Forty Years?

Of course, I also re-watch 1983's "Mickey's Christmas Carol" every holiday season as well and it's always fun!

Hard to believe it's 40 years old this year!

The Cartoon Research website just posted a nice article about it.

Read it here!

Good info as expected from Cartoon Research!

Double Back!

The Enesco Jack-in-the Box representation of Ebenezer Scrooge seemed a bit off-model, but this one from Department 56 seems even weirder:

I get such a weird vibe from that!

Department 56 also issued one featuring Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, which I think is much more successful:

Tiny Tim also got a solo box:

I like him better with Bob, though!

Back in the Box!

Here's one from the Collectibles Corner: an Ebenezer Scrooge Jack-in-the-Box from Enesco:

Is it me, though, or does this look more like if there had been a Mrs. Scrooge?

Especially on the box!

"The Sesame Street Storytime Calendar" (1982)

A new year always brings new calendars and 1982 was no exception, with that year's "Sesame Street" calendar featuring scenes from classic stories for each month, with the Muppets taking on the parts, as illustrated by Michael J. Smollin.

So, December wisely chose "A Christmas Carol":

Oscar the Grouch naturally takes on the Scrooge part, which anticipates 2006's "A Sesame Street Christmas Carol," although in that special he was still himself as a Scrooge surrogate.

Bert is portraying Bob Cratchit and Ernie would be Peter, as he's wearing one of Bob's collars, which is a nice touch.

The calendar's cover points out that these are the "Sesame Street" Muppets, as opposed to "The Muppet Show" Muppets, who, of course, later featured in 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol."

So, a nice little vignette here!

As a bonus, let's go back ten years to 1972, for what I think was the first "Sesame Street" calendar (the show had premiered in 1969).

It interestingly features art by the legendary Jack Davis, best-known for his work in "MAD" magazine.

Here's the December page:

It never fails to amaze me how Jack Davis could do spot-on caricatures that still look like Jack Davis characters!

And a shout-out to the late Bob McGrath, who passed away at age 90 last month. Rest in peace.

Another!

Here's another animation drawing featuring Scrooge and Tiny Tim, this one from 1983's "Mickey's Christmas Carol":

Pretty cool!

A Good Deal?

I know these things are a racket:

But it still sounds like a good deal!

No Christmas Spirit!

 This ad has an interesting take as it tries to make us feel sorry for Scrooge:

Is this a reformed Scrooge looking to buy a gift or unreformed Scrooge looking to drown his sorrows?

Still Gold!

Keeping the Mickey thing going, here's a coloring book from 1984:

The publisher is "Golden," so it must be related to Little Golden Books?

In any event, for those keeping score, that's Dewey doing the painting on the cover!

Galway!

The title of this 1986 Christmas album from RCA is "James Galway's Christmas Carol," which sounds like "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol" or "Mickey's Christmas Carol." but, no, this is not an adaptation starring the Irish flutist as Scrooge:

There doesn't appear to be any direct relation to the Dickens work, but Galway's outfit does look Victorian and the music would not be out of place in an adaptation!

Still More TV!

Also from 1984, here's the "TV Guide" description for the premiere of George C. Scott's version of "A Christmas Carol":

Seems like they got it right!

More TV!

And here's an ad from 1984 for the first time that "Mickey's Christmas Carol" was broadcast on TV:

That definitely was a big deal!

"Make That Money (Scrooge's Song)" - Alice Cooper (1982)

"Make That Money (Scrooge's Song)" (1982)
Alice Cooper
Warner Brothers

Also from the not-my-area-of-expertise and as something of a follow-up to yesterday's song, we have Alice Cooper singing about the still-unrepentant Scrooge:

Actually pretty catchy!

I still feel more at home in 1945, though!

"A Christmas Carol Christmas Book" (1984) - Stave Five

We wrap up 1984's "A Christmas Carol Christmas Book" featuring stills from George C. Scott's TV-movie with Stave Five:

Pretty cool book on the whole but more of a curiosity than anything!

"A Christmas Carol Christmas Book" (1984) - Stave Four

 Time for Stave Four:

These stills are very atmospheric!

"A Christmas Carol Christmas Book" (1984) - Stave Three

We're up to Stave Three of "A Christmas Carol Christmas Book" from 1984 with more stills from the TV-Movie:

Edward Woodward was a really good Ghost of Christmas Present!

"A Christmas Carol Christmas Book" (1984) - Stave Two

Next is Stave Two of "A Christmas Carol Christmas Book" from 1984 with stills from that year's TV-movie starring George C. Scott:

I think these pictures represent the story and the special well.

"A Christmas Carol Christmas Book" (1984) - Stave One

Now we're ready to start looking at the different staves from "A Christmas Carol Christmas Book" so we can enjoy the stills from the 1984 TV-movie.

So, here's Stave One:

Pretty fun!

"A Christmas Carol Christmas Book" (1984) - Introduction

"A Christmas Carol Christmas Book" (1984)

Armonk (New York)

Text: Tim Hallinan

Photography: David James

We turn from the edition of "A Christmas Carol" illustrated with scenes from the 1982 animated feature to another book similarly illustrated, but this one had still from the celebrated 1984 TV-movie starring George C. Scott!

The cover of the book gives the source away and this book does acknowledge that the scenes are from said special.

Here's the little blurb:

Kind of hyperbole. I guess they're saying that "Scrooge" from 1970 (being in color) wasn't  filmed on location and that "Scrooge" from 1951 is less faithful. Kind of odd brags!

The mention of the "first section" of the book refers to this thing going "Uncle Toby" on us with a bunch of other chapters devoted to other Christmas traditions.

Here's the table of contents:

Here's a sample chapter page:

Very interesting that they use the same picture of Charles Dickens that the last book did!

Here's a nice montage of the cast from the TV-movie:

Next, we do the inevitable stave-by-stave breakdown!

"A Christmas Carol" - Gallery Books (1985) - Stave Five

We now come to Stave Five of that book we've been looking at (running out of ways to rephrase the topic sentence each time):

I think this works pretty well as a book for kids. I like some of the character designs and this format doesn't suffer from the limited animation that's an issue with the animated film.

Interesting at any rate!