It feels like Hoth around here lately, so I thought I’d add the nifty snow effect I’ve been seeing. Don’t worry, this isn’t my post of the day, I’ve got something cool coming later tonight (if I make it home).
Looking for Charlie Brown Christmas Wallpapers? Check out this post!
Rob Richards over at Animation Backgrounds has just posted some backgrounds from A Charlie Brown Christmas. I love the simple, graphic style of the Charlie Brown cartoons.
Let’s talk Muppets. The Muppets have always gone hand-and-hand with Christmas to me over the years, and thats about 33% because of A Christmas Together
This album originally came out in 1979, as a soundtrack to a TV special of the same name, which supposedly really exists. It’s never been released on home video, and probably never will now that Disney owns the Muppets.
I remember picking up this album at Sam’s Club as a child and listening to it every year. Looking back on it now, there are a few songs I always skipped, but its a good listen during the holiday season.
There are other good tracks, but there are also a few worth skipping, depending on your tastes. The Peace Carol is cool, Little Alphie, not so much. Regardless, it’s a part of my nostalgia, which means it will mean something to me the rest of my life, whether I want it to or now. Thats the crazy thing about memories.
What are some Christmas albums you grew up with? Chipmunks? Boyz II Men? Don’t be ashamed, let me know in the comments!
Movies have always been a staple for me during the holidays, from VHS to DVD, and now Blu-ray. Below are some of the best (and in some cases, crazy expensive) home video gift ideas for the year.
Batman – The Complete Animated Series
Even if you didn’t grow up in the 90s like I did, you have to admit this show was awesome. Better than the first four Batman films combined, this show was stylized, dark, and action-packed. This is at the top of my wish list this year. It’s a cool $85 in stores, but of course Amazon has it cheaper. PS – I think The Dark Knight
Batman – The Complete Animated Series on Amazon
Fraggle Rock – The Complete Series
If you’re a die hard Muppets/Fraggle Rock fan, chances are you’re kinda pissed off about this. Luckily, I’m not. Long story short, the only way to get the 4th season is to buy this set, which sucks if you already own the first three. A lot of people are mad about this, but I only have the first season, so its not that big of a deal for me.
$90 $80 on Amazon
The Flintstones – The Complete Series
The last of the crazy expensive sets, I promise. I miss the Flintstones. I don’t see TV at all anymore, and I doubt if I did I would even get to see this show anyway. Get this for yourself or even a kid. I promise they’ll like it. From my experience (lots of nieces and nephews) kids today love old animation just as much as the stuff they’re exposed to daily.
$90 on Amazon
Wall-E/Nightmare Before Christmas/Sleeping Beauty
Three awesome films. I’m a certifiable Pixar nut, stop motion freak, and classic Disney animation fanboy. Wall-E is Andrew Stanton’s second turn at director, and he did a great job. This would make an awesome gift for just about anyone. The Nightmare Before Christmas is Tim Burton and Henry Selick’s masterpiece, and it’s never looked better than it does on Blu-ray. Sleeping Beauty is a gorgeous film, worth the price even if you don’t care for the story. It’s a moving illustration from the Gothic period and it’s great to finally see it in it’s full aspect ratio.
Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear!
A feature-length Yogi Bear animated movie? I honestly don’t know that I’ve ever seen this, but I’m going to order it as soon as possible. A little googling reveals that it’s the first feature length cartoon Hanna-Barbera produced. Cool! I always loved Yogi, and I’m on a quest to own every feature-length animated movie I’m interested in (ie, not most Dreamworks movies). Oddly enough, the complete series of The Yogi Bear Show is cheaper
$16.49 on Amazon
Popeye Shorts
Now in its third volume, the classic Popeye animated shorts are a must-have too. I picked up the first volume last Christmas and I hope to get the second two soon. My wife and I love these. They’re so violent and silly, but hilarious. We even entertained a group of nieces and nephews between the ages of 6 and 13 with these DVDs, and they loved them too.
Volume 3 is $24.99 on Amazon
Welcome to Saturday Morning Central’s 12 Days of Christmas. Is there a better time of the year to launch a blog dedicated to all the warm, fuzzy memories we have of our childhood than Christmas? Of course not, so today I give you the first really-for-real post of the site, the Holiday Gift Guide: Volume 1 – Stocking Stuffers.
Justice League Batman with Pig
I saw this in Target yesterday, and instantly thought how cool of a stocking stuffer this would be. As weird as Batman toys usually are, this was still surprising. Why would Batman come with a pig? Apparently its from an episode of Justice League, but I’d rather just think it was completely random.
$9.99 or so at Target | More expensive on Amazon
Super Mario Brothers PVC Figurines
Who doesn’t love Mario Brothers? With the Wii rocking out nursing homes these days, it’s safe to say that everyone from 1 to 92 at least recognizes these characters. These small PVC figures are cute, cheap, and the whole package should fit in your stocking.
$4.99 at Toys R Us | $5.99 on Amazon
Galactic Heroes/Superhero Squad/Combat Heroes/Cute Things
The trend of turning regular action figures in to tiny cute versions is still going strong, and I love it. I’m sure you’ve seen them in some form, whether it was Indiana Jones
Misc. Stocking Standards
I imagine each of you have different stocking traditions. I usually end up giving/receiving some sort of candy, socks, and knick-knackery, and for years I’ve always put Necco Wafers in my mom’s stocking.
What are some common things you usually give and get in your stocking?
Coming up next – DVDs!
