuted the Spider-Man Classics line. For the next five or six years his birthdays and Christmases were filled with six-inch heroes and villains.
There current resurrection tickles a fancy for a time when Dylan was younger and we could play on the floor much the same way I played on the floor during my childhood. Only without the construction paper money.

Merry Christmas and keep the memories alive. They only grow sweeter.

Hopefully your Christmas was another one to remember.

December 13th: 12 days and counting…

I admit I do not have these but am intrigued at the selection. I can certainly understand the Flash, Batman, Superman and Robin, but I’m mystified by what appears to be Alfred in the lower left-hand corner of the box. Not that I’m taking anything away from Batman’s trusted compatriot.

DC Superhero
mini-ornaments

Let’s face it, Alfred has been the keeper of Batman’s secret as long as pretty much anybody. In addition, he’s been the Dark Knight’s doctor, confidant and voice of reason longer than anyone else.

Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, originally Alfred Beagle, first appeared in Batman issue 16 in 1944. While Don Cameron and Bob Kane, writer and penciler respectively, are credited as the faithful butler’s parents, there is strong evidence to suggest Victor McLeod, Leslie Swabacker and Harry Fraser gave life to Alfred for the 1943 Batman serial. DC Comics asked the trio to take a back seat and allow Cameron to write the original Alfred story prior to the serial’s release.

This five-piece festive set is courtesy of Kurt Adler.

December 9th: 16 days and counting…

Calling the Caped Crusader commemorates not only Batman but the familiar Bat-Signal for 60 years of service.

The Bat-Signal was first introduced in Batman lore in Detective Comics issue 60 1942. Post crisis, the signal “first” appeared in various books including Batman: The Man Who Laughed and the Legends of the Dark Knight storyline featuring Hugo Strange.

It guested in the Batman and Robin serial by Columbia, in the pilot episode of the 1966 Batman television series, and as a gift to the Gotham Police Department at the end of the 1989 Batman movie.

December 7th: 18 days and counting…

Also known as the Jackie Chan Batman (based on the animation house), The Batman had the misfortune to appear as the heir apparent to Batman: The Animated Series being the first to follow the highly touted fan and critic fav.

The Batman began airing Sept. 11th, 2004, on Kids WB, then moved to Cartoon Network (remember them?).  Even in the wake of B:TAS, The Batman did earn six Daytime Emmy Awards. The series also spawned a direct-to-DVD Batman vs. Dracula feature length animated film.

The series makes it to the tree with five mini ornaments including Batman, Joker, the Batmobile, logo and Penguin.

December 3rd: 22 days and counting…

There was a time not so long ago superheroes and their source material weren’t as welcomed by the masses as they are today. Superman and, later, Batman, laid the foundation for the phenom that was the 2010s with heroes literally popping off the big screen (in 3-D) and sons and daughters now taking part in conversations of who was more powerful: Superman or the Hulk.

But, as the original Batman franchise was buried with poor decisions and enough camp even Adam West and Burt Ward were embarrassed, an upstart network was forging ahead with original programming that still resonates with the faithful.

Harley Quinn was one of the break-out stars of the never-to-be-topped Batman: the Animated Series. Created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, Quinn debuted Sept. 11, 1992, on the 22nd episode: Joker’s Favor. Initially she was to be a one-and-done, simply entering to serve cake and exit. She proved to be a fan favorite on the series.

It took another seven years before she became part of the print DCU in 1999 in the one-shot Batman: Harley Quinn issue one.

This ornament is another late 90’s homage to the Joker’s former love interest.

For the month of December Four Color Holidays is celebrating the Chistmas season by counting down the next 24 days with the licensed likenesses that show just who we are.

Every year I put up a Super Hero Christmas Tree. Dangling from its wire branches are representatives from both Marvel and DC as well as an honorary Big Bang Sheldon in his Flash costume – an ornament Hallmark treated us to several years ago.

Another annual tradition of mine is every year I have a new favorite – along with all the past favorites – making me smile in the soft LED glow of primary colors. This year’s newbie is really an old ornament from the now defunct Warner Bros. Stores and the one hero who will always be part of my Christmas.

I believe this is from 1997.