Happy New Year!
Yes, I know it's late but a combination of illness, my continuing anxiety disorder, and (y'know) that thing the entire world dealt with in 2020 really got in the way.
Another odd difference this year is that there are only UK comics on the roundup because I live in a tier 3 (now tier 4) part of the country (readers of the future/other countries it means the Covid infection rate is particularly high here) which means my regular comics shop has been closed for months.
I don't even know what Christmas specials/issues came out this year. Were there superhero specials? Did Krampus visit Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose again? If you bought any please let me know in the comments so I can seek them out after lockdown. Yes, I know I can get them digitally but I prefer getting physical copies, not least to support the shop I love.
Let's start with a roundup of the Beano Christmas Special 2020 (published in October), which had a story that ran through most of the strips. General Blight is stealing the Christmas spirit from the residents of Beanotown.
Santa is required. I love that they are sticking with the continuity that Minnie has history with him (see previous roundups).
It should be noted that Numbskull Santa is different from regular Santa.
At one point Billy Whizz chases Santa and we learn that canonically Billy's powers work on water the same as The Flash's. Also bonus Superman: The Movie reference.
Viz roundup time now. From issue 601
To 2000AD now.
A house ad for Judge Dredd Megazine has this glorious image of Judge Death (who returns in that issue, but in no Chrisssstmassssy way) murdering Santa. Happy Holidays!
To Doctor Who Magazine where Lew Stringer riffs on an idea from a few years ago.
There was a Dredd story in Judge Dredd Megazine that riffed on Jingle All the Way.
Private Eye cartoon roundup now, with plenty of mentions of you-know-what...
Like the Special, the Christmas issue of The Beano (No 4056) had a story that ran through most of the strips. This time about robot Christmas trees that Rubi Screwtop invented that gain sentience and rampage through Beanotown.
Throwing in this Betty and the Yeti panel because I was convinced it was a take on a Charles Addams cartoon, but I can't find it anywhere. I may be thinking of a different cartoonist. I may be mad. Help me out in the comments if you know.
I like that Dennis' tree decided to chill and watch the Bond film.
This panel from Bananaman isn't very festive, but I just love seeing Eric transform like the 80s cartoon.
Billy Whizz did a Vicar Dibley and was booked for too many Christmas dinners and ends the day with a tryptophan crash.
I love the little meta joke about comics always having a white Christmas.
So that's done for another year. Stay safe and we'll get through this.
All the best for 2021 from Slipper Towers!
