Christmas Library 2020: "Christmas Is" At 50!

Just 5 years after "A Charlie Brown Christmas" the Lutheran Hour Ministries released the TV special "Christmas Is" to several television markets in 1970. This animated half hour story is about a boy named Benji who resents being cast as a shepherd in the local Christmas pageant. Benji is able to travel back in time to the little town of Bethlehem and realize the true meaning of Christmas. Included in the cast are many radio and voice acting legends like Hans Conried, June Foray, Vic Perrin, and Don Messick.  

The boy Benji and his dog Waldo would return in the sequels "Easter Is", "Freedom Is", and "The City That Forgot About Christmas"

The special is a personal favorite and I encourage families to check their local listings for this and other Lutheran Hour specials that have delighted families for decades.

The Lutheran Hour Christmas Specials are widely syndicated across American TV stations and usually air on or around Christmas Day.  Visit the Lutheran Hour TV Schedule page to find out when you can see these Christmas treasures. For more information on these and other specials visit the Christmas Library page.

Classic E. J. Pace Cartoon - "The Only Bridge That Spans This Chasm"

 Somehow I went years and years without knowing about Dr. E. J. Pace (1880 - 1946) a pioneer of Christian cartooning. Many of his works are in the public domain and I will be glad to share them regularly along with the works of Jack Hamm and many other great Christian illustrators. 

The scriptures referenced are:

John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

Ephesians 2:1 - "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;"

I John 3:14 - "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death."

 

Christmas Library 2020: Watch for "Nestor" and "Little Drummer Boy"

 This weekend the AMC cable network is continuing a long-time cable Christmas tradition of dedicating a full Saturday or weekend to the vintage Rankin-Bass "Animagic" specials. Among those specials are two that highlight the birth of Christ as central to Christmas, "Nestor, The Long Eared Christmas Donkey" (1977), and "The Little Drummer Boy, Book II" the sequel to the 1968 classic. 

Both special air twice this weekend, and again throughout the month. For dates and times visit the "Christmas Library" page. 

Christmas Library 2020: Singing "Joy To The World"

"Joy To The World" by James R. Stewart Jr.
This image may be freely used for ministry with source acknowledgments.

After years of studying Christian cartoonists Jack Hamm, Al Hartley, other Christian artists, and vintage Christmas artwork, I thought I would give a try at a teaching and inspirational one-panel drawing. This image is based on an old newspaper ad with choir boys. 

"Joy To The World" is the classic, traditional Christmas hymn written by minister Isaac Watts, and first published in 1719. While associated with Christmas, some of the inspiration behind Watts lyrics actually comes from Psalm 98 in which God revealed his plan for salvation through the nation of Israel, and that salvation is praiseworthy. Psalm 98 begins with:

Sing to the Lord a new song,

    for he has done marvelous things;

his right hand and his holy arm

    have worked salvation for him.

This Christmas season, while singing or listening to a Christmas hymn, pay attention to the message of the song. Many, including "Joy To The World", teaching not just about Christ's first coming at Christmas, but also for his second coming which will be even more glorious. 

 

Christmas Library 2020: Give A Child Their First Bible For Christmas

A Little Girl's Bible gifted 65 Christmases ago.
Found in a thrift store in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 

For the past five years, I have shared a post about giving a Bible and Bible study books to children for Christmas.

Your child, grandchild, pupil, sibling, or friend is never too young for their first Bible, and having a copy that comes from someone they love will have a special meaning. In my quest for Bible media, I do come across used Bibles and other media from many Christmas long past. The 1955 Christmas Bible pictured above is a favorite and I am reposting it again as part of the 2020 Christmas Library.

Christmas Library 2020: Building An Al Hartley Christian Comics Collection

"Christmas With Archie" by Al Hartley, 1974 Spire Christian Comics.

Al Hartley (1921 - 2003) was a longtime cartoonist & writer for the Archie Comics company who famously used the teenage characters for Christian stories in the 1970s and 1980s. Hartley was a very versatile talent whose work is still distinguishable from most Archie artists with very colorful visual gags, character responses, and Christian inspired sentiment. His comics were very successful and are still sought after by collectors. After dedicating his life to Christ in the late 1960s, Christian messages began appearing in his Archie stories, Christmas tales in particular. 

When he was asked to tone down his messages, Hartley got permission to use the Archie characters for Christian comic books published by Spire Publishing, later Barbour Christian Comics.

One of Hartley's best titles was "Christmas With Archie" (1974). Full of inspiring stories, puzzles and and beautiful artwork it is a treasure of my "Christmas Library". As far as I know, this comic was not reprinted by Barbour publishing in the 1980s so it is one of Hartley's rarest books along with "Archie's Circus (1984) and his testimonial paperback book "Come Meet My Friend" (1977).

It would be great if a full reprinting of all of Hartley's Spire Barbour comics were released again one day. In the meantime, God has blessed me with a growing Hartley Collection of original comics including many biographies & book adaptations, children's books and a book by his son Fred that he illustrated.

I am finding not only the life and testimony of Al Hartley very inspiring but also his unique artistic and storytelling style. I will post more about Hartley in future posts, and like Jack Hamm, God willing I would also do a series for his 100th birthday next October.