{"id":312853,"date":"2025-11-23T04:39:25","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T04:39:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/animation\/seldom-seen-animated-thanksgiving-cartoons-specials-and-episodes\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T04:39:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T04:39:25","slug":"seldom-seen-animated-thanksgiving-cartoons-specials-and-episodes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=312853","title":{"rendered":"Seldom-Seen Animated Thanksgiving Cartoons, Specials and Episodes |"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Over the years, the start of the Christmas season has crept up earlier and earlier. Now, dust doesn\u2019t have a chance to settle on the Halloween pumpkin, as November 1st marks the kick-off for all things Christmas.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Within this, the once starting point of the Holidays, Thanksgiving, has gotten somewhat lost. But there are still opportunities for animation fans to celebrate this day of turkey, parades, and football, as there have been numerous TV specials and episodes dedicated to Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

For many who love animation, there are the standards \u2013 A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving<\/em> (1973), Garfield\u2019s Thanksgiving<\/em> (1989), and, maybe even, The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn\u2019t<\/em> (1972) \u2013 but there are others \u2013 specials, episodes, and cartoon shorts \u2013 that could also add to the holiday. <\/p>\n

Here is one of each:<\/p>\n

Casper the Friendly Ghost, Do or Diet<\/strong> (1953)<\/p>\n

As he celebrates the 80th anniversary of his film debut this year, it\u2019s fitting to spend Thanksgiving with Casper by looking back at this short subject.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It opens with Casper (Alan Shay) waking on Thanksgiving morning at a farm, where he scares the pilgrims in the photo on his calendar and a mule out in the yard. Someone not afraid of Casper is Timothy Turkey (Sid Raymond), who\u2019s too busy crying because it\u2019s Thanksgiving Day and he\u2019s on the menu.<\/p>\n

Casper comes up with an idea: run Timothy through an exercise regimen, so he will be too skinny to eat. However, as Casper acts as coach, Timothy continues to eat and loses no weight.<\/p>\n

In desperation, Casper sees a girdle hanging on a clothesline. He squeezes Timothy into it and covers it in feathers, so he appears thin. When the farmer comes out with his ax, he\u2019s initially depressed, until Timothy munches on an apple that bursts the girdle.<\/p>\n

Just as the farmer ties Timothy up and wields his ax, Casper appears and scares the farmer away. Casper takes this opportunity to get Timothy in shape for next Thanksgiving, but as the turkey tries to cheat by eating corn, Casper ties up Timothy\u2019s beak with the snood (the red flap of flesh that hangs over a turkey\u2019s beak \u2013 fun fact!).<\/p>\n

Directed by I. Sparber, Do Or Diet<\/em> is pretty standard Casper fare. Still, the comic premise of attempting to save a Thanksgiving turkey by making him thin provides for some nice, humorous moments, especially through Casper\u2019s frustrations. If you\u2019re hungry for some classic animation on Thanksgiving, this hits the spot.<\/p>\n