@TeeKup:

You can still consider some, if not most of the stuff as canon. Just because the artists depicted the events a certain way doesn't mean that's exactly how it was. There are lots of different depictions of Jesus, or Saint Nicholas, or other historic figures, but the important thing is the events behind the people.

And since most of the hate surrounding these shorts stem from established facts in the books, a non-visual medium, you'd think most people against them would realize that it's the story that's the important part.