Poor Jack Skellington. He just wants to be found attractive. He’s even tried to find a cover-up for that balding problem of his. No luck. Some girl’s hearts you just can’t win.

As excited as I am to see The Corpse Bride, my true feelings actually mirror closer to Cami’s in today’s strip. I used to love The Nightmare Before Christmas back when it came out in 1993. It was like nothing I had ever seen. Or at least nothing like anything I had seen in a long time.

Over the years, I think it has been co-opted for it’s visuals, repackaged and resold into something I don’t enjoy anymore. There was a time for a few years where you couldn’t walk into Hot Topic or Suncoast Video without seeing some variation of the Nightmare Before Christmas repurposed as a t-shirt, backpack, snow globe or salt and pepper shakes. Eventually the merchandise watered things down for me so badly, I began to kind of resent the film.

This is totally 5th grade of me, but it’s like latching onto a band. It’s your favorite band for the longest time. Their album has been out for a year and you’re listening to it on repeat every day.

Then, out of nowhere, radio picks up one of their singles. They start playing it over and over. Other people start cluing in to their sound. Then radio picks up another single. Then another. After a while, every track on the album is turning up in car commercials and McDonald’s jingles. Everything you fell in love with and thought was unique about that band is gone. You don’t even recognize it anymore. Not long after, hearing those songs you used to love makes you kind of sick.

Same goes with The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Usually I’m not this selfish. But when you see kids in strollers wearing Oogie Boogie jumpers, it’s gone too far.

Mark my words: The same thing is going to happen with Napoleon Dynamite. Hot Topic alone sells over 150 pieces of Napoleon Dynamite merchandise. I think there’s even Napoleon Dynamite lip gloss. Right now, I still love that movie. But I bet in a few years I’m gonna hate it. Jon Heder is smart for striking when the iron is hot. He has seven films lined up through 2007. Better remake your legacy fast or you’ll be Napoleon for life.

At any rate, my displeasure with Nightmare Before Christmas aside, I’m still looking forward to giving The Corpse Bridge a chance. If for nothing else but to see what kind of advances they’ve made with the animation technique and process. Here’s hoping there’s a good story to back up all the visual wizardry.