For this year's Christmas stories, readers get not only stories but also art, as Life! commissioned four full-time comic artists to doodle their Yuletide best.
They are Troy Chin, Otto Fong, Foo Swee Chin and Sonny Liew.
All four are featured in the newly released Liquid City, a comic anthology largely featuring the works of South-east Asian artists and published by major American comic book publisher Image Comics.
They were each asked to create a comic strip based on the theme HDB Christmas in tribute to the public housing blocks that occupy a significant place in the lives and art of Singaporeans.
They were also asked to include Santa Claus as a character.
Despite the shared theme, all of them took different approaches.
Liew, 34, an award-winning artist who has illustrated for titles by major publishers such as DC Vertigo and Disney, opted for social and political satire.
The artist, who used to pen the daily comic strip Frankie & Poo for The New Paper, says: 'I have always been interested in politics and social commentary in my comics, especially for a Singapore audience.
'I felt the excitement of doing a Christmas story tempered by worries about what is considered acceptable by the authorities.'
From dark to light-hearted
A darker side of Christmas is seen in Foo's piece about a runaway and depressed Santa.
The 31-year-old artist, who has been published by American houses Neko Press and Slave Labor Graphics under the nom de plume FSc, says she 'kind of anticipated' the HDB theme.
Still, she managed to find a fresh take on it.
'The world is quite a mishmash of a mess now. I was just curious if it would affect Santa too,' she says.
And then, some chose to address more cheerful topics.
Children and their belief in Santa inspired Chin, 31, creator of local cult graphic novel The Resident Tourist, who penned his contribution as an instalment of his ongoing daily online comic strip Loti.
'Loti is about a bunch of little kids who are still figuring out the world around them,' he says.
'And Santa is one of those things that mean different things, depending on how old you are. It actually writes itself.'
Fong, 40, imagined the problems Santa would face when delivering presents in Singapore.
He says: 'Traditionally, Santa enters a house by the chimney. If there is no chimney, how will Santa come into our homes?'
The creator of the popular Sir Fong series of comic books was inspired in part by his niece and nephew, who play the online role-playing game MapleStory South East Asia.
'They visit fantastic places, meet interesting people and achieve tasks. It fits very well with Santa delivering Christmas presents to Singapore kids,' he says.
'We are part of the larger world, so we celebrate Christmas too. But we celebrate in our special ways, in our HDB homes.'
