The Comicon Advent Calendar 2022: Day 16 – It’sssssssssssssssssss… Shhhh Noddy, Not Yet…

by Richard Bruton

Another glorious day of December, another day to open up The Comicon Advent Calendar… and today it’s time for Sladevent!

Yes, another year, another great set of Sladevent pics from Steve May, illustrator and animator. He does them every year, creating a Nod for his back, giving us moment after moment of poor old Noddy Holder, lead singer of Slade, getting ready to unleash Christmas on us…

And if you don’t understand… well, you darned well should!

Okay, okay, some of you poor things might not know of Walsall’s finest son, Noddy Holder and just how important he is to Christmas in the UK. Noddy was the lead singer and one of the main songwriters in Slade through the 25 years of the original lineup.

And every year, every single year, it’s Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody that really means that it’sssssssssssssss CHRISTMASSSSS, with Noddy singing in the season – and ensuring that his pension pot is thoroughly topped up once more with the royalties from this one.

And if you need to know more, just watch this and wait for around the 3.10 mark…

Now, every year Steve May’s fabulous Sladevent features Noddy and an assortment of characters, including Dave Hill, Slade guitarist in 25 fabulous moments of nearly but not quite Christmas, many of them pulling moments out of the song’s lyrics this year… and special bonus points to Steve from a native Dudley boy for including the ‘Cup o’ Tea / Kipper Tie’ thing as well. [It’s all about the wonderful Black Country accent]

So, without further ado, the lyrics to sing along to and then the first half of Steve May’s Sladevent for 2022 – play spot the reference!

“Merry Xmas Everybody”

Are you hanging up a stocking on your wall?
It’s the time that every Santa has a ball
Does he ride a red-nosed reindeer?
Does a ton-up on his sleigh?
Do the fairies keep him sober for a day?So here it is, Merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begunAre you waiting for the family to arrive?
Are you sure you’ve got the room to spare inside?
Does your granny always tell you
That the old songs are the best?
Then she’s up and rock-‘n’-rolling with the rest

So here it is, Merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun

What will your daddy do when he sees your momma kissing Santa Claus?

Are you hanging up a stocking on your wall?
Are you hoping that the snow will start to fall?
Do you ride on down the hillside
In a buggy you have made?
When you land upon your head then you’ve been slayed

So here it is, Merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun

So here it is, Merry Christmas
Everybody’s having fun
(It’s Christmas!)
Look to the future now
It’s only just begun