The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special Pays Tribute To The Rotoscope Ghost Of Animation’s Past

Yondu’s arc in “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2” cemented him as one of the best daddios in all of cinematic history, but at the start of the holiday special, he’s still trying too hard to be a tough guy as the leader of the Ravagers. He doesn’t exactly have the Christmas spirit, but it’s hard to understand a human holiday when you’re, you know, a big blue guy with a killer hairdo (literally). The flashbacks mostly just show young Peter, Yondu, and Kraglin as they celebrate Christmas aboard the Ravager ship for the first time, but they’re a great and inventive way to depict the past and set it off from the events happening in the special.

While many creatives and executives understand that people have nostalgia for things, they often don’t seem to understand why. Gunn’s use of needle drops, classic animation techniques, and more prove that he understands the nostalgia because he has it himself. Gunn has a lot of love for the things he puts into his films, and that love is contagious. Check out “The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” for this sweet slice of animation history, and have a happy holiday season!