Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol!


Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol has long been the holiday special I most enjoy! The nostalgic goofiness of casting the irascible Magoo as Scrooge was inspired, and further transforming Gerald McBoing-Boing into a version of Tiny Tim a fantastic idea. There are more grandiose and more elaborate interpretations of the Charles Dickens holiday classic, but few that pierce the essence of the famous literary work with more precision or more fun than does this 1962 bit of witty animation. This is the one that kicked off the tradition of holiday-themed animation for television. 


Jim Backus is as always amazing as the myopic blundering Magoo. While once a radio, movie and television personality of some note, it's clear that Mr. Magoo has become his lasting legacy to us all. 


Certainly no one needs to be told this story of a greedy miser who lives only for his wealth, wealth accumulated at the expense of all those around him and even, as he learns, himself.


A man we see and who sees himself as a young boy and young man disappointed by those around him and who seeks solace in his vast wealth and relative if limited comfort.


He discovers that others enjoy the holiday despite their meager incomes and circumstances, and they celebrate those parts of life which are not dependent upon the cold vagaries of the marketplace.


And of course, he learns that he himself will die alone and little remembered at all, save as selfish old man who put himself above all else. 


But it is the miracle of this classic that Scrooge learns his lesson and changes his ways to become a different man who supposedly will live into a very different future. It is the kind of miracle that we can, each and every one of us choose each day to make a difference. It is a timeless tale, which speaks to all of us who get caught up in our own lives and forget that so many others in this world need our help and our attention.


So, you've unwrapped your presents, now enjoy the day and see to it that others do likewise. I'm going to try to myself. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all! 

NOTE: This is an Annual Dojo Holiday Classic. 

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Wednesday, December 24, 2025

The Christmas Spirit!


The Christmas Spirit is a collection published by Kitchen Sink and gathers up Eisner's holiday tales. The gimmick is that during this singular holiday, The Spirit can take a break as a greater spirit takes over and works its tiny miracles. Eisner began these stories in his very first year on the strip and continued them right up until he was drafted. After his return they began again, creating some of the best stories from the venerated series. Below are the splash pages for the stories in this collection. 










"Joy" was written and illustrated by Will Eisner for the December 21st, 1947 installment of The Spirit Section. By this time, Eisner had produced many "Christmas Spirits" as these stories were dubbed, but this one was different. It's presented as text on single panels. Always an innovator, Eisner's technique here is exquisite and typically the story is full of character and spark. In a mere seven pages Eisner unfolds a modern fable, a tale of child who finds the land of his dreams.


This was the very first Spirit story reprinted by Warren Magazines in Eerie #54. It's a very odd choice, since it's so atypical of a standard Spirit story. Certainly, folks seeing The Spirit for the very first time must've been quite surprised by subsequent tales which hewed closer to standard comics format. Jerry Grandenetti is credited with the backgrounds on this story. Abe Kanegson did the lettering. This version has lush colors by Rich Corben.







"Joy" is just that, a story to fill your heart with the proper seasonal feeling. Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. Thanks for stopping by.

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Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol!


Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol has long been the holiday special I most enjoy! The nostalgic goofiness of casting the irascible Magoo as Scrooge was inspired, and further transforming Gerald McBoing-Boing into a version of Tiny Tim a fantastic idea. 


There are more grandiose and more elaborate interpretations of the Charles Dickens holiday classic, but few that pierce the essence of the famous literary work with more precision or more fun than does this 1962 bit of witty animation. This is the one that kicked off the tradition of holiday-themed animation for television. 


Jim Backus is as always amazing as the myopic blundering Magoo. While once a radio, movie and television personality of some note, it's clear that Mr. Magoo has become his lasting legacy to us all. 


Certainly no one needs to be told this story of a greedy miser who lives only for his wealth, wealth accumulated at the expense of all those around him and even, as he learns, himself.


A man we see and who sees himself as a young boy and young man disappointed by those around him and who seeks solace in his vast wealth and relative if limited comfort.


He discovers that others enjoy the holiday despite their meager incomes and circumstances, and they celebrate those parts of life which are not dependent upon the cold vagaries of the marketplace.


And of course, he learns that he himself will die alone and little remembered at all, save as selfish old man who put himself above all else. 


But it is the miracle of this classic that Scrooge learns his lesson and changes his ways to become a different man who supposedly will live into a very different future. It is the kind of miracle that we can, each and every one of us choose each day to make a difference. It is a timeless tale, which speaks to all of us who get caught up in our own lives and forget that so many others in this world need our help and our attention.


So, you've unwrapped your presents, now enjoy the day and see to it that others do likewise. I'm going to try to myself. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all! 


NOTE: This is an Annual Dojo Holiday Classic. Sword and Sorcery will resume tomorrow! 

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The Red-Nosed Reindeer!

1950

1951

1952

1953

1954

1955

1956

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

1962

1972

1973

1975

Spring 1976

Winter 1976

Winter 1978

Summer 1978

1980

Without question one of the most charming creations in all of comics is DC's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Of course DC didn't "create" Rudolph at all. Rudolph was the creation of Robert May who worked for Montgomery Ward. A guy named Denver Gillen drew the first Rudolph and Montgomery Ward realized what a marketing goldmine Rudolph could be. Rudolph was adapted to cartoon form in 1944 by Max Fleisher and later in 1947 or thereabouts Johnny Marks wrote the song recorded by the great Gene Autry. The song was a blockbuster and in 1950 DC came out with its first annual issue of The Brand New Adventures of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

The series lasted for the entire decade of the 50's and into the 60's until ending with the 1962 "Giant" issue. A decade later DC revived the series for its tabloid size Limited Collector's Editions series and Rudolph again appeared somewhat regularly through the 70's. Rube Grossman handled most of the work on Rudolph in his original 50's run and Sheldon Mayer took the helm in the 70's. The final issue of a Rudolph comic by DC was a Best of DC digest in 1980. I especially love Rudolph's snow-topped logo (doubtless by Ira Schnapp) which I notice they ditched for his inexplicable "summer fun" issue (which seems to be the work of Gaspar Saldino to my eye).

Here is a delightful adaptation of the very first DC issue from 1950 transformed into a cartoon of sorts. 



Below is some original artwork by Sheldon Mayer featuring Rudolph, Santa, and the whole North Pole gang.




There is a charm and a whimsy to Rudolph which is hard resist. DC would be well-served to dig up the character and issue some reprints for the modern market. I don't know what the license issue might be (and licensed characters seem not to be something the Warner bosses want to deal with) but it wold make a delicious trade.

The management of the Dojo (me) hopes Santa (and Rudolph of course) brings everyone what they wish for this Christmas. 

More Christmas fun coming later today. 

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