This year, The Source Material Comics Podcast unwraps a holiday comic that trades sleigh bells for shell casings and tinsel for trench coats. Jesse Starcher and Mark Radulich dive into Santa Claus: Private Eye by Jeremy Bernstein—a clever, genre-bending tale that asks what happens to Santa during the 364 days he's not climbing down chimneys.

This hard-boiled one-shot delivers classic noir tropes with a frosty twist: a jaded Santa (going by “Nick Santana”) works as a private eye in the off-season, complete with a fedora, a flask, and a morally gray past. Tasked with solving a supposed suicide that doesn’t add up, Nick navigates a city of femme fatales, snitches, and secrets—all while hiding a painful truth of his own. 

Mark and Jesse peel back the layers of Nick’s sleigh-sized midlife crisis, exploring themes of grief, purpose, and personal redemption. They also unpack the book’s art direction, the smart use of Christmas mythology (Jack Frost as a streetwise snitch is just chef’s kiss), and why this story—despite its grim tone—manages to stay emotionally grounded and strangely hopeful. It’s a dark and snowy night in the city… and Santa’s packing emotional baggage along with his usual gifts.

A perfect blend of noir and Noel, this episode is essential holiday listening for fans of unconventional Christmas stories and offbeat comics. Consider it your yearly dose of eggnog-laced grit.