The Feast of the Seven Fishes: The Collected Comic Strip & Italian Holiday Cookbook

A delightful comic strip turned graphic novel about an Italian family from West Virginia and the hours leading up to their 1983 Christmas Eve dinner. The event is called the Feast of the Seven Fishes and I only just learned of this tradition earlier this year when I saw that the Impractical Jokers were celebrating it virtually on their 'Dinner Party' series. Along with the story, this book is also part cook book with around a dozen seafood recipes and couple of Italian desserts. It's also a history book with a multi-page background of the EZ Street author Robert Tinnell's life in that region of the U.S.

My wife got this for me for Christmas this year and it was a perfect gift. I love graphic novels. I'm a professional chef. I love history, being originally a history major in college. And I love the Steelers and the area of West Virginia in which this story takes place is Steeler Nation Territory! The only thing I hated about this book was the ending!

There's a romance that brews in this story. And personally, I am not a fan of how this tale ends. Robert Tinnell wants to make a pair of sequels that take place in 1993 and 2003. So many the story completes nicely. But for right now, it's been about 15 or 16 years since this story originally was published online. So unless we've got a holiday miracle in the works, I doubt it. A live-action movie was made of this story- maybe it's got a happier ending...

The artwork was fantastic. The first half of the story was illustrated by the ever wonderful Ed Piskor (Hip Hop Family Tree). A tightening schedule made Piskor unable to complete the story. So DC/Marvel journeyman Alex Saviuk took over the reigns and despite the fact that Pittsburgh's Piskor is my guy, I thought that Saviuk's artwork was even more amazing. Sorry Ed...

The Feast of the Seven Fishes was a nearly perfect book. But that ending did leave me bummed. To make up for it, maybe I'll cook up a fisherman's buffet because those recipes look delicious! 

This really was a great book. Don't let the conclusion turn you away. If you love Christmas, food, Italians and the Pittsburgh Steelers- you will love this book!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Dell Giants #26

The cover is touted as 'Walt Disney's Christmas Parade'* and the entire amount of over sized content does not disappoint. I didn't count pages. But I would estimate that this was either an 86 or 100-pager. Every story was Christmas themed from a team-up with Pluto and Grandma Duck against those tricky crows from Dumbo to a Goofy and Mickey caper involving a ton of stuffed moose heads. Then Donald and his nephews learn about Christmas in other lands from friends Tinkerbell, Jiminy Cricket and others. Uncle Scrooge gets in over his head in anticipation for a winter ball thanks to his desire to save money... Man- it was just an awesome issue from 1959. 

I was lucky to find this issue is really decent shape. There's a bunch of games and puzzles. A page to color. And no less than 3 opportunities to cut up this beauty with do-it-yourself holiday crafts. But other than a small nick on a corner on the front cover, there's not a page missing or fun page filled in. 

True, the pages have yellowed some. But the colors inside are vibrant. Especially the yellows! Those hues look almost like the printers used highlighters, those yellows are that full and bright.

The only thing that might have aged poorly was the Brer Rabbit story. The cultural value of the Uncle Remus stories, especially in regards to the Disney film, Song of the South, has warranted a lengthy debate over whether such stories should be cancelled. If this issue was reprinted today, there's a very good chance that the Brer Rabbit tale might have been censored if not omitted all together. I thought it was a charming story about a Americanized version of the classic trickster god character seen in stories about Loki and Anansi otherwise But yes, I did wonder if it was wrong of me to enjoy it or not.

As a whole, this was a timeless collection of Christmas stories. The art was crisp and clean. The jokes were fresh and plots delightful. This Christmas Parade was a welcomed diversion from a holiday season that was anything but normal. And heck yes- I'd read the entire thing again from cover to cover!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

* Despite what the cover says, this was a part of the Dell Giants series. Leaving off that 'S' can make database searches quite difficult as I learned the hard way. 

Marvel Classics Comics Series #36

The Marvel Bullpen of 1978 presents Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. 

Marvel Classics Comics Series ran for 36 issues. I've been trying to collect this entire series. So finding out that this finale was Christmas related was a double bonus.

I love the story of Scrooge, a trio of seasonal ghosts and Tiny Tim. I make it a point to read at least one version of the story every year. And this version from the House of Ideas was the one I selected. This adaptation felt fresh to me. There were a few aspects of the Dickens tale that I have never noticed before. As the dialogue seemed to be almost directly taken from the original script, I am not sure if those aspects are due to artistic license or just things I've never noticed before. 

One thing that still sticks in my crawl is the whole idea of the 3 ghosts visiting Scrooge. If you read over Marley's account of how Scrooge will be visited by them spectors, it seems like the whole story will take place over 3 nights. So Ebeneezer shouldn't get into the holiday until at least December 28th- morning time. Yet without fail- and without explanation- the whole event occurs on Christmas Eve night going into Christmas morn. 

Maybe I just don't understand Victorian Era time. 

Lastly, I want to mention the introduction. It was an enlightening account of Charles Dickens' life. However, the year given in which Dickens divorces his wife is listed as earlier than the year they get married. This series was recently released as a deluxe omnibus. I wonder if the 42 year old typo was caught during the remastering process or not...

A great adaptation. It's got some flaws. But I really enjoyed this version. It was quite festive. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Santas From Around The World: The U.S. of A.- The Coca-Cola Santa (Advent 2020, Day 25)

It’s December 25th! Christmas! We made it through another Advent.

To finish everything up, we take a look at the most well-known Santa of them all- the Santa Claus of the Coca-Cola Corporation. 

Santa Claus had been in existence way before Coca-Cola left their mark on the Christmas icon. Mostly, how America and other parts of the world viewed Kris Kringle was based on Clement Moore’s 1823 poem ‘A Visit From St. Nicolas’ AKA: Twas The Night Before Christmas. But as we’ve seen, some parts of the world view Santa as this terrifying figure. 

In 1931, Coca-Cola decided that it was time to make Coke the official beverage of Christmas. To do that, the company decided to modernize Santa and they built an entire advertising campaign around this new version of a classic. Thus Coke hired Haddon Sundblom to commission a series of paintings in which Santa enjoys a cold refreshing bottle of cola instead of the traditional milk and cookies. 

Taking inspiration from Moore’s poem, Sundblom turned Santa into the ultimate vessel of happiness and joy with his rosy cheeks, twinkling eyes and infectious smile. The red robe was replaced with a sleek red fur suit. His clunky boots were replaced with galoshes that offered more traction on icy roofs and inside those pesky chimneys. Perhaps the most lasting detail Sundblom added to the modern Santa was replacing the bishop like crown with a red stocking cap tipped with a fluffy white puff. 

Coke’s campaign worked. Sales of the fizzy stuff sky-rocketed. To this day, Coke manages to outsell just about all other beverages (except alcohol) for the holidays. And yes, there are still some families that will leave Santa an unopened classic green bottle of Coke with his cookies. Hopefully, they remember to leave out a bottle opener. 

Of course, I am going to share with you a cookie recipe made from Coke. My favorite version is Cherry. So enjoy my last Advent present for 2020 with this recipe for chocolate Cherry Coke cookies.

Until next year- Enjoy!

The New Adventures of Superboy #39

The Kents have a visitor for the holidays. A fellow classmate of Clark's is having to stay with Jonathan and Martha as the lad's parents are traveling without him. This puts the student in a foul mood. In response, Clark decides to become Superboy and show him an alternate earth that doesn't celebrate Christmas. 

The planet Superboy travels to is a polluted, war torn mess. Townsfolk prey upon the meek- such as this earth's Clark Kent! Can Superboy and his classmate restore the Christmas spirit to this world's Smallville. Or is peace on earth completely doomed?

I enjoyed a large chunk of this story. I wonder if a return story was ever done to this multiverse realm. I liked the twist ending. But as much as I am a fan of Paul Kupperberg, I have one issue with this story. Why is Clark Kent on this troubled earth such a weenie? Why isn't he super-powered? Is the sun for this planet the wrong color and thus Clark can't become Superboy? This oversight is really overlooked. Thus another reason why I feel that there's was more to this world than what was published in this tiny issue.

I wasn't such a fan of the secondary story. It was another chapter in the Dial H for Hero saga. I always liked the creativity of this story. But so much plot was wasted on a bus accident that if it was scraped, we wouldn't have had to deal with a stinking cliffhanger. 

An unusual type of festive story. But once again, there's a story included that doesn't give me closure. At least it wasn't the cover story that enticed me to buy this one.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Santas From Around The World: France- Papa Noel (Advent 2020, Day 24)

After a brief visit to Italy, we head directly Southwest to France. When it comes to Santas from around the world, Pere Noel/Papa Noel is the one I think of the most. (Well, besides the obvious, of course.) Maybe it's because in the third grade I was Pere Noel for that year's holiday program at my school.

There's really only a few subtle differences between Papa Noel and Santa Claus. Both wear red. But Noel's outfit is topped off with a red robe. Instead of reindeer, Pere Noel's WAGON is led by a donkey named Gui- which means mistletoe in French. 

Instead of cookies, the children of France leave out carrots and oats for Gui to snack on while Papa Noel distributes his presents. The children put the donkey nums in their shoe. So most gifts given by Papa Noel are small; things such as candy, fruit and coin money. If you were really good, Papa will also bring you a small tree for your household to decorate!

I did think it was notable to mention Louisiana's Santa. With Cajun country being influenced highly by French culture, the people of the bayou are also visited by Pere Noel. But instead of a wagon lead by a donkey, when this Santa heads to the Pelican State, he rides a sleek boat pulled by 8 massive alligators!

There are tons of cookie recipes from culinary heavy France. But I don't think I could truly cover cookies from around the world without sharing with you a recipe of that countries most iconic cookies- macarons!

Enjoy!

Santas From Around The World: Italy- La Befana (Advent 2020, Day 23)

Thus far in our Advent, it’s been quite misogynistic. Today’s chapter seeks to add a little estrogen to this Madman’s countdown to Chirstmas. We head to Italy for today’s version of Santa. Though our story actually takes place in Israel on the cusp of the very first Christmas.

Our main character is known as La Befana. And she’s got 2 origin stories. One sweet and one rather tragic. 

In the happier tale, La Befana is an old lady who one night while sweeping her house is approached by the three Wise Men for directions to the Christ child. She points them in the right direction and takes up sweeping again; but not before forgoing the chance to visit Baby Jesus with the Magi. Later on, La Befana changes her mind and with broom in hand, she heads out to find the Christ child. But she is unable to find the babe. So La Befana wanders the world in search of Jesus while leaving good little children toys and fruit. (The brats get coal, garlic or possibly onions.)

Now for the tragic version. La Befana is a beautiful young woman with a young son whom she loves very much. One day, the child up and dies causing La Befana to become maddened with grief. La Befana grows old just constantly sweeping as the act reminds her of rocking her child to sleep. 

On the night of the first Noel, La Befana hears of the birth of the Savior. In a delusional state, La Befana believes that the baby is her missing child. So, La Befana goes to the manger, but Jesus and his family have moved on. La Befana later finds Jesus as an infant and realizes that it’s really the son of God instead of her child. Jesus takes pity on her and bestows a blessing of being the godmother of all. 

Why La Befana decided to relocate to Italy for her gift giving is unclear. In fact, the legend of La Befana is a relatively new tradition, having only really been universally adopted by the boot shaped nation around the turn of the 20th Century. Some do speculate that La Befana is based on ancient Roman legend. Yet why it took almost 2000 years to morph into a story about an old woman is anyone’s guess. But what I do know is that it’s best not to try to stay up to watch her dropping off your gifts. Sneaky little Italians will get a swift bump on the noggin with her broom.

For today’s cookie, I am sharing with you a sugar cookie recipe with a twist. Made with ricotta cheese and lemon, this classic from Betty Crocker offers up 2 traditional tastes of Italy. Enjoy!

Santas From Around The World: Guam- Operation Christmas Drop (Advent 2020, Day 22)

Today's Santa doesn't wear red. Instead, he wears camo and green fatigues. 

 Our featured Santa also doesn't fly in a sleigh lead by 8 tiny reindeer. Instead, he flies in a C-130!

Technically, this day's Santa isn't really an individual but more of a Force. The U.S. Air Force to be exact. But to the people of Guam's Kapingamarangi atoll, they are as much a traditional Santa if not more than the jolly fat man.

Operation Christmas Drop began in 1952. A routine training mission right before Christmas became a holiday tradition when the islanders ran out of their huts to wave at the passing plane. The air crew noticed and quickly, they foraged around with enough supplies to fill a small crate. They attached a parachute and the first ever Christmas by cargo took place.

The tiny island is often besieged by typhoons. At the time of the first drop, it was without electricity. So the supplies offered were considered a major blessing. Now nearly 70 years later, the entire island of Guam takes part; donating valuable items such as fishing nets, canned goods, rice, building materials and clothing for the islanders. Each container is filled with about 400lbs of supplies. And for the kiddies of Kapingamarangi, toys, candy and school supplies are loaded into each box. 

It is said that for the natives, part of the fun is scouting for locations where the supplies feel as cargo drops aren't an exact science. Sadly a few cratesfall into the Pacific. But that often means a later surprise as items will wash ashore well into March and April.

The drop is the U.S. military's oldest continuing full mission. Other nearby units have gotten into the given spirit with donations and supply runs. Even the air forces of Japan and Australia have participated. Though the nation of Micronesia has decided to opt out of this year's drop due to COVID-19, the United States has promised to continue on with mission #69- just with some added safety precautions.

Operation Christmas Drop has become such a widespread tradition, a Netflix movie of the same name was recently produced. Debuting in November, the fictionalized account stars 17 Again's Kat Graham and The Hunger Games' Alexander Ludwig. From what I can tell, it appears that Netflix is attempting to encroach into Hallmark holiday movie territory...

For today's Advent gift, I bet you thought I couldn't find a cookie recipe from Guam. Well, you lose! Today's recipe is a traditional Guam treat that has undergone some slight variation due to U.S. occupation of the region since World War II. 

Enjoy!

Santas From Around The World: Thailand- Elephant Santas (Advent 2020, Day 21)

Thailand is a mostly Buddhist country steeped in ancient traditions. But Thailand is also one of the most cutting edge Asian countries to become Westernized in the past 50 years. With this mix of old and new, a lot of Thailand's beliefs about Christmas have morphed in some very unusual ways.

1. The Thai people believe that Santa Claus is the father of Jesus. Every year, Santa celebrates his son's birthday by giving all of the children of Thailand toys. 

2. Christmas trees don't go inside. Some of this is due to superstitious belief in upsetting nature's balance as preached by Buddha. So the trees are artificial instead of cut down. But a lot of the reason behind the Christmas tree being set up outside is because Thai families compete to see who can own the largest tree possible. One company called Bangkok Christmas Decoration Exporters Ltd. manufacture trees as tall as 60 feet in height! 

3. If you thought your grandma was overdoing it with a dozen live poinsettias at her house- she's got nothing on the people of Thailand. They will literally flood their homes with hundreds of fragrant bouquets made of endless varieties of flowers. The florists of Thailand work triple-time to keep up with orders that must be filled before December 24th. The floral arrangements of Pak Khlong Talat are considered some of the best in the country. And some families will travel hundreds of miles just to obtain a couple of floral pieces to decorate their home.

But I think my favorite holiday tradition that I've learned about in Thailand is the elephant Santas! This tradition began about 16 years ago. An elephant rescue camp sought to bring awareness to the abuse and ecological threat towards elephants while bringing a smile to the faces of some lucky students. 

Just before the children of The Jirasartwitthaya school in Ayutthaya depart for a short holiday break, they are visited by the elephants of the Ayuttahaya Elephant Palace. Wearing Santa hats, the elephants deliver candy and toys to the children before doing a few tricks that they've learned in their new sanctuary. The elephant finish the festivities by hoisting children with their trunks to help them decorate the highest parts of a Christmas tree. Then they elephants head back home for some fruit and other goodies in celebration of a job well done!

For a job well done for you visiting Thailand with me, here's a recipe for Pandan Coconut Cookies. You will need to head to an Asian grocer for Pandan. But it's so worth it!

Enjoy!

Santas From Around The World: Iceland- The Yule Cat (Advent 2020, Day 20)

Every Christmas, gigantic feline terrifies the island nation of Iceland. But it does not seek revenge on the naughty. No. This kitty cat will devour you whole if you do not have new clothes.

Enter the Yule Cat! Iceland's frightening excuse to make the countries boys and girls demand clothes for Christmas. I'm not really sure where the legend of the Yule Cat started. Of the top of my head, I'd say that it was dreamed up by the Icelandic clothes consortium. A quick search on Wiki states that I'm not that far off from my assessment. 

According to 19th century records, farmers would try to 'encourage' their workers to reap the annual wool harvest quicker. Those who speed up would be rewarded with a brand new wool suit. Those lazy employees would be eaten by the Yule Cat. 

Over time, that legend was passed along to the kiddos of Iceland. While the Yule Cat still lurks the streets, his harsh reputation has lessened as many Christmas traditions over time have. Instead of eating children, the Yule Cat has settled for eating the Christmas Eve supper of youngsters who don't get clothes for the holidays. 

Hopefully, the Yule Cat doesn't eat the cookies left for Santa. Like these traditional treats known as Marens Kornflexkokur. 

These might sound tricky. But they only call for 5 ingredients and only take about 15 minutes to make!

Enjoy!

Patrick The Wolf Boy Christmas Special One-Shot

Inspired by former child actor Butch Patrick and the kid werewolf character he played on The Munsters, Eddie, Patrick the Wolf Boy is an unusual character that will warm your heart- and tickle your funny bone. Patrick the Wolf Boy was created by the dynamic duo of Art Baltazar and Franco (Tiny Titans). This holiday special is a mix of Calvin and Hobbes, the Tasmanian Devil, and Marvels What If...

Patrick has a number of humorous adventures with his Dad. Patrick is utterly untamed. Yet, Dad seems a tad aloof about it all. I'm not sure of Patrick's origin. So I am not sure if that sense of pride Patrick's pop has when the little werewolf attempts something but fails miserably is legit or wishful thinking. Still, this was a quite funny holiday special.

There's 2 or 3 shorts that examine 'what if' Patrick meet certain holiday characters such as Santa Claus. They're the best in my opinion. But I also thought Patrick's misadventure with a snowblower was hilarious too! But again- is Patrick's dad really proud of his wolf boy's antics or is he massively oblivious to it all?

I guess I will have to find the earlier books about Patrick to find out. 

This book is from 2000. And in my years of reading and collecting comics, the only copy starring Patrick the Wolf Boy I've ever found was during a visit to Chicago. And I would have missed this too if I didn't decide to check out the display window as I was leaving the store!

Might have to go online shopping for this one. But man, I'd much rather enjoy a hunt through some bargain bins. (Come on prospect of a better 2021!)

A very fun read by a pair of some of my favorite all-ages comic creators.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars. 

Santas From Around The World: South Africa and the Legend of Danny (Advent 2020, Day 19)

 

Today’s Advent post isn’t about a Santa. But I couldn’t pass it up! It involves Santa. And it involves cookies. And I gotta warn ya- this story is dark! 

So, consider this your trigger warning!

Being the Legend of Danny, this story is about a boy named Danny, naturally. His grandmother baked a large batch of cookies for Santa Claus. She tells Danny not to eat the cookies. But of course Danny eats the entire batch.

So far, this seems like a typical anecdote. Now here’s where things turn grim. Upon finding that Danny ate all the cookies, grandma beat Danny to death. As a result, the children of South Africa are warned to be good. Not because Santa won’t come visit them. But out of fear of being killed by a grandparent! In hopes that the kiddies get the message, Danny’s ghost wanders the countryside every holiday season, haunting those little mischief makers.

I hope you all enjoyed this morbid cautionary tale. I don’t know why there’s so many Christmas stories out there that are so morose. Krampus. The Little Match Girl. Ernest Saves Christmas. I guess this is where where get that line from that old holiday tune about hearing scary ghost stories during our Christmases.

Since you might need a stiff drink after reading today’s Advent, here’s a traditional cookie recipe from South Africa that calls for wine. 

Enjoy!

Essential Howard The Duck, Vol. 1

Other than a certain first appearance by a super girl, this book was the oldest item on my wish list until just recently. This volume covers the entire Steve Gerber run of the groundbreaking Howard the Duck comic from the 1970s. Gerber had problems with deadlines and was replaced after issue #27. If the quality didn't suffer, the creative juices surely did with Gerber's dismissal. Howard was stuffed just 4 issues later.

With the debut of 1986 box office BOMB- Howard returned for a few more issues with original numbering. But like I said, the live-action film starring Back To The Future's Lea Thompson was a massive stinker and Howard's time was once again cut short. 

There was also a Howard the Duck Magazine that lasted 9 issues. It featured more edgier stories that even the envelope-pushing comic couldn't skirt pass the Comics Code. Those are harder to find and more expensive. Yet despite this book being listed as volume 1, with the elimination of Marvel's it seems like I'll never get the rest of Howard's story. But that's actually not the case. About 5 years ago, Marvel re-issued 4 volumes of full color material starring the grumpy mallard. So, I might be able to get everything else on my wish list without going broke.

The original Howard the Duck was a throw-away character in the pages of Man-Thing. LITERALLY! But he feel into our hearts as well as down-town Cleveland in the very first pages of his own title. Howard The Duck was a reflection of the odds and loose ends of the late 70s. With the end of Nixon and the completion of the Vietnam War, America was fractured and the whole world seemed ready to just fall to pot. And Howard was there to point out all our problems. 

From parodying some of Marvels greatest heroes of the time period to mocking Star Wars, Big Apple vigilantism and the 1976 election, nothing was safe in Steve Gerber's hands. This collection isn't perfect. There's some slang terms and jokes that in 2020 would have gotten Gerber cancelled. But I see the intention on Gerber's part to point out a lot of the flaws of 1970s society.

This was a series that also experimented with creative writing. There's one issue that's nothing but essays. (Check out a cameo first appearance of the main characters of Vertigo's Nevada). For the most part, I enjoyed the pathways Gerber explored. But I hated what he did with the ahead of it's time inter-species relationship between duck Howard and human Beverly. I don't want to spoil things but Gerber leaves things ill-fated. That's all I'll say...

A book ahead of it's time that will be honored for all-time in the hearts of comic book collectors and historians. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Santas From Around The World: Greenland: Juulimaaq (Advent 2020, Day 18)

Kids need to stop trying to stay up late to see Santa. According to the people of Greenland, all you have to do to meet the real St. Nick is to travel to the small village of Sragle Bay near Uummannaq. 

It is there that Santa lives in his workshop and some very lucky children get to visit him and his elves there every year! Well, actually, it turns out that elves are invisible to non-magical children. But you can still arrange to be some of the few who get to see the Santa of Greenland, known as Juulimaaq in his home on Ice Street.

Juulmaaq looks exactly as he’s depicted in American and British culture. The red suit, white trim to match his snowy white beard and black boots. Only, with Juulmaaq, this flair is all about the glitter. It is said that every inch of Santa’s suit (and beard too!) glitters with fairy dust!

With Juulmaaq being the one true Santa, he makes his regular deliveries every year with one special difference. Every Christmas Eve, Juulmaaq rides inside of an Air Greenland helicopter and heads over to Queen Ingrid’s Hospital in Nuuk to deliver toys to the children who can’t come home for Christmas. (Remember how the children of Colombia think that Baby Jesus flies in a helicopter. Maybe Juulimaaq uses the same one!!) 

After the toys are all doled out, Juulimaaq takes off for his annual trip around the globe.

Oh and for those of you wondering. Juulimaaq does utilize the North Pole. That’s where his toy warehouse is located.

Archie Christmas Spectacular 2020 #1

Since Marvel hasn't released a holiday special in over 3 years and DC's quality has dipped deeper than that Russia mine, the Christmas special I look forward to the most nowadays is this one!

Archie Comics must have taken pity on us- what with how crappy this year has been. I usually think that the Archie Holiday books are way too short. But this one had an amount of detail that was fulfilling. 

The opening story involves a mysterious Scrooge, who has been buying up all of Riverdale's Christmas trees... to make toothpicks! I thought that this story was pretty goofy to try to make toothpicks out of Christmas trees. I figured that the sap would be too toxic for humans. But it turns out that pine trees are actually used to make them. So, the writers at Archie did their research. 

But when it came to a plot line in which there's a coded message- things didn't add up. The code didn't have repeating letters. Yet, the message decodes to a phrase with several letters that are the same. I'm no philologist. But this just didn't sit right with me at all!

Then Archie and his pals try to make a viral video of Santa with Mr. Andrews playing Kris Kringle. It's a comedy of errors. But it has a magical ending. 

Rounding things up is a nearly annual appearance by Jingles the Elf. Jingles has had it with the work conditions over at the North Pole. Having quit his toy shop job, Jingles decides to move in with Archie- until he gets on his feet. Give or take 6 months. Only an emergency meeting of the kids of Riverdale High might be the answer to keeping Archie from gaining a pesky new roommate!

Normally, this is how an Archie Holiday book ends. But this year, us readers were gifted with several shorts. One of which looked like a Sunday paper strip. Very cool!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun and festive distraction from the crappy COVID-19 year of 2020!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Santas From Around The World: The Southern United States- The Holiday Armadillo (Advent 2020, Day 17)

Since we are on Day 7 (actually Night 7) of Hanukkah, I wanted to return to the festival of lights to showcase a recent addition to the melding of Jewish and Christian holidays known as Christmukkah. Without further ado, here’s the HOLIDAY ARMADILLO!!!

From the TV Show Friends, the Holiday Armadillo is Ross Geller’s attempt to bring his son Ben a visit from Santa. But being so close to the holidays, Ross can’t find a Santa outfit to rent. The next best thing he can find is a gigantic armadillo concert. So instead of St. Nick, Ben is visited by the Holiday Armadillo, Santa’s half-Jewish friend who covers all of the Southern States… and MEXICO!

Things obviously get even more kookier as Chandler shows up as Santa! Ross, who was trying to use the time as a chance to introduce his son to Hanukkah, wants Chandler to vamoose. Naturally, Ben wants the Armadillo to leave instead. But a wise Chandler agrees to stay but only if the Holiday Armadillo will tell him AND BEN of the first ever miracle of lights!

And then Superman arrives on scene!

It’s something you must see to believe…

For today’s recipe, this is very similar to one my grandmother used to make. They’ve got a great sugary crunch factor. Plus, they have an eggy-custardy flavor that I just adore. Enjoy this Southern Butter Cookie recipe from Southernliving.com.

Santas From Around The World: Mexico- Los Reyes (Advent 2020, Day 16)

On Day 5 of this Advent, I mentioned that while the children of some countries in Central and South America receive gifts during the holiday season, they do not get those prizes from Santa. Our featured country of Mexico is one of those lands. Instead of St. Nick, they get their prizes from The Wise Men!

Known as Los Reyes, the Wise Men or Magi give the children of Mexico presents on January 6th, Epiphany (AKA Dia de Los Reyes). Epiphany represents the day the wise men found baby Jesus and gifted him with gold, frankincense and myrrh. See on December 25th, the people of Mexico celebrate Christmas, with a trip to church and a big fiesta. But the gift exchange doesn’t happen until that last day of the holidays! January 6th!

The event ends almost a month long celebration of the birth of Christ. Small gifts of fruit and trinkets are given to all children who participate. A lucky kiddo finds a gift of money hidden from sight. Other fun and games result in the winning of prizes. But the one prize every child wants to find is the baby figure placed inside the oval shaped Rosca de Reyes (King’s Cake). The winner of that present gets to be the host and guest of honor of another big party held later in February. 

Since the Wise Men gave Jesus the first ever Christmas gifts, it makes sense that they are the main gift givers for the holiday season. As areas of Northern Mexico become integrated with those American states that border the Rio Grande, some Mexican children do get gifts from Santa on December 25th. But that tradition is so new, that most boys and girls from that country have never even heard of St. Nicolas.

When you think of the cookies of Mexico, there’s really only 1 choice- the Mexican Wedding Cookie! Though many food historians think that the cookie actually originated in the Middle East. Since we’ve already had a very similar cookie in this Advent with the Russian Tea Cake, I am sharing with you a totally new different cookie recipe. 

I present to you- Hojarascas. These light flaky cookies represent the leaves of autumn, of which they are named after. They pack a cinnamon punch, which I greatly enjoy in Mexican desserts. 

Enjoy!

Santas From Around The World: Denmark, Norway and Sweden AND The Marvel Universe- Odin (Advent 2020, Day 15)

 

Today’s post is quite godly. But not in that Jesus, Mary and Joseph sort of way. The version of Santa we are looking at today is Odin- the Allfather. You know, of Norse mythology and all that. Still doesn’t ring a bell? You know, Thor’s dad (played by Sir Anthony Hopkins) from those Marvel movies? 

Ah, I thought so!

According to Norse mythology, Odin is all-knowing and all-seeing. So he knows whether one of his subjects has been bad or good. Also, the magic gifts that Odin bestows upon those he favors, such as the hammer Mjonir to his son, Thor is made by dwarves and elves. Plus many characters would ask Odin to give them gifts in order to fight epic battles such as Sigmund with his magic sword. According to myth, Odin does his gifting by riding in a flying sleigh lead by the 8-legged horse named Slepnir or sometimes a pair of goats. Odin does this during the time of the Wild Hunt- also known as the 12 days of Yule. 

Still not convinced that Odin is a version of Santa? Odin’s Nordic title of Allfather translates into English as Father Yule. Or Father Christmas. 

 

Still not buying it? Fine. In the 1991 Marvel Holiday Special, it was revealed that Odin in a big purple cloak, was really Santa! There, now you have proof that Odin isn’t a version of Santa, he’s actually the genuine article!

Well as you let that sink in, here’s a recipe from Scandinavia.

Enjoy!

Katy Keene Special #33

Despite the cover, there's no beating the heat in this holiday themed issue. But that's okay with me! As long as it's not a Scrooge- whereas the cover is seasonal and the interior is all something else. Now not every story is Christmas related. But at least two stories have that yule tide spirit and that's enough for me.

The main yarn is a festive story involving supermodel Katy Keene getting all her wealthy friends together to help support an ailing children's hospital during the holidays. Then there's a short in which Katy gets her sister a video game for Christmas. Being an Archie Comic, it's got that typical one-liner ending. There's a third short story that is at least set during Winter. But it's not a Christmas tale.

The final adventure involves a character dreaming about Amelia Earhart. I was wondering why this story was included and I think I've got my answer. Despite promises of future editions, issue #33 would be the last of the series. With exception of a couple of issues of a Katy Keene Digest title (that would be cancelled before Summer, 1990) there would not be another Katy Keene comic published again until 2019 with a miniseries release in anticipation of the live-action Lucy Hale series that aired on TheCW. So, I think Archie was trying to empty it's inventory.

For a 30 year old Archie Comic, this one isn't so bad. The Archie titles went through a slump in the 90s. But you don't see evidence of it here. In fact, I thought this series was pretty innovative what with a number of the outfits in these stories were designed by fans. I appreciated how the editors gave credits to those readers for their contributions.

Before I close this review, I wanted to point out an oddity. I love to read over every single aspect of an old comic. There was a letter from the editor inside. In it, he talks about his writers and artists that would be attending a Con. One of the artists listed was Dan Parent, who happens to be my favorite Archie artist of all time. With this book being 30 years old- just how old is that guy? From his Facebook page, he looks early 40s. What was he in 1990? 12???

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Santas From Around The World: Iran- Amu Nowruz (Advent 2020, Day 14)

Not all Santas come during the Winter. No, I am not talking about the Easter Bunny or Great Pumpkin. For today’s version of Santa Claus, we head to Iran during the verge of the first day of Spring. 

Our main character is called Amu Nowruz. He appears on the day of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. Thus Amu Nowruz’s name literally translates as ‘Uncle New Year.’

Amu Nowruz appears with a controversial black-face character known as Haji Furuz. Haji Furuz is a sort of Iranian minstrel, who parades the streets begging for money while banging his tambourine.

The spring equinox marks a special time of romantic tragedy, The Iranian New Year is the only time that Amu Nowruz and his wife Nane Samra are able to be reunited. That’s because Samra is the daughter of a frost deity and Nowruz is a descendant of fair weather beings. Imagine their love story as if Romeo & Juliet was penned by Mother Nature. 

Amu Nowruz is depicted as elderly silver haired gentleman who wears a beat-up Astrakhan hat and carries a long staff and cloak. Excited to be reunited with his bride, Amu Nowruz brings presents for the kiddies he meets on his way to his annual day-long rendezvous. The pair regale the children with the story of Nowruz before the ill-fated lovers must part once again for another 364 days.

I have a heart for Iran and it’s people. Several of my cousins are from Iran. They were smuggled out of that country by the great-uncle after which I am named, on the cusp of the Ayatollah overthrowing the American backed country. And that’s where I am sharing a holiday tradition from my family.

Every year, the mother of my cousins would make her family’s traditional baklava. More of a pastry that cookie, it’s still really delicious. It’s traditionally made with rosewater. But if you can’t find it, vanilla extract will work just as well.

Enjoy!

All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Vol.1

This is another book that I could have finished a month or two ago. But it had a holiday issue inside and I just couldn't pass up the chance to feel the intended yule tide feelings inside. 

The Christmas themed story has Billy Batson taking a shopping trip to Gotham City. Billy is expecting something out of the ordinary since Gotham is the playground of Batman's rogues gallery. But when Billy and Tawky Tawny step off their bus they are faced with the citizens of Gotham trying to kill each other! It's all due to the Psycho Pirate! Turning into SHAZAM!- The REAL Captain Marvel, it's up to the visiting superhero to find Batman and bring back that holiday spirit!

Along with the SHAZAM story, there's several more very fun team-ups. First, Batman heads to the bottle city of Kandor with Superman to solve the motive behind a break-in in a society that hasn't faced crime in centuries. Then Batman and the Flash are sent through the looking glass by the combined efforts of The Mirror Master and The Mad Hatter. J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter challenges Batman into helping the extra-terrestrial become a better detective. Plus Batman joins forces with Guy Gardner to help a troubled alien on the lamb from those dreaded Manhunters!

Those were all great stories. But besides the holiday story, the best adventure was an epic crossover that puts Wonder Woman in the arms of the Caped Crusader. The gods have paired the two unlikely lovers together on a sort of bet. In what becomes the wedding of the century, countless heroes arrive to witness the nuptials. But then a near unlimited line-up of villains crash the blessed event! If you thought Fantastic Four Annual #3 was the ultimate wedding day battle royale- think again! They've got nothing on the exploits of the Brave and the Bold.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold was a feel good TV series. Though it may be long cancelled, I get to relive that magic in the pages of this amazing volume comics based on the Cartoon Network hit. 

Total fun for the whole family. Full of a nostalgic cast of characters, this book didn't feel old at all. Sholly Fisch (Scooby-Doo Team-Up) has that magic touch in his writings drawing upon the stories I grew up reading as a kid but adding original twists and turns that keep the book from ever feeling stale.

The only thing I hated about this book is that it ended!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Santas From Around The World: Bavaria- Krampus (Advent 2020, Day 13)

I’ve grown to become a fan of Krampus. A holiday staple of Central Europe, Krampus is the antithesis of Santa Claus. A half-goat, half-demon creature, Krampus kidnaps bad little children on Christmas Eve and takes them to clean in his workshop. Whether Krampus returns the children to their homes after they make his work area spotless is up for debate as some nations traditions state that Krampus eats the kiddies afterwards.

The legend of Krampus has been around since before the birth of Christ. Folklorists consider the character to be a sort of boogey man cautionary tale to naughty children. Then in the 17th century, Krampus was added many European holiday traditions as the yin to Santa’s yang as part of the Festival of St. Nicolas which occurs every December 6th. 

Krampus’ time almost came to an end in the middle of the 20th century. Far right regimes sort to eliminate the evil influence on the holidays. And their plan almost worked until Krampus began a sort of renaissance around the turn of the 21st century.

A series of comic books, horror movies and pop culture kitsch has brought Krampus back into the forefront. Now a European holiday season isn’t complete without the soot hued monster.

There’s a number of countries I could glean a cookie recipe from. But when I think of Krampus, my mind goes straight to the Black Forest of Bavaria. So for my Advent gift for you today, enjoy this delicious Gingerbread cookie recipe that can double as an ornament or decoration!

Enjoy!