The 25 Baubles of Pop Culture! Advent 2022 Day 7

Today's post is all up to fate. If it wasn't for the random pop culture generator I used to help with a large chunk of this Advent, I really don't think in a million years I would have decided to take a look at the world of musicals. Since it wasn't specified, I'm looking at musicals from both the stage and silver screen.

First up is a piece from Phantom of the Opera. For a couple of years, my wife purchased several ornaments based on the Andrew Lloyd Webber production. The ornaments look like a stage, complete with curtains and lime to represent key scenes of the play. My favorite of the ones my wife has is the one for the song 'Masquerade' with the Phantom dressed as a devil hoping to steal a dance with the fair Christine. Produced by American Greeting cards, this battery operated decoration would light up and play about 15 seconds of the song when a button in the back was pressed. A pretty heavy ornament, unless you had a really sturdy tree, this decoration was better suited for your bookcase.

If you want to make your Christmas tree the hottest thing on 4-wheels, might I suggest this replica of Greased Lightning from the musical Grease? Produced by Hallmark, this is a snazzy little piece. Though I think it would have been an awesome touch if they had put the scratch on the side of the car like when Danny races in the culvert and the rival gang's car slices into the convertible. 

To represent my favorite musical, here's one from Stromboli's Wagon. It's a resin TV set with a picture representation of the cast from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Here's a fun fact: the book the musical is based on was titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However, they changed the name to Willy Wonka because producers did not think audiences would go see a film named after soldiers of the North Vietnamese army. 

To represent my wife's favorite musical, I'm sharing this dated ornament available on Cafe Press. I choose this one because on having seen Les Miserables many times, I have seen this very ornament for sale at the souvenir stands at the venues. It's got the iconic Les Mis girl, Cosette, I think along with a red ribbon strand and 2022 date attached.

For those of you who like the DIY approach, I've seen what's being done on Etsy and it's pretty cool. Fans of musicals can actually submit their favorite Playbills and have them turned into ornaments. Proud parents can have the programs to their kids' musicals and plays turned into a lovely memento for years to cherish.

Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock: Where Is It? (Family Comic Friday)

For this week's Family Comic Friday, we trek into an underground wonderland. Join Boober, Mokey, and friends in the all-new young readers graphic novel: Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock: Where Is It?

Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock: Where Is It?
Written and Illustrated by art Baltazar
Published by Archaia
Pages: 32
Retail: $9.99

Gobo is missing something very special. With the help of his best friend Wembley, hopefully he'll find it. But as more Fraggles join the search for Gobo's missing item, will they all come to the realization that pink-haired moppet forgot to tell his pals just what it is he's looking for?

Fraggle Rock: Where Is It? was written and illustrated by one of my favorite all-ages talent, Art Baltazar. The co-creator of such fun titles as Tiny Titans and Aw Yeah! Comics, Baltazar's work is engaging for all readers. He's got a cartoony style that makes iconic characters approachable for both the youngest and most veteran of fans. But what makes me a huge fan of Art Baltazar is his classic Easter eggs! They are added for those keen-eyed fanatics who are looking to share their beloved childhood franchises with the next generation of fans. Plus, unlike Disney Easter eggs, the one's Baltazar hides in his artwork aren't naughty!

I do feel that with a title such as 'Where Is It?', a great opportunity was missed. Instead of a funny story about Gobo and his missing item, the creators at Archaia could have made this graphic novel into an introduction to the world of the Fraggles. There's some many wondrous realms and characters in this book aching for a proper introduction to readers new and established. And just where are the Doozers at in this book?! It's not Fraggle Rock without those mint green miners!

Devoted fans know that Fraggle Rock lies on the other side of a series of holes in Doc's workshop and house. When a Fraggle says that they are going to venture into outer space, they wind up somewhere on Doc's property. Often the Fraggles run afoul of Doc's dog, Sprocket , as one does in this book. But that encounter isn't very well explained and could be confusing to new readers. 

Another aspect that isn't properly established for newcomers are the roles of the Gorgs. They pop up in this story scaring Wembley. But other than Wembley's state of fright, if you were new to this franchise, you would not really understand the why behind the alarm.

This hardcover graphic novel is great for readers aged 5-8. But even an original watcher of Fraggle Rock from the days of airing on HBO will enjoy this book. It's not set up just right for newcomers to the Fraggles. But longtime fans and the young readers they introduce the Fraggles to will have a perfect trip to the land of Fraggle Rock!

Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock: Where Is It? Debuted in print and digital formats on August 14th, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Muppet Show: The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson

Rizzo and his band of rats go on the hunt for buried pirate treasure.
The ever-wild Animal gets domesticated. 
Plus a Kermit the frog impersonator decides to stage a coup as lovable ole' Kermie.

If you ever wished that The Muppet Show could be turned into a comic book, consider your wish granted. Betty Boop's Roger Langridge crafts a 4-issue miniseries starring your favorite Muppet characters and their most iconic skits from The Muppet Show. Muppet Labs, The Swedish Chef, Pigs in Space and Veterinarian's Hospital are all highlighted in this amazingly cozy read.

Every inch of every panel and page is jammed full of gags, jokes and fun. This is a perfect read for a dark, cold night when you are bundled up in a blanket and 3 layers of pajamas. It's that fun! And that insane! If you are a fan of Jim Henson's Muppets, then this 2009 collected work the book for you! 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Sirens #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Today’s Family Comic Friday selection is one that kids of the 80s are going to want to share with their kids and grandkids! Jim Henson’s The Storyteller is back in comic book form in a new miniseries devoted to mermaids and other sirens of the sea!

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Sirens #1
Story by Bartosz Sztybor
Art by Jakub Rebelka
Published by the Boom Studios imprint Archaia
Retail Price: $3.99

If you were a kid growing up in the 80s and had HBO, then you have got to be familiar with Jim Henson’s The Storyteller. Though the show only lasted one very short season, episodes were shown as reruns well through the mid-90s. The award winning series starred Doctor Who’s John Hurt as The Storyteller. Sitting in front of a roaring fire, the narrator regaled his faithful pooch with thrilling, yet obscure, European folk tales.

A 4-episode revival series based on Greek myths debuted in 1990 with Michael Gambon (the Harry Potter series’ Dumbledore) starring as the fabulist. Now some 30 years later, Jim Henson’s beloved creation has returned in an all-new 4-issue miniseries. This time the focus in on stories of mermaids and other sirens of the sea.

Issue #1 focuses on the lesser known tale of ‘The Mermaid and the Fisherman’. This Polish folktale is not to be confused with the story of the Warsaw Mermaid, of which the maiden of the sea is a national icon. However, I wouldn’t doubt that the tale was somewhat inspired by the Warsaw Mermaid as there are some similarities between the two legends.

In this debut issue, a fisherman has his heart set on raising enough money to buy a stunning fishing vessel. No matter how well the angler does on his daily catch, the money his receives is never enough to make him happy. That is until one day when the sailor hears the song of a Mermaid. Having imprisoned the creature, the fisherman soothes his savage spirit to her enchanting song. But at what cost?

Archaia makes the wise move of using native talent for this opening tale. Warsaw’s own Bartosz Szytbor pens this epically sad tale of the sea. But to me, what really blew me away was the amazing artwork of Jakub Rebelka.

Namesake’s Rebelka paints the entire story. His strokes and moody dark tones are quite reminiscent of a lot of Polish folk art that I have seen. I know quite a bit as my wife is a third generation Polish immigrant and I’ve spent a lot of time learning of her family’s Eastern European heritage. That aside, the passion and angst of every character in this issue is masterfully done by the Polish master artist.

This new miniseries based on Jim Henson’s The Storyteller is both entertaining and education. Children of all ages can experience a small slice of Polish life without the indigestion of consuming too much kielbasa and sauerkraut. I only wish that Archaia had gone just a tiny bit further and included a 1-2 page section on something factual  and educational about Poland. I would love to have seen a closing segment on other Polish artists or maybe a fact sheet about the importance of the mermaid in Polish culture. Maybe this is something that could be worked up for the trade collection???

A great opening chapter in a legendary series. It will delight both kids and the adults who grew up watching the show!

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Sirens #1 debuted in print and digital formats on Wednesday April 3rd, 2019.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Fraggle Rock #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Fraggle Rock #1

Written and Illustrated by Jared Cullum
Published by Archaia

Welcome to another edition of Family Comic Friday. Today we travel deep underground to visit with those distant cousins of the Muppet family- the Fraggles!

The first of a 4-issue mini series, Fraggle Rock #1 features all of your favorite characters- Boober, Red, The Doozers and many more. But the focus of the first story is Mokey. The resident artist of Fraggle Rock has lost her muse and she’s very afraid that she’s lost it forever. Mokey’s friends seek to help the artist rediscover her passion for art. However, it  soon becomes clear that only Mokey can regain that love for art that she’s lost.

This was an extremely quick read. Large portraits of the caves of Fraggle Rock take over most of the pages. I thought Jared Cullum’s watercolors were just gorgeous. Though I could not remember all of Fraggles name, I recognized every single one of them in this story. I am quite impressed with Cullum’s talents.

Fraggle Rock has long been considered a gateway between the preschool fun of Sesame Street and the more grown up humor and parody of the Muppet Show. Readers ages 6-10 should really enjoy this new miniseries from the Boom! Studios imprint, Archaia. The words are not too big for readers in grades 1-4. One thing I did find troublesome is that the print is kinda small.

The format of this book is not the traditional rectangled shape of a comic book. Instead, it’s square like a Little Golden Book. So that could make for a little bit of reading difficulty, especially for the grown-ups who might be reading this with the young reader in their lives. Also, these squared comics do not fit in either a standard protective sleeve nor a standard comic book storage unit.

One cool thing about this Fraggle Rock miniseries is that there isn’t a cliffhanger. The story ‘Mokey Loses Her Muse’ is done by the end of this issue. While events of this tale might spill over to the other 3 issues, I don’t think you will feel lost if you miss an issue. But why would you want to do that?

I know as a youngster that if a comic had a ‘To Be Continued’ at the end, I would either feel cheated out or afraid that I wouldn’t be able to get the next issue to continue the story. Cliffhangers often would result in my passing them up as I didn’t want to chance missing out on the rest of the story. Major kudos to Archaia for deciding to make their miniseries comprised of one-and-done stories!

This was a nostalgic read that will appeal to older readers. It was also a magical and whimsical reader that shall delight fans of all ages. More storybook than comic book in terms of design, it’s still a work of sequential art. All four issues when published should make for some great reads during summer vacation or just an afternoon by the pool.

Fraggle Rock #1 was published in print and digital media on May 9, 2018.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

This review was published concurrently on Outrightgeekery.com.