If you're not familiar with the Aquabats Super Show, then let me tell you, friends, it was pretty great. It ran for three years on the Hub, following the adventures of the Aquabats, a real-life superhero-themed band known for battling monsters onstage, recast as a group of musical superheroes who traveled the world battling evil with the power of rock 'n' roll and guitars that shoot lightning, featuring guest stars like Weird Al and Tony Hawk, and frequently written and directed by Homestar Runner co-creator Matt Chapman. In other words, it's the perfect television show.

Needless to say, the Christmas special was just as amazing as the rest of the series, as the Aquabats journey to a town where Christmas has been outlawed by the Krampus, who took over with plans to hand out a birch-rod beating to anyone who dares to celebrate the holidays. Sadly, the show has been canceled, but the band uploaded the entire episode to YouTube, so pour yourself a hot chocolate, stir it with a candy cane, and enjoy!

As you'll be able to tell within the first few seconds, The Aquabats Super Show was pretty heavily inspired by superhero shows like Batman '66 and the bizarre monsters of Japanese tokusatsu -- it's not actually featured here, but Crash McLarson actually has the ability to grow a hundred feet tall -- and as a result, it'd be right in my wheelhouse even if it didn't feature an alternative-comedy influenced battle between Krampus (voiced by Robert Smigel) and Santa Claus (Matt Walsh). It's worth noting that while this particular Christmas special is certainly right there in the middle of our current revival of the Krampus character, but it gets closer to the Krampus of folklore than most, even ending with the reuniting of the Santa/Krampus team... and presumably more birchings for the naughty. You know, for the kids.

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