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I couldn't find very much information about this strip. Even the Comiclopedia entry for the cartoonist, Bill Williams, doesn't mention it at all. It ran from 1965-1971, and appears to be about the woman that Santa is speaking to, Dolly. From the few strips I saw, she seems to work a variety of different jobs, possibly because she's not very good at keeping them. I'm not sure exactly why Santa would need to go through Customs, unless his flying reindeer were unavailable somehow and he had to take a plane. I guess even magical reindeer need a sick day now and then.

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Tiny Tim was a comic strip created by Stanley Link, about a small boy named Tim and his sister Dotty, who were only two inches tall. The strip ran from 1933 to 1958, and over the course of the strip the brother and sister grew to eight inches tall, then to normal child size, then back to two inches tall, and then gained the ability to switch back and forth between two inches and normal child size. They had many adventures in the tiny world over the course of the strip's run, and gained some animal friends along the way, including the bird, Paddy, who you see in the final panel.

This particular strip is interesting, because I'd never thought about Santa Claus preparing for Christmas Eve in this way. I thought the myth was that Santa could use his magic to shrink to the right size so he could fit in any chimney, or whatever opening was available to him, so he didn't need to worry about fitting in anywhere. In fact, it seems like that story would fit quite well in a…

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Smokey Stover here seems to be about as aware of what a bridge lamp is as I was when I first saw this particular strip. I'm not very knowledgeable about the names of home furnishings (but don't worry, Google has educated me). I imagine this is the type of thing that happens when you overhear a conversation between your significant other and someone else, telling them how much they wish they had a thing, but you don't know what the thing is. Then again, it could happen when they tell you directly what they want and assume you know what that is. This is always dangerous. If you really want someone to get you something, provide photo references and, where available, a link to a reputable online merchant that sells them. Otherwise, especially with people who are as bad at gift giving as me, you will always be taking a chance.

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I always enjoy comic strips that are humorous on several levels, not just one. Brother Juniper being as excited as he is about Santa arriving is funny, and the fact that he utilizes a Flintstones style answering service is also funny, but I like the caption the most. The addition of the "would you believe" is what gets me. He didn't have to include it. The image would have worked just as well if he hadn't. The fact that it's there just makes it that much better, though.

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Pogo is set in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, and as someone who grew up in Georgia this is a familiar sight. It only snows maybe once every five years, and usually not around Christmas time. If it ever does snow, you have to look quick, because it will probably all melt by the time it hits the ground. Sometimes it stays around for a while longer, but only for about a day.

As with many things Walt Kelly writes, the overall message of this "song" seems a bit cynical, but even though certain things are fleeting, we should be able to appreciate them while they're there. Even though the snow melts quickly, it's always enjoyable to watch it fall from the sky (as long as you get to a window fast enough).