Gruss vom Krampus! I created this Christmas card to send to friends and family during the 2016 holiday season. To quote directly from the card:

     "Krampus is a demon from Germanic folklore who works as the antithesis of Saint Nicholas. Instead of rewarding good children, he punishes the bad children by giving out coal, beating them with a ruten (bundle of birch branches), or kidnapping them to later drown, eat, or bring to Hell. Merry Christmas 2016!"

A few months prior to Christmas I had discovered the tradition of giving out Krampus cards in pre-war Germany. The cards had a common theme; a bright red backdrop featuring Krampus kidnapping or attacking children, often with the German phrase, "Greetings from Krampus!" The cards both reflected my sense of humor and seemed to be a great creative exercise for the illustrator. I drew inspiration from dozens of these cards as I decided on how to depict Krampus. For the back of the card I wanted to explain the strange illustration to recipients, while keeping the dark humor from the front. I feel this project was a big success, as all but a few friends laughed at the absurdity of the cards and displayed them proudly alongside their tamer Christmas postcards.