Mix and Mingle in the Jinglin' Beat

Swimming Against the Yuletide

(Or, This Agnostic’s Christmas Gallery. Twelve all-new drawings. This got published yesterday in PDI-Super, yay. My dad just asked for the original of “Drinking At Work.” To view all 12 drawings, visit my Multiply site. Will post them at the art blog too.)

Text and illustrations by Oliver M. Pulumbarit

I’m a non-believer, yeah, and I’ve blogged about it in detail a few times. But I can still appreciate the Christmas season for its emphasis on goodwill and togetherness. As an ex-Catholic, I still have vivid memories of Christmases past. Admittedly, I still find the imagery and revelries related to the holidays appealing, even when I don’t believe in a messiah figure anymore. That’s just how things are for me.

But you really can’t escape the festivities, so while I’m not into “the reason for the season,” I’m still appreciating the artistry and celebrations that come with December. I’m also a ninong, so I’m still part of the whole gift-giving scenario.

Just some months back, I planned to draw and post new Halloween drawings to prettify my site. But because of time constraints, I opted to draw a Christmas-themed set instead. I cut up bond-sized vellum paper in half, pulled out gel pens and markers and ended up with the following. Here’s my take and thoughts on some holiday concepts.

“I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus” (above)- Remember the old song about a son witnessing his mother getting cozy with Santa? It’s likely that he just witnessed his parents roleplaying. Here, it’s the boy’s dad. It still works if titled differently.

“Sweet Tooth Surrender” (above)- Sugar high! Ditch the diet and devour those delightful desserts. By the way, fruitcakes are yummy. I know it’s not just me.

“Yuletide Gay”- Inspired by a phrase in “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” the drawing shows a modern-day tableau of a non-traditional but equally valid family--a lesbian couple and their child--celebrating the holidays quietly.

“Alien Starlight”- Christmas lanterns with colorful, blinking lights are especially diverting, but the simpler ones still look good. The design possibilities are nigh-endless, as the parol can come in almost any shape, size and material.

“Jack Frost Nipping”- The mythical Jack Frost is commonly known as a snow-bringer. Like snowmen, he doesn’t need a scarf, yes, but it works aesthetically on him, too.

“Elfchild Laborer”- Hmm, it’s odd that some of the North Pole workers are sometimes depicted as kids. But since they’re mostly elves, they must age differently. Maybe.

“Drinking At Work” (above)- Saint Nick probably has an extra-tough tummy to eat and drink everything that people prepare for him. Drinking and flying? Never been a problem.

“Festive Forest”- Fake, plastic trees are fun to assemble and decorate. Disassembling, removing ornaments and cleaning up usually take forever, though.

“Santa’s Twin Wonders”- Interestingly, the Santa myth mutated to include other previously unrelated beings such as elves. Mrs. Claus can be part-elf. The kids, I call ‘em Kriss and Nicola, might look this way. They’re both naughty and nice, so it’s hard to say who’ll take over the family “business” one day.

“He Gives Cool Toys Too”- Why do kids in holiday flicks usually get generic toys on Christmas day? It would be nice to see Santa give other gifts, like monster action figures, for once.

“Single Snowdad”- The title was the last thing that came to me. Initially, it was just a drawing of a traditional snowman. There was space left for a kid and a pet, so they were included. Seeing them together suddenly inspired the title.

“Icons Party Hardy”- Holiday and feast day symbols unwind during their annual Christmas break. Jack O’Lantern, Easter Bunny, Thanksgiving Turkey and Stoopid Cupid pay their pal Santa a visit.