Comicon Advent Calendar Day 19: ‘Twas The Fight Before Christmas’ — Stickleback Vs Santa

by Richard Bruton

Getting nearer and nearer the big day, as all things festive come to a head, so it’s time to unleash another Christmas comic treat for you in the Comicon Advent Calendar…

Yes, back to another great bit of 2000 AD Xmas magic, as Ian Edginton and INJ Culbard get together for a particularly naughty tale of Stickleback, the Pope of Crime, London’s crime boss, as he picks a fight with dear ol’ Santa himself – because what’s more Christmassy than seeing Santa get his ass kicked in ‘Twas The Fight Before Christmas? (Ed. Note: Does our resident Santa-hater Anton know about this story?)

Yes, it’s a little different from the normal Stickleback tales you’ll find in the pages of the Prog, where we’ve most recently found out that the strange and sinister crime lord is actually… well, no, spoilers, but boy, was it a reveal and then some. Anyway, usually Edginton and co-creator D’Israeli, tell us complex and slightly dark tales of the most unusual of crime bosses, but back in 2009, INJ Culbard came onboard for the art for something rather different, a special seasonal tale of seeing Santa get down and dirty in a brawl for the ages. Because hey, why the hell not?

Of course, as this is based on the classic poem by Clement-Clarke Moore, it’s all done in rhyme, starting off in traditional fashion with all the usual schmaltz of ‘the babes were all abed,’ and ‘a tinkling of sleigh-bells,’ heralding the appearance of the big guy in the red suit.

There’s a little quaffing of the booze and consuming of the pies, before things take a turn, with a second character making his appearance down the chimney…

And from then on, it’s game on, Sticklback’s here because Ol’ St Nick has skills, skills Stickleback wants – after all, if you’re London’s primo cardinal of crime, wouldn’t you be interested in getting the skinny on a strange bloke who can break into anyone’s home at will?

But, turns out that Santa’s no pushover…

So, cue the action, Stickleback Vs Santa, time to get the fight for the season on.

So much to love in this one, Culbard’s art just damn good of course, but kudos has to go to Edginton for twisting the spirit of Christmas into something downright nasty, complete with some absolutely fine, fine rhymes… you know, like this…