X-Entertainment.com X-Entertainment.com A Proud UGO Affiliate
My dying wish is for an owl/camel hybrid, which I call camowl.
« [Main Index] »

The Advent Calendar is almost here. :o

Tough to believe that we're about a week and a half away from the 2008 Advent Calendar! Now, truth time: I know that not all of the site's core readers bother with the Advent Calendar. I'd say half of them do, at best. I hope that number will increase this year, but even if not, hey, it's pretty nice that even that many people count it among their holiday traditions. Plus, talking through Waiterbot really helps relieve my stress.

I don't know how to explain the Advent Calendar to those who've never read it. What started off simply has now grown so complicated that, frankly, even I have trouble remembering the continuity. The best way to understand the Advent Calendar is by reading it, so below are links to the first six editions. You need to read all of them to "get" it, but note that the real storyline-driven Advent Calendars didn't begin until 2004.

The Advent Calendar: 2002.
The Advent Calendar: 2003.
The Advent Calendar: 2004.
The Advent Calendar: 2005.
The Advent Calendar: 2006.
The Advent Calendar: 2007.

After spending so many holiday seasons with these characters, it's hard for me to picture Christmas without them. Every year, my only goal is to top the previous story. Considering that last year's Advent Calendar featured a human-sized rabbit and James Lipton turning his "hand cavities" into flame throwers, we're probably in for some fucked up shit this December.

Posted by Matt on 11/19/2008. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 117 comments

I’ve always enjoyed your site, but the Advent Calendar is the pinnacle of what you do. Well, that and your trips to AC. If you ever start playing poker at the Taj, you’ll never lack for creepy stories. ;)

Chestnuts roasted by Jim @ 11/20/2008 11:26 AM

I must have missed something by not reading the comments the last few days – where is this assumption that a good percentage of Matt’s ‘regular’ readers DON’T read the Advent Calendar coming from? Is this coming from the fact that the number of comments per post have dropped? That’s not because of people deciding not to read the AC, that’s because Matt’s been posting more often so there aren’t several days to a week’s worth of comments per post!

Sorry, just had to say something about that. Think I’ll take my crabby ass back to bed now. ;)

Keep doing the good work, Matt. :)

Chestnuts roasted by Moony @ 11/20/2008 11:33 AM

NOTHING says Christmas like the X-Entertainment Advent Calendar. Not eggnog, or limited edition Febreeze scents, or Santas on street corners. The X-E AC trumps all.

Thanks for doing this for all of us every year, Matt. If and when Playmobil finally spits out it’s last Mare, it’s going to take some getting used to.

I actually have a real fondness for the old Calendars, especially the Advert and the original ’02 one, which I remember checking excitedly for updates every day (even at the end ;) ). Amazing to think it’ll be 7 years of Adventing. (BTW I am SHOCKED to hear that not everybody reads them. WTF is wrong with y’all?)

Couple random notes from a trip to Target:

~The “stranz” version of the Oball is distinct from the regular version, which is all loops. Also of note, if you’ve got a couple of chihuahuas standing around in a huddle, you can bowl the Oball at them to hilarious results.

~As it happened all too many times last year, there were plenty of bottles of regular 7-Up with snowflakes all up on ‘em, but no Pom flavor. I had the best luck at Albertson’s last year, I think I’ll try there next.

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 11/20/2008 11:49 AM

I don’t care what anyone says, I still miss the Advert Calendars. Where else was I going to relive the terror of Ronald McDonald ice skating in my adult years?

But I too am overjoyed that we are just 10 short days away from seeing Knacks’ cute little plastic butt on the computer monitor (omg, don’t tell him I said that!).

Chestnuts roasted by Special K @ 11/20/2008 11:50 AM

I miss the Advert Calendars, too. :( If I had enough material to do them, I would, but I don’t want to just pillage stuff from YouTube — I like to “introduce” them to the web myself. :) I’ll see if I can find a few more before D-Day, though.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 11/20/2008 11:59 AM

Matt, your Advent Calendar has become one of my most cherished holiday traditions. I’m not kidding. I’m also planning to use your stuffed mushrooms recipe at Thanksgiving. You posted it back in 2004, but I haven’t made it yet because my husband hates mushrooms. Since I’m hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year, I want to impress my in-laws with kickass appetizers. They’re not mushroom-a-phobes, so now’s my chance.

Chestnuts roasted by Annie @ 11/20/2008 12:40 PM

The very first advent calendar got me through some boring lessons at college. The 2003 calendar was the highlight of that december.

I can safely say that the XE advent calendar is the highlight of my december, to the point that I dread christmas day because I don’t want the story to end. It even inspired me to do my own similar thing I called Lepoard Diaries, but sadly my main character broke and I lost interest.

I can’t wait to see what new adventures and misfortunes will befall Knacks, Kuse and co. I know this year’s will be as epic as the last.

Chestnuts roasted by Vyle @ 11/20/2008 12:50 PM

I’ve been so busy at work lately that I just now got to read all of the updated Christmas posts. I’m so excited and happy that it’s finally time. My wife and I decorated about a week ago.

What ever happened to running the advert calendar? I love that one too.

Chestnuts roasted by Fox @ 11/20/2008 1:11 PM

Hey Matt, December 23 is already up. It’s giving me a link of: http://dinosaurdracula.com/batribII/

Chestnuts roasted by mysteryd8 @ 11/20/2008 1:20 PM

And on that note, I’m one of the regulars who has never read the advent calendar. I’m playing catchup…now.

Chestnuts roasted by mysteryd8 @ 11/20/2008 1:46 PM

I’m home sick today. I think I will read all of the old calendars for fun.

mysteryd8
Check out the box 23 thread..I’m sure there are already a million theories about those pics. :)

Chestnuts roasted by Cameron T. @ 11/20/2008 1:48 PM

I’ve been looking forward to the Advent Calendar, as I have been reading it every year since the beginning. In fact, I saw the Playmobile Advent Calendar in a store last week, and I was severely tempted to look at it in hopes of discovering what might be in store for us this year, but I refrained.

Chestnuts roasted by Frostor @ 11/20/2008 1:59 PM

Moony I honestly started reading it only last year. I just thought I wouldn’t be as interested in a story with characters as much as Matt’s articles. I will continue to read it though. And Matt can see detailed statistics on every website on this site. So I think that is where it came from. Literally seeing that the counter on those pages don’t get as many hits as his blog for example.

Our local walmart started stocking Pom 7up! When the cashier was ringing it up she was surprised to see it. I explained (while a fat walmart cashier from another register kept on interrupting me with excitement) that this is a reoccurring holiday limited edition soda. She said that after her shift she was going to buy some. I said it’s not like a big investment lady if you don’t like it it’s not like a big loss lol!!

And I went off on a little rant about Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash not being in the area. I still got my three bottles waiting to be opened. The label is so pretty. I honestly think we are just going to pig out on KFC for thanksgiving or something along those lines. He works so I don’t know how that will turn out. I have no clue if they are open or not on Thanksgiving but if they aren’t then I can just get the cheaper alternative at walmart.

Chestnuts roasted by Goob @ 11/20/2008 2:08 PM

I never really anticipate the Advent Calendar because it seems like in the first two years people took it way too seriously.

Chestnuts roasted by palmerholic @ 11/20/2008 2:34 PM

Okay, I will quietly confess that I often lose track during advent calendar season. Also the box 23 stuff last year was way over my head, and I felt intimidated by the people that were so good at cracking everything. I figured if I couldnt participate, I wouldnt know what was going on. It was so complex.

I kept up in 04 and 05, lost track halfway through in 06 and last year I got about a week into it before I gave up.

I am going to catch up on Saturday and try to give it another go.

Chestnuts roasted by Amy @ 11/20/2008 2:42 PM

The advent calendar is one of the things I look forward to most at Christmas. It’s in the league with Christmas Story, Charlie Brown, Rudolph, etc. I can’t beleive that there is anyone that doesn’t read the advent calendar. If you don’t read it you don’t know what you’re missing!

Chestnuts roasted by Y2JB78 @ 11/20/2008 2:48 PM

I think the Advent part of X-E deserves it’s own part of the main page. It’s a beast of it’s own now.

Can’t wait to see more “Vlllloooogggss” from Waiterbot. I still feel bad about imagining him sounding like Robert Goulet. :|

Chestnuts roasted by Bill @ 11/20/2008 2:55 PM

Sorry for the double.

Matt, put up your wish list soon. I am trying to finish my shopping before the end of next week. I can’t believe that might happen this year!

Chestnuts roasted by Bill @ 11/20/2008 2:57 PM

coconut crabs huh? can’t wait!

Chestnuts roasted by theyav @ 11/20/2008 3:03 PM

SO EXCITED!

Chestnuts roasted by Sami @ 11/20/2008 3:17 PM

I just realized I will miss the first few entries of the AC because I’ll be in Texas. Oh, why can’t my fiancé’s family have decent internet access??

Chestnuts roasted by DarkSideofBrightness @ 11/20/2008 3:37 PM

i like how you can actually see the evolution of the characters in the 2003 calendar . Keep up the nice work we know your a busy man and appreciate what you do for total strangers . So if a strange man happens to play grab ass with ya dont worry its just me :P

Chestnuts roasted by Starscream77 @ 11/20/2008 3:46 PM

Batrib II: Electric Boogaloo!

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 11/20/2008 3:52 PM

Okay, I just finished with the first Calendar. I’m holding off on the next one for a bit but wonder if we ever find out what’s in the final boxes for December?

Chestnuts roasted by mysteryd8 @ 11/20/2008 4:47 PM

I always loved the Advert Calendars personally. I was bummed to see them go, but I am a BIG Ad geek, especially older ads. Everytime I see an Ad posted on the blog by Matt, I scoop it up in my arms and hold it close to me….er…nevermind. =)

Chestnuts roasted by JestAGoof @ 11/20/2008 4:54 PM

Add A New Comment!


This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 11:30 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.