The Grinch Takes a Vacation | Review

The Grinch Takes a Vacation
Writer/artist: Kaeti Vandorn
RH Graphic; $10.99

If the Cat in the Hat is Dr. Seuss’ signature creation, the striped top hat he wears becoming a type of visual shorthand for Seuss in general, then the Grinch is probably a close second. This is based not only on the strength of the 1957 book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, but also on the 1966 animated adaptation, which became a holiday classic, leading to a couple of subsequent mass media adaptations and other appearances of the Grinch characters.

It’s no surprise then that the second Dr. Seuss graphic novel, following the April release of Art Baltazar’s Cat Out of Water, stars the Grinch. This is The Grinch Takes a Vacation, by cartoonist Kaeti Vandorn, whose previous works include 2020’s Crabapple Trouble and 2021’s Monster Friends.

The Grinch is, in some ways, a more difficult character to invent a new narrative around, in large part because his picture book centers on a particular experience that effects a change in his personality, as he goes from a Christmas-hating villain to the holiday’s unlikely champion upon witnessing the Christmas spirit. (By contrast, in the Cat in the Hat books, the mysterious creature just shows up, wreaks a lot of comic havoc and then cleans up his mess and leaves.)

What more is there to the Grinch’s story, then?

Well, Vandorn settles on making the Grinch something of a cynical grouch, his negative attitude not necessarily a reaction to the commercialization of Christmas or the noisiness of his neighbors but an essential element of his character that can’t simply be sung away (Even if he’s not still actively breaking into his neighbors’ homes and stealing their stuff, he’s still easily annoyed and thus always a bit grumpy.)

Vandorn’s Grinch is apparently post-conversion, as he’s on relatively good terms with the Whos down in Whoville, where he seems to spend all of his time now, rather than on his secluded mountain top.

It’s when he’s strolling around there with his faithful dog Max, on his way to the park to feed the weird Seussian birds that live in the pond, that he notices more hubbub than usual and finally asks a trio of colorful Who kids, all of whom are in strange attire, what’s up.

They tell Mr. Grinch that they are going on vacations—to the beach, to a theme park and to ski in the mountains, respectively—but he’s not quite sold on the idea. What’s so great about a vacation, exactly? After giving it some thought (in a quartet of panels Vandorn letters with big HMMMs), the Grinch decides he’ll give this vacation thing a try himself and tells Max to pack his bags.

What follows are a series of attempts at a typical vacation, to the three locations each of the little Whos were going to. At each location, the Grinch finds things not quite up to his expectations, and, in fact, the trips are full of little irritants that make him grumble and frown and miss home. Each ends with a page depicting social media reactions to the particular place, with a column of Whos giving their starred reviews and saying nice things about the experience, while the Grinch posts his complaints.

That’s right, the Grinch has social media now, and yes, as a reader of a certain age, it is somewhat disconcerting to see Seussian characters carrying around smartphones, but, I suppose, no more so than hearing them speak in non-rhyming dialogue or, for that matter, appearing in a graphic novel rather than a picture book or cartoon.

Given the longevity of Seuss’ appeal, to the point that it seems to be approaching immortality, his stories and characters exist forever in the now, the present of the children that experience them, and that means they are now of the world where smartphones and other changes are part of day-to-day life, rather than being confined to the late 1950s of the book, the 1960s of the cartoon special, or the childhood of a now-adult reader.

Anyway, after what seems a substantial adventure, by virtue of Vandorn repeating the premise three times, the Grinch returns to Whoville, a changed person once again, this time gaining new appreciation for his home after being away so long. Although he’s still easily annoyed; that’s just the Grinch, apparently.

As with Baltazar’s Cat Out of Water, The Grinch Takes a Vacation is drawn in the artist’s own style. This is, of course, a great credit to publisher RH Graphic and copyright holder Dr. Seuss Enterprises, as the work wouldn’t feel as distinct, idiosyncratic or as personal had they demanded the creator—whoever, but in this case Vandorn—try to work in Seuss’ own style, or to slavishly copy his designs. (For contrast, compare Vandorn’s Grinch to the version of the character that appears in other recent-ish attempts to exploit the IP, like 2023 Grinch sequel How the Grinch Lost Christmas, by Alastair Heim and Aristides Ruiz, or 2017 early reader Cooking with the Grinch, by Tish Rabe and Tom Brannon.)

While Vandorn’s Grinch bears the same basic design of Seuss’—a big, green, furry humanoid with bushy, expressive eyebrows, an animalistic muzzle and a striking mouth that alternates between deep frowns and sinister smiles—and while he is clearly recognizable as the Grinch, he’s just as clearly not Seuss’ version of him, but a newer, looser, more modern and cartoonier take. (Cartoonier even, I think, than the one that appeared in the famous Chuck Jones-directed cartoon special of 1966).

Vandorn’s Whos are an even greater departure, appearing as tiny, brightly-colored, vaguely people-ish creatures, all inhabiting a world that is very much in debt to Seuss, from the whimsical architecture of Whoville to the distinct look of the trees growing around it. Though, as noted, there are some departures, mostly indebted to the modernizing of the setting, which of course includes smartphones and social media.

A more substantial plot with a bit more complex of a character at its center helps differentiate Vandorn’s Dr. Seuss graphic novel from Baltazar’s, and the comics format and more doodly, abstracted art differentiates it from the Grinch of the seminal storybook.

I think fans of Seuss’ characters should embrace this latest attempt to find new ways of presenting them to new generations, and I hope they will appreciate the attempts to let talented cartoonists do them their own way.

Next up is in the Dr. Seuss graphic novel line is a new book by the prolific James Kochalka starring not the Lorax nor Horton (which would have been my guesses to star in the third book), but Sam-I-Am and the unnamed, top-hatted figure who refuses to try green eggs and ham from the 1960 book Green Eggs and Ham. Entitled Green Eggs and Ham Take a Hike, it’s slated for a January release.

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