The Comicon Advent Calendar: Day 12 – The Ambush Bug Stocking Stuffer

by Richard Bruton

Welcome, welcome, welcome. It’s Christmas once more. Can you believe it? Whilst the shops fill with decorations and cheesy music, we’re doing our Comicon Advent Calendar, each day in December before Christmas spotlighting something comics and seasonal…

Today it’s a long-lost classic, the Ambush Bug Christmas Stocking from 1986, all written by Robert Loren Fleming, with pencils by Keith Giffen and inks by Bob Oksner.

Created by Keith Giffen back in ’82, Ambush Bug is one of those deliberately ridiculous characters there to highlight all the daftness inherent in superhero comics. He hasn’t appeared that often, but the few comics he has starred in are all worth your while tracking down. The Stocking Filler is no exception…

A collection of maniacal tales, it all kicks off with a Bugs Bunny of an idea, as Ambush Bug heads to Vietnam to do his duty (a little late, but hey). In the desert he runs into another obscure DC character, the ‘Hukka’ mascot from Atari Force (it was the ’80s, these things happened.)

Cue next tale, where it’s Christmas in Metropolis and Ambush Bug is haunted by the death of Cheeks, just go with it, it’s easier that way…

It’s super silly but super funny, a refreshing change from the high faluting superheroics of the time. Loaded with in jokes and digs at the comics, Giffen wasn’t averse to involving his editor Julie Schwartz and DC’s continuity cop, Jonni DC, either…