The Simpsons: Homer For the Holidays

Enjoy the holidays with America's favorite family... in comic book form!

While most would incorporate the Simpsons with Halloween because of their annual Treehouse of Horror episodes, Christmas is synonymous with Bart, Lisa, Marge, Maggie & Homer. That's because their first full-length episode ever was a festive tale titled 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.' Technically, that was really The Simpsons Christmas Special and not the first episode. Yet, both Fox and fans have determined that the holiday special was the pilot and thus considered the premier of The Simpsons animated sitcom. The rest is 35 years plus of television history.

This was one of my last Christmas and holiday themed reads for 2023. If I had realized how much Hanukkah material was in this book, I would have started on this one a few weeks earlier. Of course! Krusty the Clown is Jewish! How could I forget how much of an icon to the Festival of Lights Krusty is. I didn't say he was a positive icon. But so many episodes of The Simpsons involve Krusty's ancestry and faith as a Jew, that it's natural here to have several stories and segments devoted to the celebration of those 8 crazy nights. 

Homer for the Holidays is not the definitive collection of Simpsons holiday comics. This collection was published in 2010. Bongo Comics would continue releasing Simpsons comics for another 8 years. That's not including titles devoted to individual Simpsons characters such as Bart and Lisa. I know off the bat that a Treehouse of Horror story in which Lisa dreams that her live Christmas tree enslaves the people of Springfield wasn't included in this book. And while a couple of New Year's themed adventures are here, there aren't any Thanksgiving stories and Bongo produced at least 1 Turkey Day set issue.

In the past 2 years, Harper Collins, operating under the defunct Bongo imprint, have been releasing omnibuses devoted to all of the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror annuals. I'm hoping that after Volume 3 releases next autumn that maybe an omnibus of November-February holiday tales might be forthcoming. It would save me a lot of time and money and I'd buy it, even though I've already collected and read a sizable chunk of Christmas and Hanukkah Simpsons comics. 

Just something to put out there to the publishing team behind those massive Halloween collections.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The 2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge is HERE!!!

My reading challenge has been a success on a couple of FB groups. And I've had a ton of fun with it as well. This year as the used book store I used to work with to make this challenge is now owned by new proprietors, I reached out to members of those groups and got some suggestions from them to create this year's challenge. With their input, I think this the 3rd annual challenge will provide even more unique readings for me and you all who choose to participate!

Best of Luck!

THE RULES- which in 3 years haven't really changed:

1. I must read 50 graphic novels or comic books. The only exception is #50, which does involve reading a prose work of non-fiction about comic book history. These criteria can be completed in any order. I do not have to start at #1 and work my way down to 50.

2. I might read a book that fits multiple criteria. But I can only use 1 criteria per book. For example, I might read Star Wars #1 which from the year I was born (1977). As that book was also puclished during the Bronze Age, I could select that one instead. It's up to me to choose which criteria I mark off.

3. Once a criteria is selected, it's off the board. I cannot go back and switch criteria. For example, if I marked off Star Wars #1 as being a book more than 20 years old from my list, I can't go back and switch it to the book that was when I was born just because I am having trouble finding other comics/graphic novels from the greatest year ever!

4. I must write a review of the book in order to receive full credit. Those reviews will be listed as being part of the reading challenge. Every month I will post the challenge list to show my progress. 

5. Finally, I have until midnight, December 31st to complete my readings. That final review must be posted by January 4th, 2024 since life could get in the way. In a year that has seen power outages, cancelled flights and unexpected illnesses, a couple days grace to complete the last review is probably not such a bad idea.

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandria Benedict

A young woman is guilted by the final request of her deceased aunt into returning to her childhood home for one more round of Christmas Games. In the past, the Armitage children would solve puzzles during the 12 Days of Christmas in order to find their presents. But after the apparent suicide of her mother, Lily Armitage hasn't participated in the event in years. With the promise of revealing that her mom's death was in fact murder, Lily agrees to play the games one last time with her now adult cousins. The winner of the games gets the family mansion, which has been turned into a lucrative hotel. Lily just wants answers. However, someone is willing to kill off the competition for the home with no regard to helping Lily prove her mother did not commit suicide. Lily very well may have to win the game to not just get the answers she seeks, but to survive the holidays.

This very British holiday murder mystery that promises a number of games, some of which are interactive. One mission is for readers to find passages of the book turned into anagrams of the gifts from The Twelve Days of Christmas. I misunderstood the rules of that game thinking that the phrase 'A partridge in a pear tree' was hidden in Chapter One. So I spent way too much time analyzing every unusual looking sentence. It was getting really tedious going back and forth trying to determine if I was right or not. Once I found out that there wasn't a single line of the song in each chapter, I settled down and just enjoyed the book for the complex thriller it was.

This book is full of characters I liked- most of which died. This book also has a character that I absolutely despised. You'll have to read the book for yourself to determine if they lived or not. I kept going back and forth as to who the murderer was. At one point I thought it might be Lily doing the killing because her thoughts often would be expressed out loud in the next paragraph by one of the other characters. That train of thought got me thinking that maybe the whole thing is in Lily's mind. Alas, I must say, that sort of thinking is a red herring. 

To have a family member die and everybody keeps playing the games seemed a bit far fetched for me. The Armitage family get snowed in on the day of the first murder and of course, the phones go out and personal electronics and WiFi has been forbidden to prevent cheating in the Christmas Games. So I can understand why none of the characters make any attempts to go get the authorities as the nearest town is a long ways away. But I refuse to believe that a family, even as callous as the Armitages, would keep playing frivolous party games as the bodies begin to stack up.  Promise of inheriting an expensive home or not.

As much as I had difficulty with that aspect of the book, I kept on reading. I wanted to know more about these family mysteries that kept piling up. I'm pretty sure not all of them are ever fully uncovered. There's talk of one cousin who did something really bad to make them the black sheep of the family. But it's never fully explored. Another cousin has important things to tell Lily. Only they kick the bucket before saying what they know. Actually, I think this happened twice. 

Until I read this book, I didn't know that there was such a demand for Christmas set murder mysteries. However, it turns out that there are a bunch of such books. As I like a good mystery, I very much might consider making a holiday themed mystery novel a new annual Christmas tradition. (Actually, I read a Sherlock novel last year, so I guess I have already started such a tradition.) As much as this book had some implausible elements to it, this work by Alexandra Benedict did get my attention and it kept it throughout its whole 288 page length. Definitely a guilty pleasure sort of thing full of mind benders, deceits and a healthy dose of anglophilia. A passing knowledge of music theory helps. Though as I'm not very good at reading music or playing instruments, I was at a bit of a disadvantage there.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

A Christmas Bestiary by Benni Bodker

A field guide and protection manual in defense of the monsters, ghosts and terrifying magical beings that occupy Europe and Russia during the holidays. I could have finished this book in a couple of nights of reading. However, I learned pretty quickly that this illustrated work by Danish illustrator and filmmaker John Kenn Mortensen and author Benni Bodker, was framed as an Advent. Each day, a different Yuletide terror is featured. I would have thought Krampus would have been selected as the final character of the Advent, considering how popular he's gotten. However, he was fittingly selected for December 5th, as that is Krampusnacht in his native Germany. A few other characters are appropriately highlighted on the days or nights that they are believed to cause their mischief and mayhem.

The beings are rated on a scale of 1-5 pine cones. 1 pine cone means the creature isn't all that dangerous. A 5 pine cone rating means that this is a being not to be trifled with. The level of terror didn't always match how frightening the artwork based on the characters were. However, that splash page of the Yule Goat looking directly into your soul was truly unsettling.

For an Advent, this book only has 24 entries, culminating on Christmas Eve. For many, that might seem weird. But having an Advent calendar at the end on December 25th is actually an American thing. In Europe, where Advent calendars began, most have only 24 days. (As Advent season changes with the calendar, some Advent calendars might be as few as 12 days or they might grow to as many as 28 maximum, depending on the year.)  

A Christmas Bestiary was a fun read. The colder the evening I read these entries, the creepier they felt and that was all the better. One major disappointment I had was that the cover image is nowhere to be found inside. I was really looking forward to find out what this demented, drooling Santa's story was. Alas, it's absent from the book. But maybe his story will soon be told! This book only covers a small fraction of the world. Could a sequel covering the rest of the world be in the works? I know that I wouldn't mind such a follow up. 

Lastly, I don't really know how to classify this book. This English language version was published by Fantagraphics; which is known for releasing a number of comics and graphic novels. Fantagraphics does also publish a small number of regular books of fiction and non-fiction. Technically, this is an Advent calendar in book format. But I bought it from my favorite comic book store which doesn't carry collectible merch. Honestly, if I didn't know about this book from my favorite shop, I wouldn't have picked it up and I have seen it listed on Previews and for sale at other comic book stores. Only, there's no sequential artwork here whatsoever. This book is surely a keeper. I just don't know where I'm going to keep it.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #4

Issue #4, which closes out Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight arrived in stores today just in time for After Christmas Sales! I guess technically, we're still in the 12 Days of Christmas. However, I would have liked to have been able to have finished this story before Santa came down the chimney. 

The finale itself didn't disappoint. After Superman became possessed by the entity that was tormenting Krampus, the combined might of several, but not too many, heroes took on the Man of Steel, some frost giants and a few other Norse creatures of power. Meanwhile, Krampus, having kidnapped Damian Wayne in the last issue, was having a crisis of conscience on par with Gollum and Smeagol about whether or not to just punish the lad or to eat him. The battle scenes were amazing.  Damian Vs. Krampus was riveting. But it was the finale that was just so gosh darn satisfying. 

I will not spoil the absolute ending. I will confirm something however. In the last issue, it was told that Santa had banished Krampus to a nether realm. I speculated that it was the Phantom Zone. This issue affirms my guess. Now why Superman didn't know Krampus was there based on his previous experiences with the dimensional prison is beyond me. Yet, Superman, after he's freed from the evil entity, states that other races and beings have used the Phantom Zone to trap their biggest baddies. So, if a follow-up occurred in which the DC Universe had to take on a slew of villains from other realms that have been imprisoned inside the Zone, I would very much place an order for that story's entire run. 

I just hope Jeff Parker is tasked with writing that tale. 

Silent Knight was a flawless Christmas comic book. Way better than that 80-page holiday annual DC also released this year. This mini-series was proof that you can have a story filled with character both major and minor in relation to their impact to the DCU without having to overcrowd that whole story, nor having to pander to every demographic know to exist. I'm not sure if I'll make this an annual holiday read. But it's definitely a story I will be re-reading often!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #3

A relatively harmless prank resulted in a misunderstanding that led to Santa Claus banishing Krampus to a nether realm. While in this 'negative zone', something caused Krampus to lose his mind. 

So now we know what turned Krampus evil. And we learn why the demonic being becomes a forgotten part of holiday lore. However, that's not what makes this issue worth the price of admission.

There's a ton of monsters unleashed in this issue. Big baddies. Ugly suckers. Some threatening to destroy London. A London defended by Wonder Woman and friends. But that's still not what makes this issue worth the price of admission.

What makes this the single most greatest DC holiday comic of them all is that childlike wonder of Superman in the presence of Santa. Add the contrasting skepticism Damian Wayne has towards Claus and you have this dichotomy of differing views on the magic of Christmas that is just universal. Marvel was a Scrooge this year focusing on a handful of Star Wars Life Day covers and variants of Avengers going skiing. I applaud DC Comics putting out such a book as this that promises to separate fans because of the subject matter. Yet, this is a timeless story that is for everyone and I believe it will become a DC classic.

Great story by Jeff Parker. Amazing covers by Dan Mora. Very good art by Michele Bandini.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

The Christmas Spirit

Will Eisner's The Spirit ran as part of a 16-page syndicated supplement in newspapers from June, 1940 to October, 1952. During this print run, a total of 9 annual holiday set tales were published. (Eisner was drafted into the Army during the height of World War II, resulting in the yule tide Spirit capers to be postponed from 1942-1944.) These stories were published as 'The Christmas Spirit.' In these festive adventures, The Spirit takes a backseat; in fact, he's not even in a couple of these stories. The anti-hero formerly known as Denny Colt refuses to work on Christmas, claiming that another Spirit works in his stead every December 25th. For many fans, these are some of the most beloved stories from Will Eisner's most famous creation and I might just have to agree.

This 1994 trade paperback from Kitchen Sink Press collects all 9 stories. There's also an introduction by Eisner that no fan of comic books should overlook. It explains how the very Jewish Will Eisner came to create a yearly story that became a Christian holiday tradition for millions of readers.

To pick a favorite would be like picking the child you like most. There's so many great stories here. But if I had to select the one that was my least favorite, it would be December 1946's 'A Fable'. In this story, a trio of characters are accosted separately by Central City lowlifes. It turns out that these 3 men are ambassadors attempting to solve the crisis of Post World War II European reconstruction. Should they fail, the region will fall back into an endless cycle of conflict. Each one's individual assaults threaten that peace process. Why was it the winner of my least favored read? For one, the story was confusing. For second, the plot of the story is unbalanced, focusing on 2 of the ambassadors while seemingly forgetting the third altogether by page 2 of the tale.

A product of the 1940s and 50s, there are some outdated elements. Elements such as the exaggerated look of Spirit's sidekick, Ebony, have been lamented over often as poor decisions by Eisner. If you are willing to overlook those dreadful parts of history and see this book as a time capsule of how people thought and acted during the time period, you can enjoy this book. While it has its sins, The Christmas Spirit collection is a heck of a lot more positive than just about anything currently being released by any form of multi-media. 2023 feels like a time where nothing can improve. 1940-51 Christmas Spirit stories felt like there was a promise of a new day on the horizon. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

A Hard Candy Christmas: Advent 2023, DAY 25

 

We did it. Made it to another Christmas.

I finish my 2023 Advent devoted to my favorite holiday candies with the granddaddy of them all- the Candy Cane!

The origin of the candy cane has more theories than the Kennedy assassination. Were they from Germany in the 1670s? Or did some guy in Indiana make them to represent the Shepherd crook? Or was it the candy maker in Georgia who made them to represent the J in Jesus, adding 3 tiny red stripes to represent the Trinity? There's probably a dozen more variations to the story. All I know is that I freaking love them.

I'm not a fan of mint. And before you say that Candy Canes are mint flavored, it's not the same. Mint like in girl scout cookies or mint chip ice cream has a sugary flavor on par with mouthwash. Peppermint is this fiery sweet on par with a mild hot sauce; of which I am not only an expert on, but addicted to as well!

Regular 4 inch Candy Canes are good. But I prefer the tiny 1.5 inch variety. The texture of the candy is more like the peppermint puffs (see Advent Day X). Plus, with the small canes, you can break off a piece and save the rest in the small plastic pouch for later whereas with the regular size, all you have is this straw sized wrapper that really can't get the candy cane from getting yucky in your pocket.

My Christmas tree was decked out in not just lights and ornaments but candy canes as well.  Being a devotee of Mr. Willy Wonka, I appreciate a decoration you can eat. Sure, there are a myriad of other flavors of Candy Cane, and some are pretty good. But nothing beats that original peppermint flavor.

Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #2

The main villain of this story is revealed to be Krampus!

First of all, he's on the cover. It's not a spoiler to say that Krampus is who released those ancient vampire creatures in the first issue. Well, now, he's also behind the release of some Nordic harpies and dozens of other Norse creatures that Santa Claus imprisoned for trying to kill humans; especially innocent children.

There's only one problem: Krampus, while a certified trickster, he's not a killer. Over the centuries, Krampus' threat to eat naughty children has all been part of con in cahoots with Santa. Claus would reward good children with gifts. Krampus would scare the bejesus out of the naughty kids with the prospect of those youngsters becoming his next meal. Just as the little brats wet themselves while promising to be good, Santa would swoop in and make a deal of repentance in return for keeping Krampus at bay. 

The Krampus of this story is a demon. But he's not a fallen angel. Just as this version of Santa Claus is a god, he's not a religious god, Krampus is a secular demon. If that makes any sense. You know how Marvel established that the citizens of Asgard aren't gods but powerful inter-dimensional beings that were at one time in Earth's past worshiped as Gods? Well, that's kinda what happened here. 

Trapped on Earth away from their native realms, Claus and Krampus seek to make the most of their situation. Midnight on every December 25th, the barriers between dimensions weaken. This results in Santa and Krampus having to be out among the populace to capture these new-coming escapees from hells unimaginable. To prevent humanity from living in fear of deadly terrors, Santa Claus and Krampus perform this good cop/bad cop routine involving toys for the kids. Over the centuries, they both became religious icons of the winter holidays. Claus is canonized as the saintly gift giver, whereas Krampus is demonized as an eater of children.

So what turned Krampus into such a being of evil? That's an aspect of his origin story yet to be told. 

This holiday event from DC Comics continues to amaze. Jeff Parker has knocked it out of the park with this tale. I only recently became aware of Krampus in the last 3-5 years. Considering how prevalent he's been in comics and horror films, I'm stunned by how many American kids just don't know of the characters. Maybe this book will help teach our holiday uneducated next generation of the very European figure of Krampus.

Above all, I hope the quality of the last 2 issues of the miniseries doesn't disappoint.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10.

A Hard Candy Christmas: Advent 2023, DAY 24

Today's featured candy is one that has more fond memories for my wife, than it does me. However, I honor it because it's a treat that both of us used to get as kids from Santa. The candy I am talking about are the Life Savers Story Books.

First debuting in 1935, kids could get a book filled with 12 rolls. Instead of each roll being a variety pack, each package was devoted to a single flavor. The 12 original flavors were 'Pep-o-mint, Spear-o-mint, Butterscotch, Orange, Lemon, Wild Cherry, Wint-o-green, Clove, Stik-o-Pep, Butter Rum, Crist-o-mint, and Five Flavor.' Okay, so you got 1 variety pack. I was wrong.

Over time, shrinkflation took hold as it always does. As Mars discontinued flavors, the story book got smaller. Over time, the number of rolls shrunk from 12 to 10 to 8. Currently kids get only 6 rolls in a book; all 5 flavor variety packs.

The package for the life savers has always opened as a book. Half of the flavors were in a plastic sleeve on the left, mirrored with more rolls of Life Savers on the right. I'm old enough to remember the 10 count books looking like this. However in the 80s, the count shrunk to when you opened the book, all the rolls would be on the right side of the book. The interior left page was now a poem or letter from Santa.  

These days, the plastic display window has shrunk as there's no reason to highlight 6 rolls of the same variety. A hole has been cut into the cover to show of the product. The story now splits between the inside top left and top right with the to/from tag printed on the very top of the book. Not a fan of the hard candy variety? Mars now makes a Life Saver Story Book gummies edition. The inside of that book is full of fun and games activities.

Both my bride and I would find one of these in our stockings. Being born a few years apart and from completely different backgrounds, we don't often have similar touchstones when it comes to things we got from Santa as a kid. But the Life Savers Book is one of those things we can both say we got from St. Nick. I'm sure if she longs for any of the original lineup to return. I know that I miss the Butter Rum flavor something fierce. There's actually an online petition asking for some, if not all of the original flavors to return in a special anniversary story book. It might be fun to get one to try some of those vintage flavors like Clove and Crist-O-Mint (what the frick is that?) If it did become available, I know my wife would want one. But I'm not sharing the Butter Rum. Okay... She can have 1!

Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1

When an ensemble of Gotham City carolers are slaughtered by a group of vampiric creatures, Batman is called to the scene. Only these monsters are not in the same category of Kirk Langstrom and his Man-Bat serum. No. These beings are of an ancient eldritch race supposedly long forgotten. At first the magician Zatanna is recruited to find the culprit. But these case is going to require an expert at magic that is as ancient as the creatures behind the murders. 

Enter: Santa Claus!

This! This is what DC Comics needs to be. It was a great story that didn't need to pander to any religion, race, creed, or gender. Yes- this is a Christmas time story. Yes- Santa Claus is involved (though the St. Nick in this story is more on par with Odin). That being said, it's a holiday themed opening chapter that can be enjoyed by Christian, Jew, Muslim, Atheist, even Druid! 

I have 400 Christmas and Winter holiday themed comics in my collection. So I can say with some authority that this opener was one of the best Christmas comic books to come out in years! It was perfect! The banter throughout a sizable demographic of the Batman family. How Damian Wayne was unbelieving in Santa and Claus is just as skeptical of him right back! The terror and wonder of the holiday. The big reveal of the big boss behind the threat of these vampire-like demons!

I loved this issue and proof that Jeff Parker needs to lead the charge behind the 21st century of DC Comics!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

A Hard Candy Christmas: Advent 2023, DAY 23

As you have probably figured out, I love peanut butter. I've already highlighted two candies that utilize it as well as a third candy that contains peanuts. Well for today's Advent, I am going to pay homage to the candy that started me on a lifelong obsession with peanut butter candy. It's the Peanut Butter Kringles made by Palmer.

Kringles are these round chocolate balls filled with an uber-smooth peanut butter. Wrapped in gold, red or most commonly green foil, Kringles are supposed to represent the jingle bells found on Santa's sleigh.

The Palmer Candy Company has been around since 1948. If you must have a chocolate bunny for Easter, chances are you bought one made by Palmer. The company is known more for its style than substance. Palmer makes tons of eye-catching treats like krispie filled eyeballs for Halloween, foil wrapped chocolate hearts with G-rated suggestive sayings along with scores of colorful Christmas treats.

I don't mean to slight Palmer. But I consider Palmer's products to be what families struggling to get by have for the holidays and the company's ingredients prove this. Compare Palmer's chocolate with Hershey's chocolate. For both ingredient #1 is sugar. However with Hershey's ingredient #2 is milk whereas Palmer's loads their chocolate up with palm oil. 

Now palm and palm kernel oil is great for getting chocolate to hold it's shape. This is why Reese's trees come out looking like turds and yet a Palmer Easter Rabbit will never melt in the box at room temperature. So if you are looking for candies with great visual appeal, Palmer is who you need to work with.

As for saying that poor people buy Palmers, I take great pride in that statement. Until about age 9, I got Palmer Kringles as well as other amazing treats made by them every Christmas, Easter and Halloween. My dad couldn't hold a steady job. So my mom, who was a nurse, did her best utilizing discount stores like K-Mart and Roses which sold Palmer products.

Once my dad got a regular job, we moved into a house, bought more extravagant things. Over time, Palmer's Kringles were replaced by Reese's. And though I think Reese's peanut butter is one of the most perfect ingredients ever crafted, I still remember Kringles and it's sister products quite fondly. Heck, sometimes I find myself missing that distinctive tang of a Palmer's Kringle. It might not have been the top shelf chocolate but it was the chocolate I cut my teeth on and I thank the workers at Palmer for their products.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam (Family Comic Friday)

When you're not expecting anything holiday related and there's little bits of pieces of yule tide charm sprinkled throughout the story, in my opinion, it's considered a Christmas Miracle!

When Dr. Eggman's latest plan to destroy Sonic and friends results in the villain becoming obsessed with reality TV, his android henchmen Cubot and Orbot decide to take matters into their own han-, er, claws. By kidnapping Sonic, Tails and his pals from their sunny digs at Green Hill, the robots place them into a frosty arena for the Winter Jam games. With the promise of a Chaos Emerald for the winner, 4 teams are made, competing in events such as holiday decorating and snowball fighting to some rather disastrous effects. Oh the things robot lackeys will go to in order to get their boss back into fighting shape.

Other than the original 1980s Sonic the Hedgehog video game, my knowledge on the franchise is rather small. Sure, I've read a couple of Free Comic Book Day offerings and a Halloween special since then. Due to my passing knowledge on the subject, I don't know enough to really enjoy them. I felt a tiny bit better on this book thanks to recognizing Tails and Dr. Eggman. But that was about it. Still enough, there was a goodly amount of things in this book to enjoy. 

It helped that writer Isamin Omar Ata wrote this story in a way that you don't have to know a ton about the world of Sonic the Hedgehog to enjoy this book. As long as you know that Dr. Eggman has a passion for making things rough for Sonic and pals, you should be fine. Though I'd really like to know more about some of those supporting characters like Froggy, Big the Cat and others. That being said, this book could make a good introductory offering into the world of Sonic the Hedgehog without having to spend a ton of cash on a video game to find out if the youngster in your life is a fan or not. $4.99 is a wiser investment and it promotes reading!

This Winter special was rather wacky instead of violent. I've seen Looney Tunes more dangerous than this book. I know from some of those past issues about Sonic that there can be a lot of fighting, usually involving robots and bombs. Well, there's plenty of robots in this book but no explosives. A flamethrower used for non-violent acts doesn't count, does it?

I had to re-read a couple of sections to make sure I understood the full story. But I pretty much understood the overall plot. A cold weather read that will delight readers aged 8-13; both for fans of the video game and the uninitiated. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

A Hard Candy Christmas: Advent 2023, DAY 22

I've already mentioned the importance of Hickory Farms products during the holidays. Along with the Melty Mints, there's another candy that is synonymous with my Christmas time snacking and that's Strawberry Bon Bons.

In every Hickory Farms gift set, you would have several of these tiny red hard candies decorating the empty space. Each bon bon was wrapped in this red and green wrap that when twisted on the top, they looked like tiny strawberries. The red part of the wrapper was even decorated with these yellow dots to represent the seeds on the berry.

While made of hardened sugar, the middle was soft, containing a dollop of strawberry filling. You basically had 2 options with this candy - suck on them until you reach the center or you pull a maneuver like that owl in the Tootsie Roll Pop commercials and after a few seconds in your mouth, you just crunch into it.

Many of us grew up with grandparents who had a small bowl of these candies floating around the house during the holidays. With this history, the assumption could be made that Strawberry Bon Bons debuted sometime in the 1950s or 60s. However, researchers have found references to this candy dating back to the mid 1800s in France of all places. A food blogger found a recipe from 1861 mentioning these sweets as 'French Style' drop candies. No mention of when companies started wrapping them to look like strawberries. However, most agree that Hickory Farms was the ones who made that the definitive way to package them as dozens of confectioners have since followed suit.

I didn't realize this, but Swiss Colony includes Strawberry
Bon Bons with their gift sets too!

Jingle Belle: The Whole Package!

Jingle Belle and DC's Mistress of Mayhem, Harley Quinn, are cut from the same cloth. Both are the non-conformist bad girl creations of Paul Dini. But as Harley got a bit more crude and more sexualized, the daughter of Santa mellowed out. 

Inspired by a Christmas card from Stephen Spielberg, Paul Dini created Jingle Belle in the late 90s. Debuting in the #13 issue of Oni Double Feature, readers are shown a family therapy session between rebellious teen Jingle Belle and her stern but loving parents, Santa and Mrs. Claus. The first appearances of Jingle Belle were hilarious but a bit shocking. Jingle Belle was slutty, mixing it up with the local Eskimo boys and getting into all sorts of mischief. As the artwork of the various Jingle Belle specials got more refined, so did Santa's little girl. I think her friends Sheriff Ida Red of Mutant, Texas, Halloween witch Polly Girl and frenemy Tashi Ounce helped give the character some balance. Thankfully, Jingle Belle never lost her spirit. She remains a dreaming slacker who when she gets inspiration for something, she goes a bit overboard to the point of utter chaos. Plus, if you tick her off or you mess with her friends, she will destroy you! Man, she really does sound like a certain ex-girlfriend of the Clown Prince of Crime...

Every Jingle Belle story ever told up to 2016 is included in this IDW Publishing Omnibus with 2 exceptions. 'Jingle Belle's Christmas Party' which was published on Dini's website in 2017, is not here. Although some of the preview artwork minus the narrative from that story does appear in gallery in the back of this book. Jingle Belle: The Homemades' Tale was published later on in 2018. (Whew... Good thing I already have this one-shot!)

After 2018, either IDW or Paul Dini lost interest in the character. There haven't been any new comics starring Jingle Belle in almost 6 years. On his website, Dini posted a Dave Alvarez penned work of Belle surfing atop a narwhal on the shores of Hawaii. This was just 3 days ago. And Dini hinted we'd see Jingle Belle again next fall. I hope we'll see more of Jingle Belle soon and not just as a pin-up. I'd like very much to encounter more hi-jinx from her. I'd LOVE it if Dini would have her team-up with Harley Quinn. That would be such an epic Hanukkah/Christmas crossover that I'd buy extra issues to give out to friends and family as my Christmas card for the year!

If Paul Dini, DC Comics and IDW Publishing (if they still own the rights) could make this happen, it would be the best Chrismukkah ever!!!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

A Hard Candy Christmas: Advent 2023, DAY 21

A lot of the candies I grew up with during the holidays were the results of family tradition. Today's featured candy is no exception to that rule. I'm talking about Jellied Fruit Slices. It was a treasured treat that my dad and his brothers would gift my grandpa each Christmas. Being diabetic, he could only have like 1 piece a day. Generally every Christmas, my curiosity over my grandfather's gift allowed me to sample a piece of this tart and sugary delight.

Jellied Fruit Slices are a mix of corn syrup, sugar, neon bright food dye and citric acid and natural flavors. Also called Boston Fruit Slices after the now long defunct Boston Fruit Company, famed for introducing the banana to the United States, these treats look like an actual slice of fruit. Each slice had a soft jellied center, a harder layer that duplicated the peel and a creamy pith section that acted as glue to the two gel segments.

Fruit Slices used to only come in 4 flavors. Orange, lime and lemon as well as cherry, which really didn't seem to fit with the citrus theme. A fifth flavor was added in the 1990s, the pink and yellow grapefruit, which took the place of lime as my favorite piece. Then about 20 years ago, new flavors were added to the mix: watermelon, pineapple, coconut, pear, pomegranate and a couple others were made available in both box sets and individual slices for sale by the pound. While many of these flavors are pretty good, they don't hold a candle to the original lineup up- grapefruit included.

A Christmas Story Christmas (2023)

For some reason, I didn't get to see this movie when it came out last year. Was it streaming only and I didn't subscribe to it? That seems right. Not being able to see the sequel to 1983's A Christmas Story is one reason why I read In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash instead last year. Thankfully, this year, it was showing a couple of times on Freeform or some other cable channel and that I didn't have to wait 3-5 for it to debut for regular customers. 

There have been at least 2 other sequels to A Christmas Story. 1994's It Runs in the Family, later retitled A Summer Story is set in the summertime. It has a couple of actors from the 1983 film as well as Jean Shepherd narrating. Then there's the direct to video A Christmas Story 2 which is considered by many to be a stinker. (I've never seen it.) Though touted as an official sequel to the first A Christmas Story, it's not at all based on any of Jean Shepherd's writings. Considering that and the fact that the creator of these characters died 3 year's prior with no involvement in the 2012 movie, let us decree that A Christmas Story Christmas is the true third film in the trilogy.

The movie opens in the early 70s. Ralph is married with 2 kids living in the Chicago area. He's taking a gap year to try his hand at becoming a writer. Only none of the publishers based in the Windy City want to touch his 2,000 page sci-fi manuscript. If he cannot get his book published by new year's, Ralph will have to go back to a regular 9-to-5 job and give up his dream of becoming an author. 

Ralph's parents are due to drive up to spend Christmas with him and his family when he receives the news that the Old Man, deftly played originally by the legendary Darren McGavin, has passed away. In turn, this means that Ralph's family will instead go back to his hometown of Hohman, Indiana to spend the holidays. 

Wanting to capture the Christmas magic his father was known to be a master of, Ralph plans to make this the best Christmas ever for his wife and kids. With the help of his old friends Schwartz and Flick, Ralph's got some great things planned. But as family injuries mount up, the Christmas presents bought at Higbee's wind up getting stolen and a pair of bullies on snowmobiles terrorizing the neighborhood, Ralph is at his breaking point where he's got writer's block crafting his most important work ever: the Old Man's obituary. 

A Christmas Story Christmas doesn't hold a candle to the 1983 film, which in my mind is a classic. A lot of other people now think of it as one of the best holiday films of all-time. Only I was a fan when it came out on video for the first time in 1984. I didn't have to let it grow on me to love it as others have had to recently. The 1983 film is in my top 3 for sure. While the 2022 follow-up didn't even make it into the top 10 of my favorite holiday movies, it did capture the magic of the first film very, very well.

Having most of the original cast helped. Peter Billingsley was Ralph, only older. I'm not sure if that was his natural voice or he did an accent; but he sounded so much like Jean Shepherd, especially during the narration of the movie. R.D. Robb and Scott Schwartz brought the humor of the best friends Flick and Schwartz, now older but still driving each other crazy. I won't spoil any further cameo treats.

In terms of new actors added to the mix, I thought Julie Hagerty was great as Ralph's mom. Don't get me wrong, Melinda Dillon who played Mom Parker in the first movie was fantastic. I understand that due to her poor health, Dillon was unable to participate. But Hagerty brought that dry humor that made her such a great character in the Airplane films, to the role. I thought the actors who played Ralph's kids were amazing as well. Though, Ralph's son Mark, looks like his real father might actually be town barkeep Flick. Henry Miller who played former high school quarterback turned barfly Larry Novick, stole every scene he was in. And then there was Ralph's wife.

Erinn Hayes plays Ralph's bride Sandy. She's known for playing this more sophisticated wife to schlubby husbands. I don't know why they keep using her for that kind of role. Ralph isn't a schlub. Never has been. He's a dreamer that just can't figure out how to make his dreams become realities. Hayes, while not portraying her normal boorish character, just didn't fit in with the rest of the cast. 

I loved the ending. It, along with probably 90% of the other scenes in this film paid homage to the first movie. I wouldn't mind revisiting Hohman, Indiana again. Both for a rewatch and for a potential series. There's so much material from Jean Shepherd that could be used as a limited series that went back and forth from the depression era to the 1970s. Though, I imagine with the absence of McGavin, who plays a massive part in this movie, despite having passed about 15 years prior, might make the earlier stuff unfilmable. Still, I hope this isn't the end of the A Christmas Story original cast in these roles, because it really feels like more is on the horizon. 

Maybe not a new classic for the holidays. But it's definitely a film that warrants watching to catch up on the Parker family and their friends after A Christmas Story comes to a close with the eating of Chinese turkey. Mini Marathon, people!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

A Hard Candy Christmas: Advent 2023, DAY 20

Until I graduated high school and started working at the mall the day after Christmas, my December 26ths were filled with tackling the after Christmas sales with my mom and grandparents. We'd hit every Hallmark store in Wake County. Then we'd take on the Woolworth's at both Crabtree Valley Mall and North Hills Mall. I remember that the North Hills location folded some time before 1990 when my sister was born. But until then, we'd take full advantage of amazing deals pennies on the dollar for a variety of decent quality holiday stuff that nobody was willing to pay full price for. I recall that one year I was able to build a complete nativity scene with wise men, camels, shepherds and even an angel for like $5. I also vividly reflect buying the confection for today's Advent posting: Anthon Berg Liquor Filled Chocolates.

Woolworth's after Christmas sales involved the use of these metal bins in which the overstock was dumped into. There were dozens of bins. The employees would take packages of candy canes, ornament sets, and other bulk items, break them open and drop them into sections priced at 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents. Every year I would dig through those bins, learning early on how to become a bargain hunter. As I dug, I would find these tiny little bottles wrapped in colorful foil. They looked like miniature versions of the colorful glass bottles my dad would keep on the very top shelf of his study.

I asked my mom what they were and she told me that they were chocolates filled with liquid that tasted like alcohol. I asked her is I could buy some as I had accumulated some money from distant relatives as Christmas gifts the day before. My mom said it was okay since it wasn't really alcohol. So over the course of the next hour or so, I dug through bins until I found one of every variety of those chocolates I could find. I usually found about 10 or 12 different ones each year. As each one was priced at 10 cents each, it only set me back about a $1.25 with tax at the most. 

On the ride home, I would always unwrap my favorite one first to devour on the ride to our next destination, which was more often than not, Crabtree Mall. I loved the silver foil versions that bored the image of a colorful man dressed in red and yellow standing in front of what was clearly the London skyline. (Thank you, Disney's Peter Pan!) The bottle brand was called Beefeater and it promised to taste like a strange brew called gin. Only what my mom didn't know was that there really was alcohol in those chocolates. 4-5% proof alcohol!!!

I was annually buying liqour at a age of anywhere from probably 7-12 years of age. I wasn't being carded. No cashier ever seemed to raise an eyebrow. And considering how much of a teetotaling Baptist my mother was, if she knew that these chocolates really contained alcohol, there would be no way in the world she'd let me buy them!

These days, there's nothing to stop me from purchasing these liquor filled delights. Except for not being able to find them anywhere! The one shop that carried them closed several years ago. I tried ordering some through the mail. That was a disaster as they came half broken and with the liqueur all dried up into this hard sugar crust. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm up for a quick drive because I really miss not having these boozy confections.

A Hard Candy Christmas: Advent 2023, DAY 19

Today's candy returns to the realm of hard candy; although it's actually really crunchy and can easily melt in your mouth. I'm talking about the Peppermint Puffs from Red Bird.

The candy is made right here in my backyard. Crafted by the Piedmont Candy Company of Lexington, NC for over 130 years. About the size of 2 peppermint starlights placed atop each other, the consistency of a puff is meringue-like. Think of those pastel mini mints you used to be able to get for free from a bowl placed near the restaurant cash register before COVID changed all that.

The recipe is simple: 100% cane sugar in liquid form, pure peppermint oil and a touch of red food color for the stripes on the peppermint. Handcrafted. Uniquely formed. It's a product where the quality shines throughout each and every piece.

Red Bird has in the past made a varietal of the puffs called a peppermint stick. It's about 3-4 inches in length and has about the same consistency. The only difference is that the diameter of the sticks is about a third of that of the puffs. When I went to Red Bird's website to research for today's post, I got a little scared because I couldn't find the sticks anywhere. Then I remembered that the Candy Factory in Lexington carries the entire line of Red Bird products, because the Reid family that owns Piedmont Candy Company, used to own the shop located in the downtown district. A quick search there and I breathed a sigh of relief. Whew! They still make them and along with several other flavors that I didn't even knew existed! (There's even an Easter mix!!!)

Red Birds are a candy I remember from the days of visiting Middlesex with my Grandmama. Only I didn't have to budget for peppermint puffs because my Grandmama always stocked up on peppermint puffs for the whole family to enjoy. Even today, I will become a tiny bit greedy and grab a couple extra for myself when presented with them. They're a classic candy that's still as freaking amazing today as they were 30 years ago and they bring back such great memories of family members that I miss so much.

DC's T'was the 'Mite Before Christmas #1

This year's annual holiday release from DC Comics is representative of the complaints many of the fans of the publisher have been grousing about all year. The story telling is pretty darn good; but could be better. The artwork has devolved collectively. And the DCU is just too full of lame characters in an attempt to diversify it's lineup in order to appease every demographic.

As with 80-page giants of year's past, there are 8 stories inside. Batwoman outsources some help when the Riddler terrorizes Gotham over the 8 nights of Hanukkah. Superman gives a dose of his signature hope and optimism to a young man in crisis on a lonely Christmas Eve. Batmite makes a holiday visit to the Batcave where he encounters Damian Wayne for the very first time to disastrous effects. Lex Luthor is visited by a trio of spirits while the Raven is left home alone at Titans Tower during an attack by members of the Fearsome Five. Harley Quinn and Princess Amethyst switch roles for the holidays as a techno-virus turns Booster Gold into a clone of Santa Claus. And then there's a D-level former member of the Teen Titans who feels sorry for himself and receives a dose of It's a Wonderful Life. 

All of the stories except for that last one were of a quality ranking for a 6 or higher. The Superman, Lex Luthor and Raven stories were 9s or better. Booster's tale, the Harley switcheroo and Batmite stories were decent. The Batwoman story could have been better. Yes, it is very heavy on LGBTQ+ themes. But that's not why I ranked it low. The solutions for the Riddler's puzzles were really confusing and that art of the last page looked like it was drawn by somebody else. It just didn't look right from the rest of the story.

The one story that stunk was indeed a part of DC's Pride line-up. But again, that's not why I gave that story a 2 out of 10. It was a lame story about an even lamer superhero named Bunker, who I've never heard of in 40 plus years of reading comic books. That being said, I refuse to believe that someone as virtually unknown as Bunker would really be the catalyst to saving the DC Universe from Dominators. I could think of dozens of low-level characters who would have more of a direct impact over the DC Universe if they weren't born than Bunker. Ragman. Obsidian. Crazy Quilt. CALENDAR MAN!

I'm also shocked that of these 8 stories there's not 1 tale starring a black or Asian character. 

Another thing missing has to do with something I applaud DC for at least making a small effort to include. As I mentioned, the Superman story involves a young man who is about to commit suicide on Christmas Eve until the Man of Steel stops him. Inside the back cover of this book there are a couple of phone numbers and other contacts for suicide prevention including the Jed Foundation for teens and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). As one who experienced a best friend killing themselves (and was a huge DC fan), I appreciate DC Comics including those contacts. But why didn't they include 988, the new, easier to remember phone number of the National Suicide and Crisis hotline??? I asked my wife about this omission and her being a social worker was appalled at 988's absence. 

I liked a majority of this book. The Ben Caldwell cover and the clever pun to A Visit From St. Nicolas with the book's title were awesome. It's just that there was too much focus on characters that aren't big names in DC Comics. I can't believe I am gonna say this but I think it would be best if DC killed off 50% of it's cast of characters. And not for a brief snap like with The Infinity Gauntlet. Kill off all of the C and D list characters. Get rid of all of the legacy characters. Keep it to one Flash, one Robin, one Superman for 5 years. (Multiple Green Lanterns would be allowed. Just not as many as usual.) Write good stories that focus on quality instead of quantity. You can still have black, Asian, gay/queer, and Latino characters. Just make the field of players smaller for a little while in order to appeal to readers who want to be entertained. I understand that people need to feel represented in the media they enjoy. But just because I have a pair of adopted goats, I don't need DC to create a superhero who has a Nigerian Dwarf for a sidekick to feel like I have a place in this world. 

T'was the Bat Mite Before Christmas had good storytelling. Now DC should get back to great storytelling instead of trying to check boxes to make everyone happy. And while you're at it, recruit some new art talent. This holiday special was definitely NOT a feast for the eyes. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.