Holidays in clay
Clay animation, the 3D cousin of the cartoon, seems to have
carved a permanent niche in December television line-ups. The seldom-used
technique has produced some of the most bizarre and memorable holiday specials,
which, unlike most TV from yesteryear, still get frequent play today. Though
religious in origin, many of these specials scarcely touch on actual Christmas
subject matter, favoring instead invented mythologies and wild musical numbers.
The moral message is often surprisingly subversive, with storytelling that
addresses themes of bigotry, inequality, and oppression. Here’s some of the
best and weirdest:
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer (1964): The quintessential
holiday special pits Hermey, a dentistry-obsessed
elf, and an awkward, adolescent Rudolph against a legion of authority figures
who try to pressure the two misfits into traditional North Pole roles. (Even
Santa cracks the whip, telling Rudolph’s self-conscious father that he should
be ashamed of his son.) Eventually, the Abominable Snow Monster wreaks some
havoc, Rudolph and crew save the day, and the North Pole crew reluctantly
apologizes for tormenting Hermey and Rudolph.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1970): This feature recounts Santa’s journey from abandoned orphan to gift-giving
guru. Trouble comes when local town dictator, BurgermeisterMeisterburger, decrees toy-making illegal. Luckily,
Kris Kringle passes out free toys anyway, teaching
the town’s children an important lesson about civil disobedience. Santa
ultimately defeats authoritarianism and toys reign supreme.
Claymation Christmas (1987): The California Raisins and a bunch of dinosaurs star
in this vaguely psychedelic, hard-to-find special. Stick it in a stocking for
years of hilarious holiday viewing to come.
Year Without a Santa Claus (1974): Santa tries to take a
Christmas holiday — still not gonna happen, buddy
— so Mrs. Claus enlists the ragtime-ing brothers
Snow Miser and Heat Miser to prove that SC still holds sway with the kiderati.
Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977): Apparently
misfits come in all shapes, sizes and species. Floppy-eared Nestor, initially
mocked by his peers, communicates with the dead via his giant head antennae,
thus helping an unborn baby Jesus navigate a perilous sandstorm.
The Little Drummer Boy (1968): Aaron the drummer boy, overcome
by hatred since the senseless killing of his parents, is kidnapped by an
entertainment mogul, then hitches a ride with some wise men to play the
ultimate gig — the birth of Jesus.
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1985): A young Santa is
raised by immortals in a world complete with elves, fairies, nymphs, and, of
course, a gigantic bearded wizard. He predictably starts making toys and giving
joy when the evil Awgwas (basically orcs with horns and unibrows)
show up to ruin the fun. Much magic ensues and the Christmas traditions of
today are conveniently explained by the outcome — except, of course, eggnog
and fruitcake, the two holiday phenomena no amount of clay can explain.
This article appears in Dec 13-19, 2006.
