To the delight of his admirers, Herblock created a number of special Christmas cartoons of Santa Claus in a vein that recalls his cartoonist predecessor Thomas Nast. Here, he mocks the practices of totalitarian states by imagining poor Saint Nick’s encounters with security personnel. Mindful of how absurdly the uniformed officers of such nations as Russia, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Japan could interpret Santa’s motives, he creates amusing, but taxing scenarios for the “right jolly old elf.”