The Pumpkin King's Quest Unveiled: Deciphering 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' Graphic Novel
The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle For Pumpkin King Graphic Novel unravels Jack Skellington's journey to becoming the Pumpkin King, and delves into the intense rivalry between him and the mischievous Oogie Boogie
Highlights
The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle For Pumpkin King is a graphic novel prequel to the movie. It delves into Jack Skellington's quest to become the Pumpkin King, as he engages in a fierce competition with Oogie Boogie.
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The film explores the origins of Jack and Oogie Boogie's animosity, while also delving into the past Pumpkin King's identity.
In the graphic novel, a striking contrast is drawn between Jack and Oogie Boogie's personalities. Jack is depicted as both terrifying and kind, while Oogie Boogie progressively turns into a cruel and heartless character throughout the competition.
Disney is not giving up on expanding the story of The Nightmare Before Christmas outside of the film. The graphic novel, The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle For Pumpkin King, serves as a prequel and uncovers an unexpected tale of how Jack Skellington earned the title of Pumpkin King.
The Nightmare Before Christmas centers around Jack Skellington, the Halloween Town Pumpkin King, as he devises a plan to bring his unique Christmas vision to life. Growing tired of repetitively celebrating Halloween, Jack stumbles upon a magical forest filled with doorways to various holiday towns. This beloved family classic is traditionally enjoyed during the Halloween and Christmas seasons. Despite the anticipation for a potential sequel on screen, this graphic novel prequel delves into Jack's journey leading up to becoming the Pumpkin King, including his competition with Oogie Boogie several years before.
How Jack Became the Pumpkin King
The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle For Pumpkin King | |
|---|---|
Writer | Written by Dan Conner, Story by Shaun McLaughlin and D.J. Milky |
Artists | Deborah Allo and Roberto Scalia |
Release Date | May 2023 |
Issues | 5 |
The Battle For Pumpkin King in The Nightmare Before Christmas kicks off with an intense uphill race involving Jack Skellington and his loyal companion, the nefarious Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Interestingly, this takes place before Oogie embraces his full wickedness, showcasing a more compassionate side to his character. It is evident that they enjoyed a lively rivalry together, engaging in various activities like racing and even participating in the thrilling game of bobbing for decayed apples.
This initial twist raises the question of how the former friends turned into enemies in the film. However, before delving into that, there is another question regarding the identity of the Pumpkin King before Jack. Edgar, an elder monster with a pumpkin for a head, was retiring from his title with a secret hidden agenda. Edgar, along with the Mayor, suggested a competition between two of Halloween Town's best to determine the new Pumpkin King, with both Jack and Oogie being nominated as contenders for the scariest in town.
The winner of two out of three challenges would earn the title of the new Pumpkin King. Jack emerged victorious in the pumpkin collecting challenge, while Oogie Boogie triumphed in the bone tower challenge. The final challenge involved carving a giant Jack-o-lantern, which would be judged by five townspeople. Up until this point, Oogie Boogie and Edgar had been working together to ensure Oogie's victory and maintain Edgar's control behind the scenes. Unfortunately for Edgar, their plan fell apart when Jack's Jack-o-lantern was declared the winner. Despite being in the midst of a battle with Oogie, Jack still wanted to find a way to preserve their friendship. Jack's kindness persisted, even in the midst of the conflict, while Oogie Boogie had undergone a change.
Why Oogie Boogie Should Be Pumpkin King
Edgar had two reasons for wanting to prevent Jack Skellington from becoming Pumpkin King. Firstly, he believed it would be easier to manipulate Oogie Boogie. However, his second reason was more compelling - Oogie Boogie would have been a more suitable candidate for the title. In a world focused on trick-or-treating, Oogie Boogie possessed an abundance of tricks but lacked the wholesome treats. This is exactly what Edgar desired for Halloween Town - a return to fear rather than celebration. The film showcases how Jack's version of Halloween is more festive than scary.
Oogie Boogie would have been the ideal choice for a truly terrifying Halloween, abandoning the elaborate grandeur that Jack enjoys. Despite his own cheating, Oogie Boogie feels cheated out of the opportunity to be Pumpkin King and swears never to be disgraced again. The story concludes with his sinister laughter echoing into the shadows. What happened to Edgar afterwards is unknown. He retreats to his pumpkin patch as Oogie Boogie takes over his lair, which subsequently becomes the captive home for Santa Claus and Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas.
In a more compelling battle for the title of Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie would have confronted each other with terrifying scare tactics, showcasing their true potential as characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Unfortunately, the challenges presented in the battle were disappointingly lackluster, bearing little relevance to the role of Pumpkin King, which appears to hold more symbolic significance than political power. Nonetheless, for a children's story, The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle For Pumpkin King should satisfy not only young audiences but also adult fans.
As the competition progressed, Oogie Boogie's cruelty and heartlessness intensified, demonstrated through the presence of bugs and snakes. In contrast, Jack possessed the ability to be both terrifying and kind, endearing him to the townspeople. Although the ending of their friendship was foreshadowed in the film, the gradual deterioration of Jack and Oogie Boogie's relationship served as a sobering reminder of how jealousy can breed hatred and destroy meaningful connections. If they had never engaged in the contest for Pumpkin King, perhaps their friendship could have endured.
The small consolation for Oogie Boogie is that this story narrates the origins of his bond with Lock, Shock, and Barrel during their early childhood. The title and cover art suggest a showdown between Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie. However, the reality is a bitter fallout of what was once a friendship, thereby showcasing another terrifying tale preceding The Nightmare Before Christmas.
