A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story

Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol is a favorite of mine. I make a perennial effort to enjoy the holiday classic in some way. A couple of years ago, I went to a school play. Last year I watched the historical account of it's creation in The Man Who Invented Christmas. This year I consumed A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story by European comics creator Jose-Luis Munuera.

Originally published in France in 2022, this 2023 edition by Cinebook Expresso was one that I ordered last year. But due to a shipping delay, I didn't get it until early January, 2024. So I waited almost a full year to read this book.

The big twist is that the role of Scrooge is gender swapped. In fact most of the characters are gender swapped. Ebenezer Scrooge is now Elizabeth Scrooge. The Ghost of Christmas Present is portrayed in the appearance of a boy while Christmas Present is a woman. Only Bob Cratchit and his family seem to be the only main characters that remain in their original sex. Marley too.

From the very beginning, Munuera's version is an almost word for word depiction of the original Dickens work. So much so that I started wondering what was the point of switching genders if nothing had changed. It wasn't until Scrooge is visited by the first of the three ghosts that we see any sort of deviation from the source text. 

In the 1843 novella, Ebenezer Scrooge is despised by his father, as his mother died while giving birth to him. Here, Elizabeth Scrooge is hated by her father, as Mrs. Scrooge left him, resulting in the patriarch hating all women. That alienation of parental affection motivates her to become successful. It's Elizabeth's genius at numbers and finance that results in her becoming a shrewd businesswoman and one of the leading money lenders in all of London; if not also the most despised. In a male dominated later Victorian era England, it's no wonder that Elizabeth Scrooge is bitter against the world, in turn seeing the frivolity of the Holiday season as a waste of money and time. However, it's Elizabeth's strong feminist ideals that makes her miss the true meaning of Christmas.

When in the future, Elizabeth sees how people react in a state of almost rapture when they learn of her death. That doesn't bother Scrooge because everyone dies eventually and it brings her no closer to accepting Christmas into her heart. No, it's when she learns of Tiny Tim's tragic death does Elizabeth Scrooge change and she doesn't really even change all that much. 

When Elizabeth returns to her present day, she basically becomes the secret benefactor of Tiny Tim's medical bills. Heck, she doesn't even become a second parent to the lady like Ebenezer does in the original. Yet, Elizabeth Scrooge now seems to be engaged in an ongoing war against God, threatening to do battle with the Creator should he prematurely take the life of Tiny Tim! No joke! She actually threatens God and the Ghost of Christmas Future! 

Sure, now Scrooge makes donations to the poor and has a slightly repaired relationship with her only living relative, the gender swapped niece Winifred. However this Scrooge is not really any different to the rest of the world. She's still got a huge chip on her shoulder because she's the only female financier in a male dominated society. 

I think one of the biggest problems with this book is how Munuera portrays Tiny Tim. He's not as endearing as Dickens made the iconic character. He doesn't have that dogged determination to make the best of things despite being inflected by some dread disease. Tiny Tim also doesn't express mercy on Scrooge. Not once does this version bid tidings to all by exclaiming 'God Bless Us, Everyone!' Instead, he calls Scrooge 'Stingy', at the Cratchit Christmas meal. I think had he bestowed Christmas cheer to his father's boss, Elizabeth Scrooge might have become more bonded to the child. Instead, she's more impressed by his business acumen when Tiny Tim tells his family that he was able to figure out the value of a fairy tale characters secret bounty. 

I'm not sure who missed the point of Charles Dickens classic: Elizabeth Scrooge or Jose-Luis Munuera...

I thought Munuera's artwork was stunning. I thought I was looking at stills from an animated movie. It was so vivid and life-like. Marley's Ghost was so chilling looking. As for Elizabeth Scrooge, well she wasn't old enough to be Scrooge. In almost every presentation of A Christmas Carol on stage and screen, Scrooge is an old man. In this graphic novel, our Scrooge is maybe in her late 40s, tops. That was a big swing and a miss. 

One might argue that making Elizabeth look old and spindly prevents her from being portrayed as a strong female character. I've known several old ladies who've scared the hell out of me. Maybe Munuera could have used them to convincingly change this Scrooge in a way that was more in line with Dickens's Scrooge!

A great first half. Amazing art. But the second half fell flat and the main character just didn't look right for the part. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)

I make it a point to enjoy some version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The story has been a seasonal favorite of mine ever since I saw it performed by ducks, beagles and a mouse in Mickey's A Christmas Carol all the way back in 1983. For this year's version, I not only got a retelling of the Dickens' classic, I also caught a glimpse at the life of the famed British writer. 

It's 1843, London. After the success of the highly popular Oliver Twist 4 years prior, Dickens has issued a trio of works, all duds. The writer is buried under mountains of debt due to burning his financial candle at both ends. Forced at an early age into working at a factory when his family are thrown into a debtors prison, Dickens swears never to live in such poverty ever again. So while renovating a lush mansion with his wife and multiple children, the writer also gives generously to many social causes and charities. However, with the failed novels, Dickens' source of income has all but dried up.

The writer gets inspiration for a ghost story set at Christmas from a series of random events, including stumbling upon a funeral in which nobody came to pay their respects and the hiring of an Irish maid whose family traditions with Christmas intrigues Charles. There's only one problem with a book set at Christmas: in 1840s England, the holiday isn't really all that big of a thing and no publisher wants to publish the book.

Determined he's got a hit on his hands, Dickens decides to self publish the book. It's a desperate move that could see him and his family in debtor's prison should it fail. Plus in order to get the book into stores in time for Christmas, he's only got about 6 weeks to get it published. But first, he's got to write the thing!

The first couple of chapters flow easily. He imagines his characters interacting with him on a daily basis, letting the plot's course evolve naturally. It's when faced with blow-back at the death of a very popular character in the book does Dickens encounter writer's block. Added to the creative impasse is the trauma Charles encounters when his mother and father come back into his life. Now as his characters demand an ending, the writer learns that Scrooge isn't so much based on people he's met in his daily life; he is Scrooge!

As Dickens writes what will become known as A Christmas Carol, the characters he creates recite large passages of the book. I found myself quoting the book along with Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and others. This shocked me. I've always thought it's odd that characters in movies and TV can quote these lengthy passages of Shakespeare and other classics. Apparently, I can quote A Christmas Carol. Who knew?

The Man Who Invented Christmas seems to have not been a hit when it debuted in theaters back in 2017. It only netted about $10 million dollars worldwide. Coco, Justice League, and Murder on the Orient Express dominated the November box office. Throw in December's lineup with films like Pitch Perfect 3, one of the rebooted Jumanji films and The Last Jedi, this little Christmas movie didn't have a chance. Jump ahead 6 years and I came across this airing on a movie channel on Dish. I remember that my wife expressed interest in the movie when she saw the trailer back then. I was also interested. So, I DVR'd it and watched it over a cold and rainy weekend! The verdict- I LOVED IT!

While I had thought for some reason Steve Coogan was playing Charles Dickens, the film managed to really catch my interest. Dan Stevens was very good as the troubled writer. Yet when I think of Dickens writing this book, I don't visualize him being so young. Christopher Plummer was fantastic as Scrooge. Though I feel like an opportunity was missed not having Sir Patrick Stewart taking on the role, based on his annual theatrical performance of the work as a one man show. Jonathan Pryce is once again marvelous. (Note: he sure is in a lot of movies I like!) This time, he's Charles' father, who struggles with the loss of reputation and pride from his time in debtor's prison. 

I really enjoyed the film. Though it only has 1 real scene occurring during Christmas, this is very much a Christmas movie. A Victorian Christmas movie! Full of some of the best scenes from A Christmas Carol! And it was based on a 2008 book by Les Standiford. One of which I look forward to making it a part of next year's tradition of further exploring the world of a Victorian London Christmas invented by Charles Dickens!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Classics Illustrated: Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol & Notes

This 1997 edition of Classics Illustrated Study Guides reprints the original 1948 released, featuring the artwork by Henry Kiefer. Unfortunately, the artwork has been digitally retouched to the point that all of Kiefer's original nuisances have been destroyed. I was able to find several original pages of artwork from Classics Illustrated #53 and let me tell you that whomever at Colorgraphix recolored this reprint should have been arrested for desecrating artwork. Everything looks so flat and bland. There's no depth as the original shading has been all but erased. If you ever get a chance to read this book in its original form, I ask that you not judge Kiefer's art based on this edition. This volume is just not up to his masterful standards!

This was a fine retelling of the classic that basically gave birth to much of our modern Christmas traditions. There's also a large article at the end of this book that deep dives into the intricacies of A Christmas Carol. The story's life on stage and screen, a life history of Dickens, even a study of the importance of Christmas pudding are topics examined in that study guide. I only wish that essayist Debra Doyle would have explained why Dickens called this story A Christmas Carol when there's no music or lyrics to be found. That''s a tidbit I'd love to learn about. 

Including a list of study questions, this book is like the Clif Notes of Graphic Novels. While this version is much more economical to my wallet, I'm not sure if the retouched artwork is worth the savings.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Ghostbusters: Past, Present and Future #1

One of the richest men in the world is annually tormented by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Unwilling to change his wicked ways (because he loves being filthy stinkin' rich), the modern day Scrooge hires the Ghostbusters for their most lucrative bust ever! With a chance to net $4 million dollars, Ray, Peter, Egon and Winston will work Christmas Eve to capture these iconic ghosts. However, none of the Ghostbusters have clue just how dangerous these holiday spirits truly are!

I really enjoyed this take on Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I don't think I can have enough of that holiday trope. It's just so fun getting to see how characters celebrated Christmas in the past and I like seeing what the holidays could be like. But I do feel that writer Rob Williams (Project Superpowers) and artist Diego Jourdan (Astro Boy The Movie: Official Movie Prequel) missed a big opportunity for some fun Easter eggs.

Bill Murray, who played the ever so snarky Peter Venkman in the Ghostbuster films, also played Frank Cross in the 1988 Richard Donner holiday classic Scrooged. So peppering in some cameos from one of two of the characters from that movie would have been hysterically brilliant. Sadly, it just doesn't happen.

Alas, I feel like IDW wasn't allowed to utilize the likenesses of the actors in the films. There's one panel that occurs in the Christmas future where an older Venkman looked like an elderly Bill Murray. Other than that, you really can't tell the difference between Ray and Peter as the both look alike. This makes me wonder if that's why Egon wears these weird goggles that allow him to look at things on the ghost spectrum throughout this entire book. Without that differentiating eye wear, maybe readers would have had real trouble figuring out which plain looking white guy Ghsotbuster is which. 

There's a bit of a mystery here. As I was reading this book, my mind kinda touched on a solution to that mystery, but I dismissed it. So when the twist pops up, I was quite surprised. And maybe kicking myself a little for being so close and yet so far... At least the answer to the mystery wasn't Gozer!

A very festive story. A great use of a very common holiday plotline. Some missing chances to pay tribute to other holiday classics. The artwork of the 3 main Caucasian characters was bland and kinda cookie-cutter. But the amazing writing and the great representations of the spooks saved the day here!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Elvira's Haunted Holidays #1

In the 1980s, DC Comics attempted to revitalize The House of Secrets. Instead of host Cain, DC opted with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. As the horror hostess with the Valley Girl accent was the dominant personality of the decade in schlock horror, it made sense to tie her in with the reboot. For some reason, it just never worked. But before DC evicted Elvira from the premises, they managed to eek out this 1987 holiday special.

Elvira stars in the main story which is a parody of A Christmas Carol. As with the Dickens classic, 3 spirits visit Elvira in hopes of bringing back her holiday spirit. Then a small time crook gets the idea to play Grinch on Christmas Eve. But before he can make off with the family's goods, the con runs into a blind girl who can actually see things quite well. Lastly, on a not too far off Christmas Eve, extraterrestrials make first contact with Earth. Only it appears that thanks to a nuclear war, it appears this first contact was too late!

This was a very good one-shot in the vein of The House of Mystery's signature twist endings. But I thought that the Elvira story could have been better. Instead of giving back her Christmas spirit, writer Joey Cavalieri (Spider-Man 2099) should have made it where it was the Halloween Spirit that Elvira needed to regain.

Now I know that this is a Christmas special. But I think if you made it where the scenes from the past were of Victorian England and kept the future scene where Scrooge sees his grave (only now with Elvira as a substitute), then a Halloween themed story would have worked! And it would be more fitting with the character of Elvira.

A festive way to say good-bye to the House of Secrets!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Marvel Classics Comics Series #36

The Marvel Bullpen of 1978 presents Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. 

Marvel Classics Comics Series ran for 36 issues. I've been trying to collect this entire series. So finding out that this finale was Christmas related was a double bonus.

I love the story of Scrooge, a trio of seasonal ghosts and Tiny Tim. I make it a point to read at least one version of the story every year. And this version from the House of Ideas was the one I selected. This adaptation felt fresh to me. There were a few aspects of the Dickens tale that I have never noticed before. As the dialogue seemed to be almost directly taken from the original script, I am not sure if those aspects are due to artistic license or just things I've never noticed before. 

One thing that still sticks in my crawl is the whole idea of the 3 ghosts visiting Scrooge. If you read over Marley's account of how Scrooge will be visited by them spectors, it seems like the whole story will take place over 3 nights. So Ebeneezer shouldn't get into the holiday until at least December 28th- morning time. Yet without fail- and without explanation- the whole event occurs on Christmas Eve night going into Christmas morn. 

Maybe I just don't understand Victorian Era time. 

Lastly, I want to mention the introduction. It was an enlightening account of Charles Dickens' life. However, the year given in which Dickens divorces his wife is listed as earlier than the year they get married. This series was recently released as a deluxe omnibus. I wonder if the 42 year old typo was caught during the remastering process or not...

A great adaptation. It's got some flaws. But I really enjoyed this version. It was quite festive. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Classic Toys from a Madman's Youth: Advent 2019 Day 9

I made an executive decision for today's Advent. See, I've been working on this Advent for several weeks, researching and drafting ideas. I had another toy planned for today. But a recent review I posted on this blog inspired me to make a change. 

A couple of days ago, I reviewed Disney A Christmas Carol Starring Scrooge McDuck. It was a recent birthday gift from my wife. As I was reviewing the graphic novel from Dark Horse, I remembered a much beloved set of toys that I got over the 1984 holiday season. I'm talking about Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie and ole' Scrooge himself- all in stuffed animal form!

If you read that review, you'll know that I was a huge fan of Mickey's Christmas Carol. It debuted in theaters; to which I remember going to see it with my mom at the old Cameron Village movie theater in Raleigh, NC. You might also recall that in one of my previous Advent posts, I recalled that unlike today's almost instantaneous release of films on home media formats, it could take a couple of years for movies to come out on VHS in the 80s.

In the Fall of 1984, the fast food company Hardee's ran a promotion to coincide with the long-awaited release of Mickey's Christmas Carol on home video. For a period of 5 weeks, you could go to Hardee's and get one of 5 plush figures based off of the characters from the animated film. 

(I think you could have also bought the movie at the restaurant. But I am not certain on that.)

I remember each Friday night after we visited my grandparents after school, we'd stop at the drive-thru of the Hardee's near our house. My mom would order a Pepsi for her and a stuffed Disney character for me. 

I loved those guys. I remember putting them out on display for the Christmas season for many years. Uncle Scrooge wore his purple nightshirt and cap. Mickey, Minnie and Donald were in Victorian era garb. Goofy was decked out like an English gentlemen. The only problem is that I really thought Goofy was colored blue like a ghost. But apparently, I remembered that wrong. I guess I got that mixed up with later beanbag versions of these guys released by Disney in the 90s. 

Oh well... I still have fond memories of them. 

Needless to say, the promotion was a success for Hardee's. There was at least one or maybe two more runs of plush Disney. Characters such as Dumbo, Pinnochio and Bambi were sold in the years to come. I collected those too. But the first wave was and always shall be my favorite!

As my Advent present for you today, I thought I would share with you the commercial for the plush dolls from all the way back in 1984. If they inspire you to go out and grab a set for yourself, may I recommend eBay? 

Enjoy!

Disney A Christmas Carol Starring Scrooge McDuck

One of my favorite of all-time holiday films to watch is Mickey's Christmas Carol! It stars Uncle Scrooge as Ebeneezer Scrooge; the miser who hates Christmas and all who love the holiday. 

The film started an obsession for me as I feel in love with ducks from like age 8 until 10 or so. I loved real ducks. Fake ducks. Ducktales! All of it. When I got to meet some Disney animators, the character I asked them to sketch for me was Uncle Scrooge! I loved ducks that much- until one bit me! (But that a story for another day...)

A couple of months ago, this book dropped. Why it came out in October is beyond me. But when it debuted in stores, I immediately asked for it publicly on social media. And my loving wife, knowing of what a fan of holiday comics I am, got this graphic novel for me for my birthday. Sure, I had to wait a week to read it. But it was worth the wait. 

Other than Donald, who reprises his role as Scrooge's nephew, no other established Disney characters are in this book. Bob Cratchit is played by a beagle looking fellow. Not Mickey. Daisy might be playing Donald's wife. But the character looks too generic to tell. The only other Disney character I might have seen in this graphic novel is the Mickey Mouse comic villain, the Phantom Blot starring as the Ghost of Christmas Future. But again, it's too vague looking of a character to know for sure.

While I would have loved for this to have been a comic book version of the beloved 1983 Disney holiday cartoon, I was rather pleased with the artwork. However, there was one change that I could not overlook. There's no Tiny Tim in this version of the Charles Dickens classic!

Sorry for spoiling, but Tiny Tim is the reason for Scrooge's ultimate change. Yes, scenes from his past and future stir the lead character's darkened soul. But it's the possibility that Tiny Tim will die if he remains in poverty that ultimately causes Scrooge to become a good man. I'm not sure for this massive plot shift. But it was just wrong!

I loved the timelessness of the book. The artwork was really good. But that omission of one of the most iconic characters in not just holiday literature but the whole of English lit kept this from being s perfect holiday read!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

A Classic TV Christmas- Advent 2017 Day 15

Even though I am a huge fan of everything Pittsburgh, I'm taking us on a road trip to a rival city. Next stop, Ohio. The city is Cincinnati. I heard that they've got a rockin' radio station on the AM side. 

So let's turn the dial to WKRP in Cincinnati and see how those loony DJs from the Queen City celebrate the holidays.

Bah, Humbug- aired December 20, 1980

It's Christmas Eve at the station, time for the annual office holiday party.  It seems like a fun time will be had by all until everyone has learned that station head Mr. Carlson, played by Gordon Jump, has forgone with Christmas bonuses! That quickly puts everyone in a bad mood and the party breaks up fast. 

Mr. Carson is the only one left and he decides to partake of some of the Christmas goodies leftover. The one thing in particular that he grabs is a brownie. As in morning DJ Dr. Johnny Fever's (Howard Hesseman) magic brownies. (They're laced with pot, okay???)

Anyways, the brownies put Carson to sleep where he ends up being visited by, you guessed it, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

The spirits in form of various cast members from the show, take him to his days as a young lad at the station when his dad ran it. Then he learns of how times are tough for his current staff. And then he learns of the horrors of automation in the future of radio before the Big Guy wakes up and has a change of heart giving out bonuses to his much deserving staff.

What I really like about this story is how it shows some of the characters when they were younger, albeit by different actors. Plus, it shows what could happen to the station in the future. True, this isn't as glorious a holiday episode as when WKRP dropped live turkeys on the people of the Pineville Shopping Center. But that was a Thanksgiving episode. 

Anyways, my Advent gift for your today is this very episode.

Well, that's all the time I have for today. Enjoy and until next time- Merry Christmas!

Batman: Noel

In a very unique twist, an overworked Batman plays the role of Scrooge as he using the Joker’s latest accomplice as bait for roping in the Crown Prince of Crime.

Visited by several “spirits”, the Dark Knight’s faith in mankind isn’t just questioned, it’s put to the test. It gets a little confusing at times with the shifting of narrators. Plus, you can argue that Batman is Bob Cratchit and Joker is Scrooge- from certain points of view.

The art captures the gruesome effect of I, Joker and Brian Azzuello’s The Joker. Great Stuff by Lee Bermejo that is visually stunning. A cross between Nolan’s universe and the Animated Series.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.