The New York animation community were a festive bunch. Let’s take a look, first, at some holiday artwork from the Fleischer Studios newsletter.
Lest we forget, a retrospective of holiday art included in the Guild’s union letter Top Cel. The first illustrated cover Top Cel used was a Santa Claus drawn by Dave Tendlar. The names inside the beard belong to members of the union local who were then serving in the military.
For 1946 Milton Caniff donated a drawing honoring his friends in animation.
1947 featured another Dave Tendlar piece.
As well as a piece that may be from Bernice Steinberg.
I base this on Bernice being the only Steinberg I find mentioned in the Top Cel issues. In 1944 she was a member of the Famous Studios color department organizing a party at the Capitol Hotel. Three hundred people attended the bash. Next summer Famous promoted Bernice Steinberg from Opaquing to Analyzing. Steinberg later went to Academy Pictures. In April of 1955 she opened Ani=Live Editing Service.
The record is sparse on so many people in the animation biz. For example, was the following strip done by Nicholas Irwin of Terrytoons, or by Frank Irwin, who’d been on DAFFY DITTIES for John Sutherland, or maybe Nina Irwin, who Top Cel mention once-or-twice.
The 1951 Santa (above) isn’t signed, but Dave Tendlar did 1952 (below).
Neal and Margaret Sessa added to 1954 festivities with a comic strip and by placing an ad.
This one signed S.K.2 might be from Sam Kai, who ie known to have animated at Tempo and UPA.
Jim Logan
Howard Beckerman shared his insider’s take on a typical New Year’s theme among animators.
Ron Fritz was about to leave Lars Calonius with Dan Hunn when he contributed this piece . . .
Ray Favata closed 1958 out . . .
Don’t know who C.R. is from 1960…
Can’t even read the signature on this 1961 cover.
Tom Jurkoski who did this 1965 wrap-around cover is elusive.
Phil Kimmelman’s best guess is that the Santa on the 1967 cover is Lu Guarnier. It was Ed Smith’s last Christmas as Top Cel editor, so perhaps it’s him.
Izzy Klein took over as editor and drew many of the covers himself.
And finally … from Ed Smith…
Happy Holidays to all!
BOB COAR made his way in this world as a muralist and sign painter, illustrating on just about every surface imaginable. A life-long fan of animation, he is currently searching for digital, or actual, copies of Top Cel. 
The card depicting Popeye’s spinach-bedecked Christmas tree was drawn by Sidney Pillet, an animator at the Fleischer studio during the Miami period. After the war he went to work for Walter Lantz; he may have been one of the employees who lost their jobs at Fleischer to make way for returning servicemen.
The card attributed to Steinberg appears to have been a collaborative effort, as the six drawings are done in very different styles; the one on the upper right looks like a Lascaux cave painting. The drawing on the upper left has a signature just above the woman’s shoe; it looks like “Upton” to me. As for the rubber-hosey angel labelled “H. M. N. S.”, I don’t know if that’s meant to stand for something other than His Majesty’s Naval Service, but either way I don’t get the joke.
Dave Tendlar seems to have had a real flair for cheesecake. It’s too bad he was never able to indulge this in his animation.
In the immortal words of Popeye, “Seasin’s Greetinks to youse all!”