Statler and Waldorf Advice for the Holidays

The Holiday Season is upon us now, so I think it is essential to post this piece of sound advice: 

THOSE GREAT CHRISTMAS TV SPECIALS!

I don't really know which was the very first Christmas TV special but, as far as I can remember, the first one I saw was "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol".     Ever since then, there have been hundreds of them through the years, but only a few have become classics and of those, I have just a chosen few which I never tire of watching during the holidays . 

These are my favorite Christmas TV Specials, in chronological order: 

MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL (1962)

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER (1964)

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965)

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (1966)

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN  (1969)

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN (1970)

A PINK CHRISTMAS (1978) 

 

BUGS BUNNY'S LOONEY CHRISTMAS TALES (1979)

MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL  (1983)

 Other Christmas favorite viewing treats are the hundreds of Yuletide cartoons and shorts that are featured on every TV channel, streaming service and internet pages and which are easily accessed today by anyone.

I will list a few of these in one of my next blog entries.

MY TOP 10 CHRISTMAS MOVIES

 Every year, at this time, I prepare myself to watch my favorite Yuletide Season movies and I have ranked them in order of preference. They're all great films and their place in the list does not deter from their merits. All 10 are highly recommended if you like classic films and/or Christmas themed movies.

1.-   A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983)

2.-   NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION (1989)

3.-   BABES IN TOYLAND (MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS) - 1934

4.-   THE BISHOP'S WIFE  (1947)

5.-   WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)

6.-   IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

7.-   MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947)

8.-   ELF (2003)

9.-   POLAR EXPRESS (2004)

10.- THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992)

There's also the matter of the excellent and essential Christmas TV specials which I never miss during this season, but that is the subject of my next blog entry!

The Celebrity Grim Reaper

Many celebrities have died during the last few months of 2022 which leads me to believe there is a special Grim Reaper whose specialty is doing away with well known names and who works overtime as the year comes to a close. 

CHRISTMAS TIME!

My 2022 Christmas Tree

After a long decorating process, my Christmas Tree is finally ready and set to welcome all sorts of

 Holiday Cheer!

Double Image

Random House Dictionary defines self-image as “the idea, conception, or mental image one has of oneself.”   What you see when you look in the mirror and how you picture yourself in your head is your self-image. Similarly, self-image has a lot to do with self-esteem. After all, how we see ourselves is a big contributing factor to how we feel about ourselves. However, self-esteem goes deeper than self-image. Self-esteem is the overall sense of respect for ourselves and involves how favorably (or unfavorably) we feel about ourselves. On the other hand, there's the way other people perceive you and, not surprisingly,  most of the time it can be quite different!

Lorenzo's 8th Birthday!

One of my dearest little grandkids, Lorenzo, became 8 years old today! 

A big celebration ensued!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

I guess this is the one that got away, but hopefully you'll be having a delicious turkey dinner today. Enjoy!

“Freedom From Want” by Norman Rockwell, 1943.

MIDNIGHT MESSAGE!

 It's way past midnight. You are half asleep. Suddenly, you hear a ping from your iPhone as it lights up.

You reach for it in a frenzy. Who's sending you a message at this hour? What's wrong? Is it a car crash? Someone's dead? An earthquake is gonna hit? Martians have landed? NO!   

It's just one of those stupid alerts!

Google Photos Collage

                             

                                 This is a good example about why nobody should take selfies after 60.

                                            (The top left photo was taken in 1969. See my point?)

NOVARO: THE MEXICAN COLOSSUS (2017)

                                  Available for a limited time through Amazon's Prime Video:

"Novaro - The Mexican Colossus traces the unknown story behind one of the biggest comic companies in Latin America, Editorial Novaro, its place in the Mexican comic industry, its relation with its consumers and its role in shaping the Mexican middle class".

 I was one of several people interviewed in connection to the NOVARO Publishing Company, trying to explain the reasons behind its sudden bankruptcy and eventual disappearance.

I spent about 13 years of my adult life writing and drawing the PINK PANTHER & BEEP BEEP, THE ROAD RUNNER comics as well as a short lived comic of my own creation called EL MAFIOSO NICK.

The 2017 documentary, actually filmed in 2013, examines the influence NOVARO had on several generations of readers from Mexico down to Uruguay, Peru and the rest of  Latin America during the nearly four decades it dominated the comic book market, printing mostly material from the U.S. but also generating a few locally produced titles. The documentary offers some theories about NOVARO's sudden demise and explores the collectibles phenomenon it triggered during its peak years.

This is the link to PRIME VIDEO which will be active for a limited time:

https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0GUT26IG56MHV26JAE6UCWRSWM/ref=atv_wl_hom_c_unkc_1_1