Boo: Casper the Friendly Ghost

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Growing up, one of my favorite cartoons to watch was Casper the Friendly Ghost.  Sure, it was hokey, but it was good wholesome fun for kids.  The cartoon carried a valuable message: don't judge a book by its cover.

We've always been taught that ghosts are scary.  Casper tried to break that stereotype.  He did good deeds everyday.  Casper helped lost puppies find their way home.  He stood up for kids who were being bullied.  He was exactly what we needed in as a role model.

The Ghostly Trio did everything in their power to undermine the efforts of the heroic Casper.  As the threesome tried to put the fright in folks with their antics, Casper did everything he could to thwart their efforts.  He enlisted the help of friends, including Wendy the Good Witch.

Movie Casper

In the mid 90's, Hollywood came up with a film version of Casper.  I'm not going to lie, I never saw it, so I can't comment on how it was, but I believe there have been several direct to video sequels made, so I'd imagine there was some success.

None-the-less, 80 years later (he started off in the comics) Casper can still be find on cable channels spreading his lessons of kindness, love, and friendship.  You can't go wrong with that.