A Garfield Christmas!
Before you settle in for tonight’s video, make sure you’ve checked out the super enormous new article on the main page, which uses an old home movie to examine my family’s 1986 Christmas party. I don’t get to cover such meaty topics very often.
(Or maybe you should save it until you’re more awake, since it’s like ten bazillion words long? Your call.)
It’s the final minutes of December 1st as I sit here. Writing that giant post reminded me of how the literal entirety of my Decembers used to be all about Christmas. I’d think about it constantly and do Christmassy things constantly. I routinely messed up in school during December, because I just couldn’t be bothered with anything that had no tangential tie to Santa.
Doing these Christmassy countdowns on X-E and Dino Drac for so many years has been my way to keep the season meaningful for me. If it makes yours a little more meaningful in the process, that’s a great bonus.
Make time for the season, if you can. It can be pretty therapeutic once you get past the bullshit parts.
Maybe start by setting aside 22 minutes for A Garfield Christmas, which is by far my favorite of Garfield’s holiday specials. It’s so good, guys.
The Thanksgiving special is just kind of there, and as much as I love Garfield’s Halloween Adventure, watching it now is mostly for nostalgia’s sake. This one, though… this one still holds up.
The touching moments still touch me, and the sorta funny moments still seem sorta funny. Like I could totally see this still being an annual network television thing irrespective of Garfield’s current pop status. This stupid cat cartoon transcends, man.
When you’re done watching it, you might also enjoy this old post, in which I tried to name every single gift Garfield wished for at the start of the special. It was hard to do.
A Charlie Brown Christmas!
Guys, it’s here! DECEMBER! Augh!
TIME MOVES TOO FAST.
I’m in the middle of building a Christmastastic post to kick off Dino Drac’s big month, but I didn’t want to leave you hanging. Let’s start December with a true classic. Here’s A Charlie Brown Christmas:
Okay yeah, it’ll be on television, and it’ll probably be on television more than once, but I don’t think an extra viewing will hurt you!
Dated? Maybe, but I can’t imagine the Christmas season without it. (Not hyperbole, either. I honestly cannot remember a single Christmas season that slid by without me watching this at least once. Everything from the jingle of Lucy’s coins to the reveal of the “refurbished” tree still gets to me.)
Enjoy!
Sonic Christmas Blast!
Here’s Sonic Christmas Blast, from 1996:
If I’m reading things right, the special served as a coda for the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon series. Expect lots of yelling and bright colors. Enjoy!
Cabbage Patch Kids First Christmas.
Let’s break tonight’s entry into sections, just for kicks.
HOLIDAY NOTES:
1) The main page just got its annual Christmas facelift, with an all-new header from the amazing Jason Week. (I know Thanksgiving is over, but can I add Jason to the “Things I’m Thankful For” list?)
2) The Christmas Jukebox has been reactivated. Look for the jukebox graphic on the right-side column of any page on Dino Drac. (That this silly playlist has become a traditional part of many readers’ holiday celebrations warms my heart. It hasn’t been updated since 2008, but tying it back to earlier versions, some of you have been listening to that jukebox for over 10 years now!)
3) There’s also a new article — the first of this year’s editions of Classic Christmas Commercials. (Nice assortment in this one, too. They’ll make you wanna knit things and drink spice.)
SURVEY TIME:
I think we’re overdue for a good one.
In the comments, name three of your favorite childhood Christmas presents. (Or presents you got for whatever it is that you celebrate.) Let’s make 15 the age cutoff.
I’ll go into greater detail in the comments if I can’t fall asleep, but my quick picks: The Star Wars AT-AT (it was like getting a second dog), the Coleco ALF plush doll, and let’s throw in The Legend of Zelda.
TONIGHT’S MOVIE:
….well, tonight’s TV special, at least.
It’s The Cabbage Patch Kids First Christmas, from 1984. Even if you don’t want to watch it, at least admit that you want to be able to say that you’ve watched it. So just do it.
