A series of Christmas cards were produced by King Features Syndicate in the USA from 1993 thru till 1999. The cards were sent to business partners of King Features Syndicate bearing Christmas wishes, featuring an array of characters under their license.
Founded by William Randolph Hearst in 1914 in New York, New York, USA, King Features Syndicate established itself as a leading print syndication company. It was responsible for distributing over 150 diverse forms of content, including comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles, and games, to more than 5,000 newspapers worldwide. Operating as a division of Hearst Holdings, Inc., King Features Syndicate was an integral part of a larger entity that encompasses the Hearst Corporation’s cable-network partnerships, television programming, distribution activities, and other syndication companies.
From 1993 to 1999, King Features Syndicate, a leading content distribution and licensing company, launched an innovative marketing campaign showcasing their extensive portfolio of syndicated comic strip characters. This initiative took the form of a specially designed Christmas cards, one for each year: all meticulously designed for editorial purposes and strategic distribution.
These Christmas cards were not commercially available but served as premium promotional items. King Features distributed them as complimentary offering at Christmas time to publishing houses, business partners, and affiliated agents during the holiday season. This thoughtful gesture aimed to strengthen business relationships while highlighting the syndicate’s diverse array of beloved comic strip characters and maximizing advertising revenue potential.
The artwork featured in these Christmas cards was carefully curated from King Features’ vast archive, including selected comic strip panels and commercially released images from product advertising campaigns. This approach offered a comprehensive view of the syndicate’s intellectual properties.
Produced on high-quality, heavy stock paper, these Christmas cards were designed for versatile display. Their dimensions range in many sizes.
This 1993 King Features Syndicate Christmas card is a delightful blend of pop culture and festive charm. Measuring 8.5″ x 5.5″, it features opening flaps with figural cutouts of beloved characters, revealing a Christmas tree adorned with these icons as ornaments. The card showcases the versatility of King Features’ characters, blending nostalgia with holiday spirit in a memorable and collectible piece.
This 1994 Christmas card, measuring 9″ x 5.75″, blends literary whimsy with visual artistry. The front features playful poetry, while the interior reveals a stained glass-inspired design, modernizing ecclesiastical art through comic strip iconography. This card showcases King Features Syndicate’s creative approach to holiday ephemera, bridging pop culture and seasonal sentimentality. Stated on the front of the card “Then in Walked a ghost, could it be Christmas past? Twas ony the Phantom back from Bengallat last” Interior multiple images with a stained glass appearance.”
This 1995 King Features Syndicate Christmas card presents a striking study in chromatic minimalism, employing a bold blue and white color scheme that evokes a snowflake in the winter sky. The design ingeniously incorporates miniature figural cutouts of iconic King Features characters, creating a delicate interplay between negative and positive space.
This 1996 Christmas card, measuring 7″ x 5″, ingeniously emulates King Features characters inside a red glass ball ornament. The design captures the essence of this classic holiday decoration, likely rendering its glossy, reflective surface with skillful use of color and shading.
This 1997 miniature card is a masterful exploration of form and function in holiday ephemera. Its compact folded dimensions of 5.5″ x 2.25″ belie the visual journey it offers, unfolding accordion-style to an impressive 24″ x 5″.
This 1998 King Features Syndicate Christmas card, measuring 9.25″ x 5.5″, is a vibrant fusion of festive imagery and pop culture. The exterior features a colorful die-cut scene of characters sledding, while the interior reveals a Christmas tree adorned with these figures as ornaments.
This 1999 King Features Syndicate Christmas card, measuring 8.75″ x 5.75″, presents a captivating winter scene featuring various characters walking in the snow and darkness. The nocturnal setting creates a contemplative atmosphere, with the characters’ silhouettes highlighted against unseen light sources. The Phantom’s absence is notable, possibly emphasizing the more lighthearted characters or subtly referencing his mysterious nature.
Thank you Christopher Smith for assisting with images and information.
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