Tom Ridgewell’s ready to ‘take down’ your favourite holidays (Picture: PA)

YouTuber Tom ‘TomSka’ Ridgewell is releasing a new book, and he’s coming for Christmas.

With more than 5 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, the self-proclaimed ‘wild card’ is most well-known for his series asdfmovie, and comedy sketches which rely on his dark sense of humour.

Co-written with Eddie Bowley and illustrated by Dorinah Herdewijn, Sam Kills Christmas is set to be released on 8 November and follows the story of a child who is on a mission to vanquish his arch-nemesis, Santa Claus, once and for all.

Yeah, we meant it when we said ‘dark’.


Never one to take himself too seriously, Tom revealed in a YouTube video that the book came about because he needed to blag his way through a meeting with his publisher.



Having signed a two book contract and releasing his first book Art Is Dead in 2015, he was stuck for ideas.

‘I went into a meeting with my book publishers, and they were like “what’s your second book?” and I panicked and made up this,’ he explained.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Tom elaborates: ‘In the wake of Zoella’s Girl Online, book publishers were clambering to sign on YouTubers hoping to ride the wave. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I wasn’t going to make anyone rich but you just don’t turn down a book deal!’

He adds: ‘I sat on my hands for a couple years until I finally had something to offer that wasn’t just a cookie-cutter cash in and ta-da!’

Having grown up as a Jehovah’s Witness, Tom tells us that ‘”Christmas” was a dirty word in my house’.

‘No gifts, no tree, no carols or crackers. I’d have to be isolated to a separate classroom when the other kids were engaging in festive activities (I got very good at cutting out snowflake decorations for the school windows though).’

What can we say? He’s a man of many talents.

‘I definitely grew up with no love for the season and a twinge of bitterness over it,’ he adds.

His hope is that kids who are bored of generic picture books enjoy the book’s twisted humour, as he mentions that it’s aimed towards younger versions of himself: ‘It’s just for like edgy weirder kids.’

Edgy? Weird? Nah, we don’t see it.

The YouTube star is known for sketches which rely on his dark sense of humour (Picture: DarkSquidge/YouTube)

‘Honestly, I’m just hoping people find Sam Kills Christmas fun and unique,’ Tom tells us. ‘I didn’t grow up with any Christmas as a part of my life so I like to think I have a different perspective on the holiday.

‘I’m certainly not hoping any kids are inspired to take on their own quest for vengeance against a mythical being.’

Most of all, he wants all kids to feel like they can relate to Sam – the vengeful, violent child whose heart is described as ‘ice-cold’.



#Relatable, right?

‘I really wanted to keep Sam gender-neutral because I didn’t want anyone to think the story wasn’t for them,’ Tom says.

‘I’ve heard of parents and kids dismissing books because they assume it’s “for boys” or “for girls” and that’s daft so I did away with the concept altogether. Hell, Sam would’ve been mixed-race if I didn’t need it to be visually obvious that they’d been adopted.’

As for future books, Tom’s realised he’s found a niche and he’s ready to do away with all your favourite holidays.

‘Hey, if people love Sam Kills Christmas, I’ve got a whole list of other holidays I wasn’t allowed to celebrate,’ he says.

‘Valentine’s Day? Halloween? Easter? Let’s take ’em all down!’

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