Both big and red, both a friend to children, both have a sweet tooth, both were born out of the fiery depths of Hades and are destined one day to return an reign over the underworld, finally bringing about the destruction and rebirth of the planet through Ragnarok. When you think about it, Hellboy and Santa Claus actually have a lot in common, although sadly they never meet face-to-face to discuss any such similarities in the Hellboy Christmas Special from 1997. The main story isn't all that festive, despite bearing the title A Christmas Underground, concerning as it does the seven-foot-tall demonspawn paranormal investigator's search for the daughter of a dying woman who is married to a prince of the underworld. Ah, it just warms the cockles of your heart, doesn't it? Even back then Mike Mignola was letting other people in on drawing his baby, too. The special also features a double page spread by Geof Darrow, Steve Purcell's horrific and satirical take on traditional Christmas carols, Gary Gianni recounting the time he received spiritual inspiration from the ghost of Charles Dickens, and finally Hellboy himself waxing lyrical about how much he loves A Christmas Carol and its film adaptations. No love for the Muppets, sadly.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
