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

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Spring 1976

Winter 1976

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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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Memorial Day!

Reading high fantasy such as the works of Tolkien is delightful. It's invigorating to follow along with heroes as they struggle against deadly foes. In a work like this war and battle are glorified, and death is filled with meaning and the dead are venerated. That's what we're doing today. Many have given their lives to protect the democracy which is so at risk in the current year. 

The United States has never been the ideal it strived to be. It was a reaction against monarchy, there was to be no return of a king in this land of the mostly free. Slowly, much too slowly all of its citizens came into their sufferance and were allowed to participate in the control of their own lives. Slavery was ripped away in a bloody war. It was replaced by decades of a bitter segregation which sought to foil the dreams of free citizens. Later still women at long last got their right to vote and later than that the right to control their own bodies, if only as it turns out for a few precious decades. 

Always there was the struggle against those who had the power already, just as we see today. They guard it jealously, just the enemies in Tolkien's works guarded their wealth. They seek power over others just as the villains in Middle-Earth sought control over everything. We cannot allow the sacrifice of so many to be in vain. We must, with our action and our votes do what we can to protect the land and the freedom to control our own lives. We must do this in memory of those who have given their all.

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The Ghost Who Is Green?

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

The Phantom was created by Lee Falk specifically for the black and white pages of daily newspapers. Falk said that the color of his distinctive outfit was to be grey, but that information was not apparently widely disseminated because when the character's popularity grew worldwide, and eventual color presentations were needed there is a wide array of hues used. In some places the Phantom is red, in some he is blue. I grew up with a purple Phantom. But once upon a time when the strips were reprinted form the pages of The Australian Woman's Mirror, the figure on the cover was a bright green on the first and third issues. 

But that wasn't a conscious decision so much it seems merely convenience because the Phantom is red on the second issue. 

And not much of any color at all on the other two covers in the run of the 1939 reprint. 

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Love And Kisses!

This robust and mildly psychedelic kissing scene was rendered by Charlie Armentano.

It served as the back cover to the 1971 issue of 100-Page Super Spectacular Love Stories which featured a Bob Oksner image on its front cover. 

I can only find one other cover produced by Armentano about this same time for an issue of Super DC Giant. It's as psychedelic as the other, but less potent I think, though still quite handsome. 

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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. We return to our year-ending coverage of swords and sorcery tomorrow. 

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