Animaniacs: Christmas 1994 Special Issue
Cover
Drawn by: Neal Sternecky
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are shown standing around a Christmas tree that has been cut off cleanly about a foot above the base. Plotz is there, too, fuming. Wakko is holding a running chainsaw. Yakko asks, "Well, did you or did you not ask us to trim the tree?" The tower, decorated for Christmas, is in the background.
Unlike the rest of the series, the logo is the Animaniacs shield.
Credits
Synopsis
This story was adapted from the cartoon of the same name.
It's Christmas Eve, and Skippy is too keyed up to sleep. Slappy agrees to read Skippy one story, and then it's straight off to bed with him.
The story is the Warners' version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. While Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are preparing for Santa's arrival, Plotz looks for someone to deliver the Warners' presents from the studio. He asks Scratchansniff to do it, but settles on Ralph instead when the Doctor points out he did it last year.
The Warners, meanwhile, are awaiting Santa's arrival with great anticipation. Finally, Ralph arrives with presents, in a sleigh drawn by a team of pigeons. He lands on, and then falls through, the roof, drops off the presents, and leaves, plummeting to the ground immediately after takeoff. The real Santa flies by, and wishes everyone season's greetings.
The story ends, and Slappy has put herself to sleep. Skippy starts to go to bed, then rushes downstairs to open his toys.
Did You Notice...
Cultural references for the cartoon version of this story are discussed in the WebCRGA entry for Animaniacs episode 50, which contains this story.- The dialogue matches the cartoon version quite closely, except for some additions.
- Wakko signed the contract with an X.
- Mr. Costmore is Kevin Costner.
- Names on the Hippos' shopping bags: F*A*D Short's (referring to the toy store FAO Schwartz), and Snack's 5th Ave (referring to Saks Fifth Avenue).
- The tag on the Hippos' anvil says, "For Plucky", a reference to Plucky Duck of Tiny Toon Adventures. (BC)
- Ralph doesn't get either one of the actor's names who played Batman (Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer) right. This is one of the additions: when the cartoon was made in 1993, Keaton hadn't left the Batman role.
- Rita is eating out of a can labeled ACME TUNA.
- Wakko's name is painted on the end of his bed upside down. (BC)
Technical nits
Mindy's eyes have no pupils. (page 4)- Bobby is colored green, except for one panel on page 12, instead of the standard blue. (pages 12,14)
- Senseless dialogue change: The original cartoon had "...on Richard and Nixon", but the comic has "...on Mason and Dixon". (page 13)
Credits
- No credits are listed on the page, but the drawing style is definitely Neal Sternecky's.
Synopsis
Four Good Idea/Bad Idea pairs, after the ones in the cartoon:
- Good Idea: Sending out Christmas cards.
- Bad Idea: Sending out Christmas carp.
- Good Idea: Hanging up your stocking before you go to bed.
- Bad Idea: Hanging up your stocking before you take it off.
- Good Idea: Hanging mistletoe in the doorway.
- Bad Idea: Hanging missles in the doorway.
- Good Idea: Making a gingerbread house.
- Bad Idea: Making a gingerbread louse.
Did You Notice...
- How did Wakko fit that carp in the envelope?
- Slappy's doormat says "Go away!".
Technical nits
- This appears to have been an experiment that wasn't deemed successful; this is the only Good Idea/Bad Idea in the entire series as of this writing.
- Unlike the cartoon, this story features mostly characters other than Mr. Skullhead. Some of them, most notably Slappy's "missiles in the doorway" panel, work much better with the characters used, but others could have been done just as well with Mr. Skullhead.
Credits
Synopsis
This story was adapted from the cartoon of the same name.
A tour group encounters the Warners after the guide tells them about how they came to be, and how they almost destroyed the studio. Meanwhile, Plotz tells Scratchansniff about a big party he's throwing for a new investor, and that the Warners are invited - but they must behave themselves.
The Warners are brought to Scratchansniff's office, where he tells them about the party and tries to teach them how to behave, but they give him a hard time instead, until he gives up. The Warners start behaving properly, and go to the party.
The Warners behave themselves at the party, too. Plotz has Scratchansniff take them back to the tower anyway, and they respond in typical Warner fashion, coming back to the party and wreaking havoc. The investor likes them even more because of that, and confirms the deal.
Did You Notice...
- Cultural references for the cartoon version of this story are discussed in the WebCRGA entry for Animaniacs episode 5, which contains this story.
- Slim Pittman is probably a takeoff on cowboy singer Slim Whitman.
- Plotz' bookends are large $ signs.
- As in the cartoon, the "This End Up" arrows on the Warners' crate point in all directions.
Technical nits
- A few panels in this story (as the Warners pop out of the crate, and as they're running from Ralph and Plotz on page 30) appear to be copied from other sources, as the Warners are not Wildman's usual stick figures. This makes Wildman's normal drawing all the more perplexing.
- The highlights in the Warner's noses are often colored the same red as the rest of them.
- Dot's underwear is a strange shade of blue, as opposed to the standard pink. (pages 23, 26)
- Wakko's tail is shown poking through a hole in his shirt. (page 26)
Jay Maynard, jmaynard@phoenix.net
Last updated 15 November 1995