Christmas century, Saint Nicholas was well known in the Netherlands, and the practice of gift-giving in his name spread to other parts of central and southern Europe. At the Reformation in 16th–17th-century Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or "Christkindl", corrupted in English to Kris Kringle, and the date of giving gifts changed from December 6 to Christmas Eve. The modern popular image of Santa Claus, however, was created in the United States, and in particular in New York. The transformation was accomplished with the aid of notable contributors including Washington Irving and the German-American cartoonist
Thomas Williams (cartoonist) Thomas Williams (cartoonist) Thomas Watson Williams (17 October 1940 – 8 May 2002), was an English cartoonist. Born in Stockton-on-Tees, Tom Williams attended art college in Newcastle in the early 1960s. He became an animator for leading British animation studio Halas & Batchelor shortly after leaving college. In the early 1970s he left the world of cartoon animation & began illustrating in the hugely popular British comics published by Fleetway. Amongst the titles he illustrated were "Shiver and Shake", "Whizzer and Chips", "Cor!!" and "Monster Fun" where he drew one of his most celebrated characters Creature Teacher. Towards the end