A Christmas Tale: La Ollita

Christmas has always been important to Gordo. Most years, The citizens parade in La Posada, there are endless parties, goodwill towards even the mice in the Lopez household, an appearance or two by Santa, the return of much-beloved characters, and more.

Throughout the month of December 1950, Gus Arriola shifted the focus from the regular denizens of Del Monte to the tale of a cracked little clay olla that dreamed of being a beautiful piñata. Gordo's spontaneous kindness is also on display in these four weeks' worth of strips, even though the strip's eponymous hero only makes bookend appearances in the story.

Sharp-eyed readers will notice that Arriola uses this story to set up an upcoming storyline involving random "Doodles" taking over the town of Del Monte. Keep your eyes open for little doodads appearing through the first week's worth of strips, in the corners of panels or in any open negative space.

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But wait! There's more!

The story proved successful enough with readers that, several years later, Arriola re-told the tale in an abbreviated fashion, with new art: 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!