christmas

About A Thurl (Ravenscroft, that is)

| Mister Kessell

Continuing in my efforts to be less Grinchy and more Holly Jolly this month, I wanted to talk to you briefly about Thurl Ravenscroft.

“What or who is Thurl Ravenscroft?” I can hear you saying, “He’s from Lord of the Rings, right? No wait, Game of Thrones! Is it Game of Thrones?”

Nope!

“Is it some sort of Nordic death metal band?”

Negative. Although…

The name "Thurl Ravenscroft" designed like a heavy metal band logo. White text on a black background, very sketchy and rough, with the V forming the bottom point of a pentagram.
You might be on to something there.



The Thurl Ravenscroft I’m referring to was a singer and a voice actor who might best be known(or maybe not) for singing the classic “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” from the 1966 TV special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

This song really hit me, because I too have garlic in my soul. I should probably have that checked out.

After a recent viewing, I was shocked to learn that Thurl wasn’t credited in the animated special.

Did they expect us to believe that the narrator, Boris Karloff, provided the vocals?

Dr. Seuss himself felt terrible about the situation and later tried to remedy it with a letter-writing campaign to various influencers of the day, giving credit to Thurl.

I imagine it went something like this:

Black text in a Dr. Seuss Font over yellow background: It was Thurl who sang the Grinch. Sing, Sang, Sung it quite sweetly. To think Karloff pulled it off, you'd be flumdoozled completely."

While doing my brief bit of research I’ve found that people have been asking Google this question: “Did James Earl Jones sing the Grinch?”

That’s a pretty good guess. But no, James Earl Jones did not sing the Grinch, it was Thurl Ravenscroft.

If only there was some way this confusion could have been avoided from the start.

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M. R. Kessell is a dark artist and a writer and illustrator of Batboy comics.

Batboy wearing a dino floaty at the beach

One last thing before I set off on the sea of swirly-twirly gum drops...

In the spirit of the season, I want to share with you a special little animated gif that I created.

Please feel free to share!

Especially if you have ever been wrongly labeled a Grinch.

Animated gif of a caricature mashup of Richard Nixon and the Grinch who stole Christmas. Waving double peace signs with his hands and text that reads: I AM NOT A GRINCH.

CLICK HERE FOR A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES OF HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!

Click here for more about Thurl.

CHECK OUT MY HOLIDAY MONSTER GIF COLLECTION HERE!

While you’re still here, let’s take a quick look at the lyrics to “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch”

Verse 1

You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch, you really are a heel

You’re as cuddly as a cactus, as charming as an eel,
Mr. Grinch!
You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel!

Verse 2

You’re a monster, Mr. Grinch, your heart’s an empty hole
Your brain is full of spiders, you’ve got garlic in your soul
Mr. Grinch.

I wouldn’t touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole

Verse 3

You’re a vile one, Mr. Grinch. You have termites in your smile
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile,
Mr. Grinch!
Given a choice between the two of you…
I’d take the seasick crocodile!

Verse 4

You’re a foul one, Mr. Grinch, you’re a nasty wasty skunk
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk
Mr. Grinch!
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote:

“Stink, stank, stunk!”

Verse 5

You’re a rotter, Mr. Grinch, you’re the king of sinful sots
Your heart’s a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots
Mr. Grinch!
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable…
Mangled up in tangled up knots!

Verse 6

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch, with a nauseous super “naus”!
You’re a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss,
Mr. Grinch!
You’re a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich…
With arsenic sauce!

I love that line about the “three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce”

James Earl Jones grinch. James Earl Jones Mr Grinch. Chuck Jones the Grinch. Doctor Seuss Art. Dr Seuss Artwork. You re a mean one mr grinch lyrics thurl ravenscroft.

Making A Horror Comic

| Mister Kessell

I’m very excited to share yet another new project that’s been in the works for a while now. I’ve been tasked with drawing a short horror comic by the hilarious and horrifying writer/comedian, Tim Vargulish.

In this latest video I give a little sneak peek of a rough comic book page, the process of setting up a comic page using Clip Studio Paint (which is a breeze, btw) and drawing a finished panel.

If you’re interested in drawing comics yourself, I highly recommend this software.

Aside from that, I’m jazzed to have illustrated the cover for Krampus Tales: A Killer Anthology, which will be available on November 24th! Check it out and maybe get yourself a copy.

Krampus creature steps out of doorway into a dark snowy night with basket on his back.

I’ve also just realized that I haven’t shared anything about my Halloween this year. Despite the nearly apocalyptic conditions, we did enjoy the holiday. I’ll cover it in more detail in my next blog post.

By the way, are you on Twitter? Why not join me for some laughs and whatnot.

Until next time!

Krampus Tales Cover Reveal

| Mister Kessell

Finally, I can share some new art with you!

I started this project early in 2020, just before the…unpleasantness, but it feels like three years ago at this point. It’s been difficult for me to keep this under wraps for so long, I just wanted to burst!

I was tasked with creating the cover artwork for a holiday horror anthology to be released by Jazz House Publications.

Krampus Tales: A Killer Anthology will feature various talented authors and is scheduled for release on November 24th, so mark your calendars.

Christmas is Coming and I am not a Grinch

| Mister Kessell
‘Twas a stressful December evening in the Gingerbread household.

In the spirit of the season, I’ve decided to create some silly holiday doodles. Hopefully they amuse you as much as they amuse me.

This is also an effort to prove to my wife that I am not a Grinch.

I’ll be the first to admit that in the past decade I have displayed some Grinchy tendencies; Complaining about Christmas music in October, avoiding being trampled on Black Fridays like the plague, insisting that Diehard is a Christmas movie, stealing all the toys and decorations and roast beast from Whoville.

But I’m working on it.

The past few years have seen our Christmas playlists expand like my waistline after feasting on a bacon-wrapped, Yuletide Turducken.

Below is my current favorite. And yes, it is a polka.

Must Be Santa by Brave Combo

My wife and I drive through suburban neighborhoods admiring the decorations whilst listening to holiday tunes and sipping hot cocoa.

I own an ironically ugly Christmas sweater. Need I say more? Yes?

Well, bah humbug!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that we visited London earlier in the year and I acquired a reproduction of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. I’m terribly excited to read it. I should probably go start that now.

I will be posting more doodles as they come to me throughout the month on here and through various other social media. Let me know what you think!

By the way, do you have a favorite Christmas song?

I’m always looking to augment and expand those playlists. I’d love some new suggestions. The weirder the better too.

Okay, talk to you later, I’m off to meet my friend Scrooge.