We Wish You A Merry Comic Basics Christmas To You And Yours!

It’s funny, I can only remember my youth in small chunks. I remember camping in the summer and tobogganing in the winter. I remember dinners at my Grandparents and all the dogs that we had over the years.

And this was before we could do a Comic Basics Christmas.

Of everything I remember, nothing stands out more than the comradery that my older brother and I had. Whether it was Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, or the Ultimate Warrior, Raphael, Leonardo, or Michelangelo, or Wolverine, Cyclops or Gambit, everything was a battle between us.

I remember battling him on a mattress and swatting one another with the hardest pillows imaginable in a way that only brothers could. I remember throwing our original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys at the fence, only to watch them explode on contact. And I remember spending hours upon hours playing the card game Overpower, which, by the way, he still has.

When we were young it was always about who was better. Who was faster, smarter, stronger, more cunning, had the bigger imagination, and every other thing that brothers as close as us could argue about. 

I’m pretty sure that the line was drawn equally down the middle.

Comic Basics Christmas

Of everything that we did together, Christmas stands out the most. I can remember as far back as 1988. For context, that makes me only 5 at the time. This was the year The Land Before Time came out. Ducky, Petri, Littlefoot, and Cera. I loved this movie. I mean, I really loved it. Of course, they (the executives) killed it with multiple sequels, but the original was outstanding. 

My brother and I watched this movie more times than I can count. We watched it so many times, I could practically recite the entirety of the movie. 

Over the years everything that we did, we did together. Hockey, football, wrestling, TMNT. You name it, we did it. This led to our obsession with comic books.

For the past 25 years we have lived and breathed the medium. If it was drawn or written, we knew it. And neither of us would have it any other way. 

Now as “adults”, our love of the medium has fuelled everything that this site, and its sister site, Comics For Cause stand for. We write about comics because we want to share our love with anyone who wants to listen to us. We send comics all over the world to orphanages and hospitals because we want children to have what helped us through so much. And we do it because we love it. We do it because we believe that doing something for others is far more important than doing things for oneself. 

And you know what? It’s true. The most gratifying thing we do is working with children who have very little. I can’t possibly explain what it’s like to see 500 simultaneous smiles at once.

The legacy

Our love has made its way to the next generation. My two sons live comics in a way that I could only have dreamed of. My oldest knows every hero, villain, and story in existence. In fact, my youngest is on his way to doing the same. They have pajama’s, paintings, blankets, toys, and of course, comics. 

And I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

For the two of us, comic books aren’t a pastime, they are a way of life. They pick you up when you need them, teach more about life then they are given credit for, and find a unique way of uniting people of all ages and backgrounds.

Just look at what the movies have done and are doing right now.

This is why, without you, the reader, listener, or viewer, we can’t do what we do. We can’t write and talk about the thing we love most. We can’t send comics all over the world to those who need them most. And without you, we can’t continue on.

That means the world to us. 

For that, we say thank you.

As the holiday season draws near and we all spend times with our families, please keep those who may not have the same luxuries as you in mind. Somewhere, someone needs your help and it’s up to you to help them. Take care of each other and be sure to have fun while doing it.

We can’t put into words how much you mean to us.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Merry Comic Basics Christmas to you and yours.

Cheers, 

Joel

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