A Horse Story, A Santa Story, a Dog Story

Sarah B. sends this excellent video, noting that "War Horse is a huge success...it is also a FICTION...try explaining that to the legions of fans!"

Yes.  So much of what we believe is fiction and much of it of recent vintage too. 

For example, did you know that the image of Santa Claus, as we know him today, was created by American Thomas Nast who was hired to draw a picture for Harper’s Weekly of Santa bringing gifts to Union troops fighting the Civil War, and that Santa was partly drawn to resemble Uncle Sam? 

Santa's red suit showed up in 1931 and is "Coca Cola red" because it is the product of a Coca Cola ad drawn by Haddon Sundblom, with the fat laughing Santa we now have in our minds modeled on a real-life retired Coca-Cola salesman by the name of Lou Prentice.

And is it any different today?  How much longer before someone writes a book about The Kill Devil Terrier of the Minnesota White-Toed Chipmunk Dog?

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