Casper: The friendliest ghost for real?

Character Art by Adrian Ropp

Many details about Casper are shrouded in mystery.  "Natch!" you say. "He's a ghost!"

But it's far shadier than that...

For example, there's a lot of controversy concerning the veracity of Casper's "ghosthood."  Many insist that death has got to be the very first step for ghosts-in-the-making.  If so, then Casper would have to have died.  This poses a huge problem for cartoon producers who like to eat.  If cute little Casper had died, then he would have to have been a dead little boy.  Dead little boys do not make for lighthearted story lines that sell a lot of ads.

For a very long time, folks were therefore insisting that Casper had never actually died.  They said that Casper had always been a ghost because his mommy and daddy were ghosts when they got married (the intricate mechanics from that point on were never really explained).

Then one day, lo and behold, the truth came out!  It turns out that Casper was a little boy, and he did die (of pneumonia) - while sledding, no less.  And he even had a last name - McFadden!

Paranormal theorists now have something engaging to work with.  It's possible that Casper was a very friendly little boy who now continues on as a very friendly little ghost.  Or it's possible that Casper was a very unfriendly little boy who now has to balance those karmic scales by being the friendliest little ghost you ever did know.

Who knows what really lurks within?

Perhaps only The Shadow does.

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casper_the_Friendly_Ghost