A Cosmic Christmas

By special request, this episode of the official podcast of teaching aliens about Christmas takes you on a domesticated goose chase back to 1977 through the first fully animated feature by Canadian studio Nelvana.

Full show notes with links at: https://adventcalendar.house/episodes/a-cosmic-christmas

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🎙 On This Episode:

• Mike Westfall (@fallwestmike), excitable mayor shouting at everyone else to remain calm.

• Jeff Fox (@chrspecials), the Internet’s foremost expert on this special, from Name That Christmas  Special.

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💬 Topics & Tangents:

• Jeff’s collection of A Cosmic Christmas music and scanned promotional items.

• Joanna Wilson’s Christmas TV History.

• This special got George Lucas’s attention and led to Nelvana producing the animated segment of the Star Wars Holiday Special.

• The Nelvana Story: Thirty Animated Years.

• Today’s TV Trope: Big Ball of Violence.

• Jellybean looks like the red-eyed Pac-Man on the side of the arcade cabinet.

• Duncan Regehr (Amalthor) as Dracula in The Monster Squad.

• Marian Waldman, Mrs. Mac from Black Christmas, also has a quick line or two.

• The Castle Thunder stock sound effect.

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📼 Retro Commercial Break:

• Burger King Doll Christmas Commercial (1977).

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🎤 And Now, These Messages:

• Weird Christmas.

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“A Cosmic Christmas” © 1977 Nelvana Enterprises, Inc.

The Advent Calendar House can also be found tap-dancing with geese on Twitter (@adventcalhouse) and Instagram (@adventcalendarhouse).

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