Ghost stories for Christmas Eve, just like Dickens!
Mike Mignola and Adam Hughes created this one-shot, set exactly in this very special night, as an homage to a classic horror tale that takes on the reverse version of Santa, the Krampus.
The first Krampus that comes to my mind is the one featured in Grimm. That particular version appeared in the “Twelve Days of Krampus” chapter in Season 3. In it, the thing decides to take action on ill-behaved kids by kidnapping them and hanging them from the tallest tree until snack time. He also leaves behind a lump of coal instead of a wrapped gift. Is he scary? You bet:
According to certain Alpine traditions, Krampus is a “half-goat, half-demon” type of creature, who, during the Christmas season, punishes children who have misbehaved. He does so in all sort of scary and creepy ways, and Mignola will take full advantage of that.
Even though we do not see the Krampus in action in the comic, there are several hints as to what happened to the poor bad boys that were taken by this demon.
Opposing Saint Nicholas, who rewards the well-behaved with gifts, Krampus is one of Saint Nicholas’ companions in several countries, including Austria, Bavaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, South Tyrol, and parts of Northern Italy. According to Wikipedia, the origin of the figure is unclear; some folklorists and anthropologists think it has a pre-Christian origin.
Of course, Mike Mignola is ready to give the character a strange twist, and the result is interesting, or, to put it in Liz’s own words, it is definitely weird.
This satanic spin on Santa is set to appear on December 20, just in time for the holidays!
Writer: Mike Mignola. Artist: Adam Hughes. Cover Artist: Adam Hughes. Genre: Horror. Publication Date: December 20, 2017. Format: FC, 36 pages. One-shot Price: $3.99. UPC: 7 61568 00220 1 00111
Featured image by Adam Hughes.
