Happy Holidays - Jem and the Holograms Holiday Special #1

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It almost pains me that this charming story has to be trimmed down to four pages, but as it's part of the ongoing narrative and it's less than 4 weeks old I feel I have to.



I DO encourage you to get hold of a copy, it really is rather sweet and fun, and I'm having to completely ignore the subplot about Shana's so far absence of anything approaching a love life.


To summarise a couple of things ahead of time which are featured in this issue

• Jerrica has signed Jem and the Holograms with Five by Five Music, the same music company which The Misfits are signed to. She's not especially happy about it but it was the best deal offered, and since the other Holograms basically hate the business decision making side of things, left her to make the decision and it's too late to whine about it now.
• Pizzazz has a pet kitten, this doesn't sound like a big deal but trust me...
• One of the first things management do is arrange for The Misfits to go on a small concert tour, and tell Jerrica that Jem and the Holograms will be the opening act. I leave it to you to imagine how well that goes down in BOTH camps. Pizzazz is so incensed that she goes out for a drive to let off steam and ends up going off the road in spectacular fashion.
• As a result, in a plot point which will be being dealt with in the main comic, but which is assumed to be known here, Pizzazz wasn't badly injured, but there has been damage to her throat, which means she can barely talk above a whisper, never mind sing.

Five by Five throw a Christmas party at which both Holograms and Misfits are guests and there is the usual glaring hostility if not outright brawling. Both bands discover they discover they have been drawn against eeach other in the company Secret Santa, which also doesn't go down well (Pizzazz even notes she's Jewish, so why was she even put into it).

We discover, though neither band does, that they have both been played by Senior Management. They don't mind the bands not getting along, but they DO need them to be able to work together on the tour, and so they fixed the draw to see if it could smooth things out.

Thr mutual exchanges are between Pizzazz and Jem, Stormer and Shana, Roxy and Kimber, Jetta and Aja.

The Holograms don't want to give the Misfits anything following the "accident" which nearly killed Kimber. Jerrica has to point out that there isn't actually any evidence to suggest that the Misfits DID know anything about Clash's actions (And she's right, in this instance). Plus they ARE supposed to be the nice ones... reluctantly the other's agree. But what to get the Misfts? Luckily Kimber has a sneaky plan... text Stormer and ask for specific details... in fairness that IS subtle for Kimber. She also suggests that Shana should make a new outfit for Stormer.

Meanwhile the Misfits are no happier, they have no wish to buy gifts for the Holograms, UNTIL Stormer reveals that the Holograms are planning on getting them gifts, which the Misfits view as being diabolically sneaky of them... and there is no way they are going to be out-gifted!

In the cartoon I suspect there would be a Misfits/Holograms duet montage number around this point, but since my singing would be classified under the Geneva Convention, you'll just have to imagine it for yourself.....




And my apologies to artist Amy Mebberson for hacking up her gorgeous artwork like this.

Parcels are delivered to both parties...

(Zaftig Stormer will never not be adorable)

So the Holograms presents are received by the Misfits with appreciation, but the Holograms have no idea what to expect from the Misfits



The mental image of Roxy shopping for a Rainbow Dash onsie for Kimber is delightful!

So who could that be at the door?



Oh gods, that outfit!!



And they that her heart grew.. at least a size and a half that night!

Happy Holidays to all!

 

Comments

[ozaline]

I really found Pizzazz adorable in this story, on my latest rewatch of Jem I became kind of sympathetic towards her relationship with her father (it doesn't excuse all the things she's done but I can understand her jealous desire for fame). And anyone who loves Willow enough to name their cat after a character from it can't be all bad.

This was a great issue, loved it.