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Santa and his various incarnations have had all sorts of helpers, followers, and hangers-on. Today, Ben and Winslow would like to share some of those individuals with you.
(1) The elves have been working in Santa’s workshop for years, without pay, health benefits, or a decent retirement plan. They’re understandably surly and have not been allowed on a sleigh ride since the 1940s.
(2) Most people are familiar with the Krampus thanks to his successful metal album, but he’s been friends with Santa since high school. Although his approach to Christmas involves kidnapping and beating naughty children with sticks, Santa insists his heart is in the right place and one day hopes to reform him.
(3) Demiclaus is the result of teleporter accident in the mid-90s. Santa and Krampus were trying to find a more efficient way to travel around the world, but neither of them know much about engineering or anything with the word “quantum” in it, and the experiment was a bust.
(4) I have nothing worth saying about Christmas Steve.
(5) Holly Jolly is Santa’s personal fashion designer. Most people are familiar with her work on Santa’s iconic red-and-white velvet suit, but she’s also created a line of unisex brassieres known as “Santa bras” that keep you from jiggling like a bowlful of jelly.
(6) Even Santa has enemies, and it’s the job of Jingle Fett to take care of them.
(7) Advent Calendarbot has been in charge of Santa’s Christmas countdown for the past 50 years. Each of his chest compartments is filled with terrible and possibly stale chocolate.
(8) With ugly sweater contests becoming more and more popular, it has fallen to Ugly Swe-Torr, the Christmas Barbarian to act as judge, jury, and executioner. He likes the executioner role best.
(9) Loyal (Egg) Nog ensures that Santa’s retinue contains a Star Trek reference to balance out Jingle Fett’s presence.
Next Friday is the debut of the December 2019 issue of Defenestration, so there won’t be a Ben & Winslow comic next week.
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Andrew Kaye (known in some circles as AK) is the creator of Ben & Winslow and other questionable comics, many of which can be found in his deviantART gallery and his Tumblr. He’s also the editor-in-chief of this magazine.