Have Yourself a Random Little Christmas

     I thought it'd be fun to celebrate the season with some random characters from various Christmas specials.

Feliz Navidad, everyone!

Grandma from A Garfield Christmas

The Great Ak from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

Wendell Porcupine from Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas

Miss Jessica from Santa Claus is Comin' To Town

Lucy from A Charlie Brown Christmas

Penguin Suits - Luke Skywalker

0 days until The Last Jedi!

What are you doing looking at my blog?!? GO WATCH IT!!! NOW!!

My FAVORITE Characters from The Disney Afternoon

     So last week, I was somewhat of a Negative Nelly and went on a small rant over which characters from The Disney Afternoon (a group of tv shows that I have the utmost admiration for) I liked the LEAST! Well now I'm counteracting those negative waves with some positivity. Here are my FAVORITE characters from The Disney Afternoon!

*everyone sighs from relief while simultaneously gasping with delight*

Monterey Jack

     I kicked the last list off with Rescue Rangers, so I'll go ahead and do the same here. First up, the cheese-chaser from down under who's always ready to throw a little shrimp on the fondue - Monterey Jack! 

     The reason I love Monty so much is basically because of the way he talks. Hearing Jim Cummings use an Australian accent to say things like, "Too-la-roo, boyo!" or "Bonzer move, Chipper me lad!" is just something that I apparently never grow tired of. 

     It's not only how he says things, but also the things he says! In practically every episode, Mr. Jack here will say something referencing one of his many past adventures. "This reminds me of the time I got shanghaied in Shanghai on a junk full of junk," or "This is better than the time I rode a walrus over Niagara Falls!" and not once do the other Rescue Rangers say, "That sounds fascinating, Monty! Please tell me more about the time you were bushwhacked by bush wrens!" Nope! They just ignore him and go on as if he didn't say anything at all. Well, it's their folly, if you ask me. They're only denying themselves of what I'm sure is a treasure trove of anecdotes that are, at the very least... delightful!

Launchpad McQuack

     As I've said before, my favorite show from The Disney Afternoon is DuckTales. This being the case, picking one character as a favorite isn't an easy thing to do... but it is something I have to do. So here he is! Duckburg's own breathing crash dummy, Launchpad McQuack! 

     Launchpad has an amazing amount of clarity with everything, including himself. He knows he's not a good pilot, and he never tries to hide this fact. But despite not being good at what he does, he loves doing it, nevertheless. Launchpad doesn't let something as trivial as expertise stand in the way of doing what makes him happy... and there's something admirable in that, I suppose. It'd probably be best, though, to do any admiring on the ground.

Bigtime Beagle

     Okay. I lied. I have two favorite characters from Ducktales. In the original Uncle Scrooge comics, the Beagle Boys didn't really have individual names or personalities. Ducktales, on the other hand, is different! And the Beagle Boy with distinctest of the personalities, for my money, is Bigtime! The point man for most of the Beagle Boys' capers, this little guy is cunning, assertive, and probably best personifies the collective traits of the comic book Beagles - mean and clever. 

     There are a few times when other Beagles, like Bomber or Bankjob, take the lead but it's never quite as fun. To quote the man himself: "You can't have a good time without Bigtime."

Such eloquence.

Zummi Gummi

     And lastly, there's Gummi Glen's resident wizard, Zummi Gummi. Of all the Gummi bears, I think Zummi is the one I can relate to the most. He has before him a wealth of knowledge and expertise from those who came before him, and is perfectly content spending every one of his waking hours pouring over every last detail. Zummi wants desperately, and even attempts at times, to make his own mark on Gummi history, but I don't think it's ever really an obsession. More than anything, I think, Zummi is content just having so much to geek out over while remaining confident in his own abilities and accomplishments. 

     I'm talking, of course, about Gummi bear magic spells. You know? Being able to light a candle from across the room? Without a match? 

That's the dream.

My Least Favorite Characters from The Disney Afternoon

     As I've said time and time again, I'm a big fan of the shows of The Disney Afternoon! Now that I've made that absolutely clear, however, I must admit that I'm not a fan of every single aspect of them. There are few characters here and there that I just don't care for for one reason or another, and it's them that I've decided to devote this blog post to.

So here they are: my LEAST favorite characters of The Disney Afternoon!

Chip

     First up is the primary titular character of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers,... Chip! Now, of course, we can't have Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers without Chip, but one thing we definitely can do is have him not be such a jerk! He's constantly berating Dale (hiiiiiis brother??) in front of the rest of the team! He bonks him on the head and calls him names! Sure, Dale's a big goof off, but he's the heart of the Rescue Rangers, man! AND he's proven himself valuable time and time again! Ease the heck off, Chipper!

Doofus Drake

     My favorite show from The Disney Afternoon is, without a doubt, Ducktales! There's one character in Ducktales, however, that even as a kid made me wince a little. I'm speaking, of course, about Doofus. I would always give a disappointed slump anytime I'd realize that a Doofus episode was coming on. Oh sure, I'd still watch it in its entirety (it's still Ducktales after all) I'd just watch it with a little less enthusiasm. I find him annoying. Plain and simple. Oh! And why is he called Doofus? Is everyone, even the adults, calling him an idiot to his face because bullying is such a firm staple of Duckburg life?!? Or is his name actually Doofus?! If so, then his parents are horrible people... I mean,... ducks.

Morgana Macawber

     Speaking of ducks, next up is the apple of Darkwing's masked eye, Morgana Macawber. I guess my main beef here is just that she bores me. I mean, I get it. They're both creatures of the night, so to speak. He's a masked vigilante and she's a mystical enchantress, or whatever, but that's pretty much it. A lot of the time, Morgana comes across as a bit of a doormat for Darkwing. I'd much rather see a love interest who acts as a foil to his super-sized ego.

Gusto Gummi

     And last, as well as least because thats what this is... a list of leasts, is Gusto Gummi. I dunno... Gusto's alright, I guess. It's just always bothered me that his name breaks form and doesn't end with an 'i'. I suppose you could say that it symbolizes his character's non-traditional nature and opposition to conformity... but screw that! I don't like things that are different!

     And there you have it, my least favorite characters of The Disney Afternoon! I bet you're all glad I cleared that up, huh? Of course, I must admit, while I don't particularly care for watching these guys on screen, they sure were a ton of fun to draw!

Happy Birthday, Mickey!

     On this day, 89 years ago, Walt Disney said aloud, "I'm gonna doodle me a little whippersnapper that'll whistle and cut a rug, and make me a ton of simoleons!" I wasn't actually there, of course, but I'm assuming that's how it all went down... and thus, Mickey Mouse was born!

     Disney has been putting out videos of Mickey celebrating his birthday around the world, while sporting a fun outfit that I like so much, I decided to make a new Park Pal of the head mouse. 

Happy Birthday ya Little Whippersnapper!!

Penguin Suits - Rose Tico

Only 30 days!

gurgles

     Here are a few night crawling monsters to help you celebrate this year's All Hallow's Eve... slightly different than you may remember them.

Happy Halloween, kids!

See Ya REEL Soon!

     It's pretty safe to say that there's something magical about the ambience of being at Walt Disney World.  Sure the many rides, shows, and characters each provide an overall sense of joy, but I'm talking about the little things... such as the sound of the bustling crowd on Main Street or even the voice on the monorail telling you to stand clear of the doors. Even these simplest of details can spark that zippy-doo-da feeling of delight in the hardest of hearts. If you're looking online for an example of this, no one, in my opinion, better delivers a sense of what it feels like just to BE at Walt Disney World than the YouTube channel, SeeYaReelSoon.

     Married couple Joe and Ashley document their many adventures in the most magical place on earth with a series of videos that, for at least my family and I, remind us of that magical ambience like no one else. Whether it's enjoying a refreshing sip of Bibo at Epcot's Club Cool, or riding the Tomorrowland People Mover for the umpteen-billionth time... well... you get it! We like watching their videos! So much so that, for us, Joe and Ashley have become synonymous with Walt Disney World. It's because of this that I decided to go ahead and add them to my roster of Disney Park Pals!

Huge honor, right?

     While I'm at it, here are a few more Park Pals who I'm guessing, based on our MANY viewings of SeeYaReelSoon, are some of Joe and Ashley's favorites.

Really Bad Eggs

     YAAAAAARRRRRRRR!! Here be a few more blackhearted Park Pals to have set sail under the Jolly Roger!

Talk Like A Kenny Day

    So I've come up with a different look for my Disney Park Pals, and since today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day, I thought it'd be fitting to kick off this new line with one of my favorite scallywags - Kenny the Pirate!

     Normally, I've had the Park Pals specifically be fan art of Meet and Greet characters that you might run into at one of the Disney parks. While Kenny the Pirate isn't an official Disney character, he does spend an awful lot of time in the parks, so, as far as I'm concerned, he's a Disney World staple! 

     My wife and I have planned two trips to Walt Disney World in the past, and are currently planning a trip to Disneyland for sometime in the near future. A few years back, we happened upon Mr. the Pirate's website and once we did, the whole planning process became both easier and more enjoyable. Walt Disney World offers so much to do that, while being a ton of fun, can easily become overwhelming. Think about it, you're hot, you're tired, and on top of all that... you can't decide what "magical" thing to do next. It's not going to be long before the kids start crying and the daddy's start... using a more colorful vocabulary. Fortunately, a lot of this heartache can be avoided with a good itinerary! That's where Kenny the Pirate comes in.

     Kenny spends seemingly ALL of his time in the Disney parks gathering info on wait times, ride closures, etc. to help park-goers come up with an informed game plan so that they get the most bang for their Disney World buck. You can check out his website here, and you definitely don't want to miss his SUPER informative Character Locator! I highly recommend it!

     But enough with the commercial! It's International Talk Like A Pirate Day and I haven't internationally talked like a pirate ONCE! Curse the hornswagglin' wench that birthed the likes of I for me lazy son-of-a-biscuit-eater ways! Yaaaaarrrrrr!

P.S. I just googled 'scallywag.' I'm sorry, Kenny! I meant no disrespect. 

You're So Randomz

     Once again, I've come up with a hodgepodge of different characters that I just felt like drawing and slapped them all together in an attempt to bring a little happiness into the world.

Mission: Accomplished?

Judy Jetson from The Jetsons

Alvin, Simon, and Theodore from Alvin & The Chipmunks

Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street

Auntie Nelda from The Ernest Movies

Penguin Suits - Porg

     Since the Porgs are basically the penguins of the Star Wars universe, I just HAD to make a Porg Penguin Suit!

Only 100 days 'til The Last Jedi!

Care Bearz Dorbz-es-ezzz....ssszz

     I haven't posted anything Care Bears related in, like, FOREVER! It's time to do something about that!

     There's a fairly new line of toys out from Funko, known as Dorbz, that I like quite a bit. I haven't paid money for any of them yet, but if they were to actually produce the following mock-ups... well... that would change.

The Silly Nate Film Club - The Great Muppet Caper

     It's been a little while since I've posted anything, and it's been an even less little while since I've done an installment of the Silly Nate Film Club. Since all I really do with this thing is gush on and on about random movies I like, I was thinking about putting the kibosh on it altogether, but then I got to thinking about how much negative content there is out there in relation to movies and pop culture in general. Whether it's "10 Reasons This Movie Sucks" or "5 Things to Hate About The Movie You Previously Loved," all the nerds seem to have a serious beef with something and are taking it out on our nostalgia! So I figured, a little gushing from time to time certainly couldn't hurt. 

     The film I'll be gushing over today is one that's always been towards the top of my personal "Movies That Make Ya Feel Good" list. From 1981, it's The Great Muppet Caper!

"Nice title!"

     This is the second film in what I consider to be the Muppet Trilogy (The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, and The Muppets Take Manhattan) and definitely my favorite. For the first installment, The Muppet Movie, Jim Henson handed the directing responsibilities over to James Frawley, but for The Great Muppet Caper, he took the helm making this his directorial debut! This may be the reason why I love it as much as I do. His love of musical numbers, comedic takes, special effects, and just movies in general seem to shine through from beginning to end.

As well as his love of dining on the... tops of... pineapples? What's that all about?!

     In a time of cinematic universes, and never ending debates over what is and isn't canon, it's refreshing to look back at a movie that basically just says, "Screw it. Let's be nutty." They're the same Muppets we love, but with a premise different than the usual "We gotta make it into show business!" storyline. They've already made it... and this is the madcap nonsense that they've produced as a result. Kermit and Fozzie are identical twins, Charles Grodin plays the American brother to Diana Rigg's British Lady Holiday, and the entire supporting ensemble of Muppets live in a dilapidated London hotel without any explanation! It’s glorious insanity as only the Muppets can deliver!

With plenty of paper towels!

     What The Great Muppet Caper proves is that the Muppet characters aren't nailed down to a specific premise. Their stories don't define them. They're characters that are so well developed, they can be in a wide variety of different situations and still feel familiar. Fozzie Bear is Fozzie Bear, whether he's a struggling comedian or a wannabe newspaper reporter, he’s the same lovable bear regardless of what duties the script assigns him. This, to me, helps the brilliant illusion that the Muppets are actually real people. This, like the big opening musical number states, is a movie within a movie… and the Muppets are just the film’s players doing a comically horrible job staying in character.

"I don't need this lousy Duck Pond!"

     This type of thing was done again in films like A Muppet Christmas Carol or Muppet Treasure Island, but The Great Muppet Caper did it first, and in my opinion, best!

     And now’s the part of the show where I gush about specific moments in the movie that I love so much.

...I need to come up with another word to use besides ‘gush’. I’m starting to feel gross.

HiiiiiiiiiiYaa-ing the Fourth Wall - While I’m not entirely a fan of the term “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” I usually love whenever it happens. The same goes for a good running gag. The Great Muppet Caper is, by no means, exclusive when it comes to the Muppets and these techniques. They’re practically Muppet staples! But there’s just something about the times they’re used in this movie that I like a little more. No reason why. Charles Grodin’s character being called out by Miss Piggy on his dubbed singing voice, or Miss Piggy climbing the side of a building while demanding a stunt double are some great fourth wall-breaking moments that add to the whole movie within a movie aspect. (There’s probably a joke in there somewhere about Miss Piggy being good at wall-breaking, but I’ll refrain from making it.)

     And as far as running gags go, the whole Caught Red-Handed/What Color Are Their Hands Now routine is nothing short of cinematic poetry!

Muppets on Bicycles - Speaking of cinematic… good… stuff, the scene in The Great Muppet Caper where the Muppets all ride through the park on bicycles is one of the greatest special effects in the entirety of film history! I went to film school, worked in the field of video production for almost two decades, and watched James Cameron’s Avatar more times than any functional human being ever really should, and NOTHING get’s a bigger “How’d they do that?” from me than when Kermit and Company go peddling down that sidewalk. And while I may just be bragging about my own incompetence there, you still have to admit that Jim Henson and his team worked some pretty amazing pre-CGI movie magic with all of this!

The Pets Are Dead - The Great Muppet Caper was written by Tom Patchett, Jay Tarses, Jerry Juhl, and Jack Rose who are a bunch of dudes whom I think (SURPRISE!) did a fabulous job! One scene that stands out to me as being beautifully written is the humorously dull conversation between the older British couple played by John Cleese and Joan Sanderson. The subject of the conversation is basically NOTHING, yet the subtlety of the gags mixed with the timing of the actors manages to crack me up to this day!

The Pig Walks at Night - I don't know if he’s made it this far into this post, but in case he has, this last bit is for a friend of mine. There’s a quick shot in the film of a sad Miss Piggy walking down an empty street at night. It’s filmed from a high angle looking down and is basically just a far off shot of a person wearing a Miss Piggy mask. As brief as it is, it really creeps out a friend of mine… so… yeah. Look upon her, Jim. Look upon her and dream!

Also… Drew Struzan Poster! GUSH!!!!!!!!!!