My favorite time of year is autumn. I’m a huge fan of Halloween and look forward to Thanksgiving. And who doesn’t fancy a nice Hop-tu-Naa?

I like Christmas. I think I used to look forward to it more than I do now. Part of that is the waaaaay early start of the commercials, decorations, and so on not to mention the Black Friday Frenzy. It starts so early it’s hard to keep up the joy in it two months later. I suppose there is also some resentment that Thanksgiving and more often these days Halloween are getting pushed aside sooner to make way for El Clause. I saw trees in the store the week of Halloween, the pumpkins and skeletons pushed to the end caps like embarrassing relatives. That’s why we need Captain Thanksween right now.

The Captain girds for the good fight sporting an array of autumn talismans:

• The obligatory pilgrim hat
• Jack-o-lantern head
• Pilgrim cape, pants, and cuffs
• Fall leaf sigil on chest
• Cornocopagun
• And of course, Snake Plisskin’s eyepatch, shirt, and boots.

Years ago it seemed that Escape from New York was on during the Thanksgiving week every year for a few years. We came to think of it as ‘The Thanksgiving Movie’. I would later learn it wasn’t just me – I’ve met others with the same memories. So to this day I usually watch it before Thanksgiving.

So this year be thankful. That you don’t live in an abandoned city-prison surrounded by thirty foot walls with armed guards. And your family or whatever.