Although the story of Santa Claus is quite old, it was the American illustrator and cartoonist Thomas Nast that created the American perception of Santa Claus. The first illustration  is called "Merry Old Santa Claus" and was published in the January 1, 1881 issue of Harper's Weekly. Notice how Santa is chubby, jolly, and bearded - hallmarks of the modern Santa. Nast had drawn an earlier cartoon of Santa in 1861, also in Harper's Weekly with Santa wearing stars and stripes. It is interesting to see how his portrayal of Santa, in an magazine aimed at adults, lead to a the change in the way children perceive Santa.