Carol and John’s Christmas Party 2022
If you’ll forgive a self indulgent post, I always enjoy talking about the Cleveland fandom scene, and at the heart of the comic book scene here is Carol and John’s comic shop.
The lockdowns killed a lot of the scene, and it’s been two years since CnJs threw a party, but this weekend, they decided it was time to finally test the waters. The Christmas party was back, along with the comic book cover art show which benefits the Greater Cleveland food bank. it was a great time seeing some friends I haven’t run into in well over a year- or more, and made new ones as well. It’s always the best party ever.
Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever
I wanted to like this one way more than I did.
From IMDB : “Grumpy Cat is a lonely cat living in a mall pet shop. Because she never gets chosen by customers, she develops a sour outlook on life…until one day during the holidays, a very special 12-year-old girl named Chrystal enters the pet store and falls in love with her after realizing she is the only person who can hear this unique cat talk. As the two develop a close friendship during the holiday rush, Grumpy reluctantly thwarts the kidnapping of an exotic dog she dislikes, and on Christmas Eve rescues Chrystal after the mall closes. Through her adventures, will Grumpy learn the true meaning of Christmas? Or will it be, in her words, the “Worst. Christmas. Ever?”
Here’s the problem…this is a lifetime movie. While Tim Hill was definitely the logical (even inspired) choice to make a movie about Grumpy, I don’t think he quite understands how to make a lifetime movie – and it shows. It’s a different sensibility, a diffrent kind of humor and Hill feels tied up by the unnecessary requirements of the network to appeal to a very specific demographic.
He’s hindered further by the very fact that he’s been given a flimsier premise than usual – we’re basing this movie on little more than an internet meme with a dash of forced holiday cheer (holiday cheer being incomprehensibly the antithesis of the main character). Add a fairly poor choice in Aubry Plaza as the voice and we end up with a funny, but somehow unsatisfying movie.
It’s not a complete disaster. I still watch it during Christmas and for Hill to make a Lifetime movie that I’ll even deem to watch at all is nothing short of miraculous. I’d like to see this character tackled again but with less studio interference and a better voice actress.
Christmas party at Carol and John’s
You know, when you think of a store “Christmas party” you think”I’ll go in and take advantage of the sale, maybe there’ll be cookies or something.”
When I think of the Christmas party at the comic shop, I think “Oh my God…have I actually been here for three hours?”
The annual Christmas party is one of the two biggest events every year at Carol and John’s – it’s the winter counterbalance to the spring Free Comic Book Day party. There’s sales, give-aways, not to mention a food drive and an art show (Which I usually contribute to). This year I wanted to do something over-the-top for my outfit so insted of just an ugly Christmas sweater, I opted for an entire Elf costume over my Thing suit. It went nicely with the Joker and Santa that showed up for the evening….
Santa NEVER had elves like this before!
It’s always a great time to visit with friends that I never seem to actually see outside of these events, mixed in with my local buddies from the Cleveland comic scene and Pop : the Comic Culture Club. It was also nice to connect with Ryan, a friend I had only previously interacted with on Facebook – from the Charity group Hero’s United that I’ve been doing events with. It’s probably my last trip out in costume until con season ramps up next year but we went out in style.
Cupcakes, choclates, cookies (supergirl cookies! Groot shaped cookes! WHY DIDN’T I GET PHOTOS????), custom brewed beer (I really just wanted the bottle!) and good friends. I mean, honestly, isn’t that what a Christmas party is supposed to be all about?
Christmas Force
Yes I saw it. Saturday afternoon I headed out to Amherst cinemas and plunked down my $4.00 for the newest Star Wars movie (We’ll talk about that later). It seemed like something I should do sooner rather than later since spoilers were already starting to leak out and I was headed out to a Star Wars themed party at Carol and John’s later that night.
I had done a piece for thier art show that would be raffled off as the night went on. The Christmas party was great fun as always, with snacks and deals and friends. They brew a craft beer every year just to hand out at this event (I don’t even drink beer. I just want the bottle!)
The Star Wars Gingerbread was just to DIE for. 
And of course they showed us that the one thing that can make a Christmas party better is Lightsabers.
Hope your weekend was just as eventful.
Old Christmas videos!
I posted some of these a couple of years ago, and to celebrate the season we’re doing a few more this year.
Wow they were little back then….
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
This year, as we head into the Christmas Season, we’re going to do a Christmas video every Thursday from when my girls were younger. Hopefully this will become a Christmas tradition!
And don’t forget, there new Violent Blue up tomorrow!
Christmas Night of the Living Dead
This year, as we head into the Christmas Season, we’re going to do a Christmas video every Thursday from when my girls were younger. Hopefully this will become a Christmas tradition!
And don’t forget, there new Violent Blue up tomorrow!
Drummer Boy
This year, as we head into the Christmas Season, we’re going to do a Christmas video every Thursday from when my girls were younger. Hopefully this will become a Christmas tradition!
And don’t forget, there new Violent Blue up tomorrow!
Argo City Comics 