Similar to what we did last year with the Top 25 Cartoon Christmas Trees, A Cartoon Christmas is letting you (AND ME!) skip the usual 1000+ words of grammatically defiant babble on this day of days, while still giving you the opportunity to look at some gorgeous animated imagery.

REAL SANTAS

1. “Classic Santa” from A Disney Christmas Gift

I forget who issued me the challenge, but it was this: Can you find 50 different pictures from cartoon Santas? Well, two years + one post a day, every day in December until Christmas = 50 posts… yeah, sounds easy enough.

2. “Party Santa” from The Snowman (buy it here)

But wait?! There ain’t no Santy Claws in Mickey’s Christmas Carol or A Charlie Brown Christmas! And a few days on the animated advent calendar over there on left are, debatebly, cop out entries… You know, I could do it if I can do cartoon approximations of Saint Nick (i.e. cartoons characters posing as Santa) in addition to the Real McDeal! And that’s how we’re going to break these down: Real and Fake Santas.

3. “Slow Santa” from Sonic’s Christmas Blast (buy it here)

Both are just as fun to look at anyway, right? Oh, and keep an eye out for a third SUPER SECRET category if I can’t meet the numeric criteria.

4. “Magician Santa” from Frosty the Snowman (buy it here)

Please enjoy our last post on the 2010’s Animated Advent Calendar, and feel free to click on image/link to read more on about the special showcase.

5. “Stranded Santa” from A Wish for Wings That Work (buy it here)

And if you feel like buying the DVD, please do it through the Amazon link provided. Doing so costs you nothing, but kicks a small percentage back to us, which helps keep the site up. Or at least we hope it will someday!

6. “Useless Santa” from The Great Santa Caper starring Raggedy Ann

7. “Second Banana Santa” from A Chipmunks Christmas (buy it here)

8. “Sickly Santa” from Christmas Comes to PacLand

9. “Recipient Santa” from A Johnny Bravo Christmas (buy it here)

10. “Shouldn’t Count Santa” from Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus (buy it here)

11. “Skinny Santa” from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (buy it here)

12. “Donkey-Worshiping Santa” from Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey (buy it here)

13. “Massive Santa” from Robbie the Reindeer in Hooves on Fire (buy it here)

14. “Writer Santa” from A Spongebob Squarepants Christmas (buy it here)

15. “Stupid Santa” from Super Mario Bros. Super Show: Koopa Klaus (buy it here)

16. “Smokin’ Claus” from ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (buy it here)

17. “Blink and you’ll miss ‘em Santa” from Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (buy it here)

18. “Captive Santa” from Invader Zim: The Most Horrible Xmas Ever (buy it here)

19. “Young Ginger Santa” from Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (buy it here)

20. “Interstellar Santa” from George and the Christmas Star (buy it here)

21. “Sleepy Santa” from A Claymation Christmas Celebration (buy it here)

22. “Stinky Santa” from Ren & Stimpy: Stimpy’s First Fart (buy it here)

FAKE SANTAS

23. “Robotnik Claus” from Sonic’s Christmas Blast (buy it here)

24. “Opus Claus” from A Wish for Wings That Work (buy it here)

25. “Kermit Claus” (no longer) from The Christmas Toy (buy it here)

26. “Funky Claus” from TaleSpin: A Molly Jolly Christmas (buy it here)

27. “Robot Holocaust Claus” from Batman: Christmas with The Joker (buy it here)

28. “Snoopy Claus” from It’s ChristmasTime Again, Charlie Brown (buy it here)

29. “Donald Claus” from Toy Tinkers (buy it here)

30. “Racist Claus” from Mickey’s Good Deed (buy it here)

31. “Claus of Doom” from Invader Zim: The Most Horrible Xmas Ever (buy it here)

32. “Samson Claus” from A Very Venture Christmas (buy it here)

33. “Squidward Claus” from A Spongebob Squarepants Christmas (buy it here)

34. “Taz Clauz” from Bugs Bunny Looney Christmas Tales (buy it here)

35. “Dale Claus” from Pluto’s Christmas Tree (buy it here)

36. “Goofy Santa” from Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (buy it here)

37. “An Extremely Goofy Santa” Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (buy it here)

38. “Prince Adam Claus” from He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special (buy it here)

39. “BBB Claus” from A Fat Albert Christmas (buy it here)

40. “Sad, Drunk Claus” from Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire (buy it here)

41. “Extinct Claus” from A Claymation Christmas Celebration (buy it here)

42. “Dried Fruit Claus” from A Claymation Christmas Celebration (buy it here)

43. ” Doc Claus” from A Muppet Family Christmas

44. “Redemption Claus” from How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (buy it here)

YET TO BE COVERED SANTAS

45. “Pink Santa” from A Pink Christmas (buy it here)

46. “Worst 2010 Movie Star Santa” from Yogi’s First Christmas (buy it here)

47. “Nothing to Apologize for Santa” from Pee-Wee Herman’s Christmas Special (buy it here)

48. “Warner Santa” from Anamaniacs’ ‘Twas the Day Before Christmas

49. “Ruckus Claus” from A Huey Freeman Christmas (buy it here)

50. “Robot Santa” from Futurama’s Xmas Story (buy it here)

Seriously, thanks to everyone for reading this stuff. Really means a lot. (Now go have a great Christmas!)

An animated gift for almost any smartphone

If there’s anything I have too much of on my hard drive, it’s used and unused cartoon Christmas art. Next to optimizing it for the web, I’d say I spent a ridiculous amount of time last year scaling and tinkering the shots I pulled into the perfect iPhone Wallpaper. So, this year I’m turning that frustration into my gift to you guys! Simply, tap and hold any image below on your iPhone/iPod Touch, save, head to the Photos app and assign them using the “Set as Wallpaper” function on the left. The rest of the work has been done for you.

From How the Grinch Stole Christmas

From Pluto’s Christmas Tree

From Bug’s Bunny’s Looney Christmas Tales

From Frosty the Snowman

From Invader Zim’s The Most Horrible Xmas Ever

From A Wish for Wings that Work

From The Christmas Toy

From It’s Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown

From A Claymation Christmas Celebration

From The Christmas Toy

From Bugs Bunny’s Looney Christmas Tales

From How the Grinch Stole Christmas

From Invader Zim’s The Most Horrible Xmas Ever

From It’s Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown

From Mickey’s Christmas Carol

From A Fat Albert Christmas

From Fraggle Rock’s The Bells of Fraggle Rock

From How the Grinch Stole Christmas

From Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol

From Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town

From Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

From A Muppet Family Christmas

From The Snowman

From Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

From Mystery Science Theater 3000′s Santa Claus

From Mickey’s Christmas Carol

From Ren & Stimpy’s “Stimpy’s First Fart”

From Toy Tinkers

And for a taste of what’s to come on A Cartoon Christmas 2010…

Hope that makes it a little easier to decorate your smartphones this Holiday season. Stay tuned, A Cartoon Christmas is just getting warmed up!

Of all the specials we covered last year (see sidebar on the left), these have the distinct honor of being our favorites.

5. The Bells of Fraggle Rock

I’m a sucker for the almost all the output from Jim Henson’s stable of kind-souled bleeding hearts, but the Fraggles’ special should air every Holiday season in every household around the world. Sure, it’s a timeless tale of Gobo’s personal redemption, as well as the importance of friends and family. However, it’s also a gentle lesson on religious tolerance and importance of all cultural traditions. And the Fraggles pull it off without even mentioning the word “Christmas” once!

4. The Snowman

Truly a Christmas special like no other! Not a word is spoken throughout almost the entirety of the special, and instead the tale unfolds via enchanting interactions between a boy and his snowman come to life and hauntingly unforgettable music. Whereas many older animated shows retain the static look of cartoons pulled off on a television budget, The Snowman whips and pans along with a restrained, expertly shaded elegance giving it a wonderfully unique feel that falls somewhere in between the CGI of today and the 2D drawings of yesteryear.

3. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Being the world’s oldest Christmas specials currently running annually, I figured the Rankin-Bass classic would’ve showed its age more. Nay! Watching it today holds up every bit as well as I’d imagine it did for those old enough to remember the first airing back in 1964 when it was sponsored by General Electric. I wouldn’t even simply attribute its longevity to the timelessness of the subject matter, nor the Burt Ives songs we all know by heart. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is still a thrilling, extremely well-paced adventure starring fully-fleshed out characters and animated with some of the most colorful, stop-motion ambition the world has ever seen. Rudolph defied even my most nostalgic of expectations, and I can honestly say its worthy of its legacy with relative objectivity.

2. The Christmas Toy

I’d watched this a billion times as a kid, but I had no idea it’d hold up as well as it did. As are so many Jim Henson joints of the 1980s, The Christmas Toy is equal parts uplifting and terrifying, deftly pulling off comedy and tragedy at the same time. I suppose one of my favorite tropes, regardless of Christmas, is the premise of “toys come to life” and in the article I discuss how it’s story and characters run parallel to a certain other, ahem… “toy story” we’re all a bit more familiar with today. If you haven’t seen it, I strongly encourage you pick it up bundled with another timeless Muppet classic we’ll be covering this year: Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas.

1. Pluto’s Christmas Tree

Don’t care who you are… If you have eyes, a brain, and an age of over 10, you’ll recognize this Disney short immediately. You probably don’t remember where you first came upon it – hell, I can’t remember where I first saw it (although, an upcoming article could offer a clue…) – but you’re no doubt familiar with the breezy shenanigans of what happens when Pluto tries to protect Mickey’s Christmas tree from a duo of displaced chipmunks. There’s not a single frame within this seven minute cartoon that doesn’t bring me right back to the Holiday sights, sounds, and smells of the family living room of my youth, so obviously, my love runs strong with this one. Please understand how difficult this was to choose over Toy Tinkers!

Against all odds, A Cartoon Christmas is back for another year, bitches! We dare you to care just one more time. All we ask is that you help us out with some Animated Holiday suggestions…

Holy crap, has it really been almost a year since we last covered an Animated Christmas Special?! Couldn’t be helped, unfortunately. Google Analytics dictates we be cryogenically frozen for eleven months since almost no one is looking for grammatically incoherent yuletide bibble-babble about animated Christmas specials come January 1st. And you know, Web 2.0 and all that…

This is, essentially, how we do (From Mickey’s Christmas Carol)

Actually, screw that! We really should’ve posted more regularly as my affection for writing about Toons has done nothing but fester and mutate into a colossal red-and-green beast during the hiatus. Additionally, I was quite touched to hear a couple of friends express positive encouragement to carry on after I threatened not to do A Cartoon Christmas again at all this year.

Remember this? So do we!

But that’s what the site is for me, and possibly for those of you willing to nostalgically wade through 1000 words on cartoons the rest of the world may’ve forgotten, too: A true labor of love. (Not to mention a wonderful breather from spewing hyperbole about “those damn vidjagames” 24/7 for me personally.) So yeah… we’re back! And hopefully we’re gonna shake things up a bit.

Here’s some new stuff I’d like to do this year:
-An occasional feature?
-A Cartoon Christmas music podcast?
-Some Contests/Giveaways?
-Some custom art features?
-Possibly a guest writer or two?

Much like the Pac-man Christmas Special, ACC remains fully committed to the utterly stupid as well

Our mission statement hasn’t changed on bit, of course. Humorous write-ups on the animated Christmas specials of our past and recent present, peppered with several dozen hand-selected screen grabs, will remain our primary trade. However, I was wondering if you guys could maybe help us make it a little more interesting this year. Oh, dare I ask the obvious question?

What Christmas Specials do you want to see the A CARTOON CHRISTMAS cover?

Seriously, let us know in the comments below and I’ll see to it that we do a couple of December’s posts specifically based on a couple of your suggestions. (Please no Star Wars, k thx)

I assure you, the He-Man Special is so dumb it should be illegal

As always, we’ll be providing product write ups along with links to Amazon.com, and we humbly encourage you to buy through our links simply because it helps cover the cost of the site. Purchasing through any related product link on A Cartoon Christmas is 100% safe, costs you nothing, and kicks back a pithy percentage of each sale into the ACC coffers. So let’s give this whole Cartoon Christmas thang a shot one more time, shall we? And please, tell us you animated Holiday favorites below, and we’ll call everything square on gifts for 2010.

THE TOP 25 CARTOON CHRISTMAS TREES
From our favorite Animated Christmas Specials!

As a Christmas gift to both myself and A Cartoon Christmas‘s dozen or so readers, we’re going to avoid the usual grammatically-challenged diatribe and skip right to the good stuff: Christmas trees! Who among us doesn’t experience a warming jolt to the cockles at the mere site of tinsel and lights on an evergreen canvas?! (Admit it, Jews… you’re totally jealous!) Please enjoy our final post of 2009… and please do click the images to see an in-depth description of each Christmas special and a shitload of pictures. See ya next year!

25. THE INAUGURAL CHRISTMAS TREE

Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol (1962)

24. THE SILENT CHRISTMAS TREE

The Snowman (1982)

23. THE PUFFIN’S CHRISTMAS TREE

A Wish For Wings That Work (1991)

22. THE BATTLEGROUND CHRISTMAS TREE

The Christmas Toy (1986)

21. THE IMPRISONED CHRISTMAS TREE

Raggedy Ann & Andy in The Great Santa Claus Caper (1978)

20. THE ARCADE CHRISTMAS TREE

Christmas Comes to Pac-Land

19. THE SECOND CHANCE CHRISTMAS TREE

It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992)

18. THE TERRIFYING MEXICAN CHRISTMAS TREE

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus (1993)

17. THE ABOMINABLE CHRISTMAS TREE

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

16. THE ABSENT CHRISTMAS TREE

Robbie the Reindeer in Hooves on Fire (1999)

15. THE CORNBALL CHRISTMAS TREE

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show: Koopa Klaus (1989)

14. THE CHRISTMAS TREE THAT EXPLODED

Toy Tinkers (1949)

13. THE MOST SADISTIC CHRISTMAS TREE

Invader Zim: The Most Horrible Xmas Ever (2002)

12. THE SILLY CREATURE’S CHRISTMAS TREE

Fraggle Rock: The Bells of Fraggle Rock (1984)

11. THE REVISIONIST CHRISTMAS TREE

Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)

10. THE CHRISTMAS TREE OF FORMER GLORY

Bugs Bunny’s Looney Christmas Tales (1979)

9. THE RODENT-INFESTED CHRISTMAS TREE

Pluto’s Christmas Tree (1952)

8. THE CHRISTMAS TREE THAT FIRED THE CREATOR

Ren & Stimpy: Son of Stimpy (1993)

7. THE DUMBASS ETERNIA CHRISTMAS TREE

He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special (1985)

6. THE JUNKYARD CHRISTMAS TREE

A Fat Albert Christmas Special (1977)

5. THE CLAYMATION^TM CHRISTMAS TREE

A Claymation Christmas Celebration (1987)

4. THE CHRISTMAS TREE OF ULTIMATE REDEMPTION

Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)

3. THE CHRISTMAS TREE OF INFINITE SONG

A Muppet Christmas Carol (1987)

2. THE ENDANGERED CHRISTMAS TREE

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

1. THE PATHETIC CHRISTMAS TREE

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

Oh well, Chuck… maybe next year.

Merry Christmas,
-C & H

THE SNOWMAN
Original Airdate: December 24, 1982

SYNOPSIS:
James is a young boy left largely alone in his countryside home during a a winter of epic snowfall. One day he builds a snowman for companionship, and as luck would have it, the thing comes to life! The two engage in lighthearted mischief until the sentient creature of compacted condensation eventually flies the boy to the North Pole for a party he’ll never forget.

BACKSTORY:
The Snowman is one of the few Christmas specials created in my lifetime that still gets significant play damn near every year here in the states. But more impressively, it has never abandoned its Christmas Eve time slot on the UK’s Channel 4 since it first aired back in 1982.

The air? They’re walking on it

Even when viewed from an animation landscape dominated by computers, the hand-drawn care and craft put into this Holiday favorite is evident right from the introductory zoom, which seamlessly take us across miles of snowy countryside and into the bedroom of our star – excuse me, co-star.

Go back to bed, second fiddle!

One of the ways in which The Snowman distinguishes itself is by being one of the only Christmas specials I can remember that contains no dialogue, so as to remain faithful the wordless 1978 book by Raymond Briggs.

Instead, this story unfolds through lavishly animated sequences directed by Dianne Jackson (credited with The Beatles’ character design in Yellow Submarine) and an immensely evocative score, composed by Howard Blake, that pleasantly punctuates the squiggly, crayon fluidity occurring onscreen.

The original book cover and a popular figurine produced in 1985

Though it isn’t altogether “wordless,” mind you, and that’s where history has buried The Snowman’s goofiest trivia tidbit! The Snowman originally aired with an uber-brief, live-action intro featuring author Raymond Briggs himself, who sets the stage before the scene dissolves into animation:

“I remember that winter because it brought the heaviest snows I’ve ever seen. Snow had fallen steadily all night long. And in the morning, I awoke in a room filled with light and silence. The whole world seemed to be held in a dreamlike stillness. It was a magical day. And it was on that day I made The Snowman.” – Every line of spoken dialogue!

Short, personal, and close to perfect. However, following several initial Briggs-introduced airings of The Snowman in the US, a few years later Americans were greeted by an all new introduction from none other than Ziggy Stardust himself: David Bowie?!

Odd choice… but it’s still BOOOOWIE! Click here to view the entire sequence.

On The Snowman’s 20th anniversary in 2002, UK viewers received another updated introduction from British comedian Mel Smith, which I assume was done to accommodate wide screen televisions. Still, it seems a little unnecessary…if for no other reason than that there’s really no point in updating the timeless. People tune in to see something familiar, something traditional. You’ve already managed to strike a chord with viewers year after year, so what’s the point?! NEEEERD RAAAAGE!!!

Sort of like a Calvin and Hobbes who don’t question authority

BREAKDOWN:
With no catch phrases, licensed music, or celebrity appearances you could say that The Snowman is nearly impossible to date. It’s a stone-simple tale of a boy and his imaginary friend that should have no trouble appealing to television viewers of all ages, especially when wrapped in the shell of the Christmas season. Besides, you’d think if they were going to adapt anything to modern times, it’d be the scene where James and Snowy steal a motorcycle!

Note: DO NOT CUT THIS!

Barring a little Grand Theft Auto (they returned it!), the boys spend the bulk of the 26 minute special engaging in childish hijinks, until Snowman experiences a bit of homesickness while playing unattended in an unlocked freezer (again, no edit please!). And that’s when things get batshit beautiful:

The Snowman takes young James by the hand and they zip over mountain tops, oceans, and several other landmarks I’d presumably recognize if I’d ever been to England.

It’s truly a gorgeous sequence thanks to the breathtaking floating camera effects generally not associated with televised animation of the day, and the hauntingly sweet song that accompanies the flight, entitled “Walking in the Air.” I could try and describe it with more incoherent babble, but you wouldn’t you rather just watch it?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spFJEIjBwFs]

Each and every scene of the pencil-etched serenade is astounding to behold, but this especially is one of those TV moments that never fails to give me goosebumps year after year.

The fact that none of the other attendees bothered to bring a human shows we have a ways to go in snowpeople relations

James and the Snowman land at what we can assume to be the North Pole, with a gaggle (I can say that because they flew in formation) of other snowmen in tow, just in time for the Christmas party to end all Christmas parties!

These snowmen ’bout to set it off!

And if reanimated clumps of weather drunk off their asses weren’t enough to delight the kid in all of us, James gets to meet the one and only Santa Claus…

You’ve all fantasized about it!

…who then chauffeurs James around the arctic shindig of hard partying snowmen as the guest of honor! And if that weren’t enough to send the 10-year-old inside you into a jealous rage, Mr. Claus even introduces him to a couple of reindeer before giving him his Christmas gift early!

TRIVIA: The name tag on that present is how we know the boy’s name

Oh, a scarf… The very same one you saw Mr. Bowie wearing above. But if you think flying all that way to the North Pole in your pajamas for inexpensive winter wear is a bit of a letdown… well, then you probably also forgot The Snowman’s ending.

mommy…

I was too lenient on Christ yesterday so 0 out of 5 Crosses! (He’ll get over it.) Whatever your belief in the man, can’t we all agree that until the savior adopts a better wardrobe, he is utterly ill-equipped to survive in an Arctic climate?

Big Time Amazing! It’s quite humanizing to see the big guy cutting loose the day before a horrendous shift. Plus, his first appearance makes for one helluva climax!

“WHAT UP!”

Wow! Our first 5-Baller! Though I doubt many of you will dispute me. If you’re my age, you’ve probably seen it a hundred times. If not, you can probably remember Nickelodeon running short infomercials for The Snowman on VHS year round. That shouldn’t really qualify it as more spirited, but for the purposes of this blog, it sorta does…

PRODUCT INFORMATION (Support the site!)

The Snowman is available on DVD with the David Bowie intro listed as  a special feature, although many people have complained that the disc does not in fact include it. I can’t imagine that should hamper your enjoyment, but you’re free to continue looking since there are about a thousand different versions available. The book is a fine expensive choice, and I never knew that plushie existed so I bought it immediately.

Yesterday’s Christmas Special
MISTER MAGOO’S CHRISTMAS CAROL

Dude… Christmas rules amirite?! But as we “The Children of the 80’s,” grow older, crap like work deadlines, the price of airfare, and gift-giving budgetary restraints do their damndest to damper our Holiday Spirit year in and year out. Let ‘em try! I’ve got a backlog of DVDs with enough Xmas Mojo to keep even the most terminal case of Yule Tide Blues at bay.

I too was once frustrated and bored by the Holiday season, increasingly cynical of the “commercialism of it all” and all that jazz. But the reason Christmas is marketed in such a way is because, quite simply, it works! No other cultural event conjures such a specific mood, music, and feeling anywhere close to that of the majority of December, regardless of how much Hallmark and Best Buy would like to manufacture one. Just because I can’t get behind the current Target Superstore, Hanna Montana version of “The Christmas Spirit” doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have one at all, right? Hell, I’m entitled to one… we all are.

Home Video to the rescue! I’ve managed to find tremendous solace within Christmas Specials I grew up with as a kid. Charlie Brown, Mickey Mouse, and Kermit the Frog still have the power to rip me out of my day to day drudgery and place me smack dab into a place and time where I truly felt the Christmas season was magical and meant something. Clichéd though it may sound, once I throw on one of these Christmas Specials, my brain is whipped to a place and time where I smell firewood, enjoy bad music, and experience a childlike anticipation for gifts I know I’ll never receive.

Unfortunately, most of the specials near and dear to me no longer air on television with the frequency they used to, if at all. Sad, but who knows? Maybe that’s why I like ‘em. Either way, I figured there’d also be a sizable chunk of people out there in Internet land that would, too.

As an animation nerd, nothing warms my guts more than a traditional Holiday favorite. However, I also derive sensational amount of pleasure from getting re-exposed to the good ones I forgot existed, and yes, the bad ones we all wish didn’t. I’ve done my damnedest to track down personal favorites, and personal punching bags, through the various means provided to me by 21st century existence, and I’m trying to lay out one a day for public recollection from now until Christmas Day.

An Animated Advent Calendar for all to enjoy!

Wish me luck,
C.Ant

PS: I encourage anybody to suggest any particular Christmas specials you’d care to see covered here. I’ve also provided Amazon.com links to any specials available on DVD. PLEASE CLICK! Buying through us won’t cost you a dime, but will contribute a small portion of your purchase to the site in order to keep it going!