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IN 1989, Neil Gaiman and Sandman artist David McKean collaborated on a 100-word Christmas card story titled "Nicholas Was." Since then, this story has been transformed into a short animated feature and this hyper-detailed pop-up book by Vimeo crafter Nomsa. Here's the full text of the story: More »
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We've seen plenty of proper screwball depictions of Kris Kringle previously, but history is ripe with examples of magical pensioners who trespass down strangers' flues. Here are 10 of the more egregious examples to throw on this Yuletide bonfire of weirdness.

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Santa Claus. He's rather like the parent we eventually shipped off the the old folks' home after we became tired of all the loud and annoying antics. But that's not how it should be! Discovering the flaws of your loved ones should bring you together, not tear you apart — at least that's the message of Aardman Animations' Arthur Christmas. And the film's star, James McAvoy, is here to tell us why Santa Claus doesn't care about you (and why that's OK). More »
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Believe it or not, the latest addition to the Christmas movie genre, Arthur Christmas, is kind of fun. When we caught a sneak peek, we were impressed with how this Aardman Animations film plays with the mythology of Santa Claus, and turned the reign of Claus into into a bit of a monarchy. More »
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Santa's Secret Ops team provokes a Polar Bear in the trailer for Arthur Christmas, the movie about Santa's idiot son from the makers of Wallace and Gromit. More »
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Each year, Scratch Fury (Destroyer of Worlds), the pink genius cat of Scott Kurtz's webcomic PvP tries to defeat Santa and learn all his Christmas secrets. This year, the only person who can save Christmas is the meme-powered superhero Lolbat. More »
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The notion that an immortal toymaker circumnavigates the planet every December 24 using nothing but caribou defies all logic, but Anassa Rhenisch of Science In My Fiction is determined to make St. Nick make sense. Maybe he uses ion shields? More »
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Watch this eerie video retelling of Neil Gaiman's holiday poem "Nicholas Was..." You know it's going to be a very Gaiman holiday when the first stanza talks about Santa's desire to die. More »
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What would happen if the famously grizzled German director Werner Herzog was allowed to reinterpret the legend of Santa Claus? You would get a consciousness-shattering tale of an omniscient dwarf who judges us from afar, tabulating our sins. More »
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Children the world over look forward to their annual visit from Father Christmas, but what if the secret behind Santa Claus was actually something sinister? In the film Rare Exports, we will learn Santa Claus' terrifying cryptozoological origins. More »
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Jonesing for more Doctor Who? While you're waiting for this year's Christmas special, this BBC station identification offers a super brief adventure with the Doctor, involving the TARDIS, a snow drift, and a team of tiny reindeer. More »
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The world may be under attack and humanity on the verge of extinction, but people will still find a way to celebrate the holidays. We explain how you’ll celebrate Christmas at the end of the world. More »
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Parents! Your child refusing to fall for the idea that Santa does everything he's supposed to by "magic"? We thought we'd help out and provide some scifi explanations for Ol' Saint Nick, just in case. More »
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He's a childhood icon with super-speed, using his powers to reward the good. Yes, the parallels between Superman and Santa are finally explored in this week's DC Universe Holiday Special. Click through for a preview. More »
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When most of us think of Santa, we envision Coca-Cola's jolly old elf. But some Santas are more naughty than nice. We list some of the most evil scifi Clauses to stalk the Christmas skies. More »
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The 1964 holiday film Santa Claus Conquers The Martians has the distinction of constantly being named one of the worst films ever made. It also contains the acting debut of Pia Zadora, although that may be unrelated to its critical status. Instead this film was all about bringing "freedom" to poor Martian children who have been brainwashed by machines. Of course, Neo can't rescue them — only Santa Claus could bring that kind of liberation. How does this film stack up to The Matrix? Let us count the ways. More »
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