HAPPY NEW YEAR!

NWI THE TIMES article

http://www.nwi.com/articles/2007/12/30/entertainment/entertainment/docdf9de0e3f1462bd9862573be0070fba5.txt

RANKIN/BASS dolls at HALLMARK stores

You might be able to get these at 50% off now. Nice RANKIN/BASS Plush dolls.

RANKIN/BASS Bubble Lights

There were even RANKIN/BASS RUDOLPH bubble light ornaments this Holiday season. Click to Enlarge. Also, click DECEMBER NEWS 2007 at right to get all of the DECEMBER NEWS. THANKS to Chris Wolfson for the ad.

Dom Carpani's RANKIN/BASS house...

Dom Carpani was kind enough to send some pics of his home during Christmas! He even does tours for nursing homes, etc. Very nice!

Interview with KEVIN KRIESS

Here is an interview with KEVIN at his new store TOY GALAXY in the MONROEVILLE MALL with the ANIMAGIC figures of RUDOLPH & SANTA!
http://kdka.com/holidays/Rudolph.puppets.Santa.2.609823.html

When you sit on my lap today, a kiss & hug is the price you pay!

The song from this scene in SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN is called "Santa's Song" and it is available on a CD I Co-Produced with Patrick Milligan for WARNER BROTHERS MUSIC GROUP that includes the entire soundtrack to SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN and FROSTY THE SNOWMAN. The booklet in the CD (Which features original LP artwork from the PROMO COPY ONLY releases) has RARE photos and has an interview with me about RANKIN/BASS. I think you can still find it on AMAAZON (possibly in marketplace). It was released in a nice DIGI-PACK.

CRANBERRY EAGLE Newspaper article from today's paper

THANKS to Don Sweeney! CLICK picture to enlarge to read.

Music 2007!

I want to THANK everyone that purchased my music this year! DECEMBER was a BIG month on ITUNES, AMAZON.COM and CD BABY for RICK GOLDSCHMIDT SINGS! I think it was due to the many Radio interviews I did and the exposure that Doug Whiteman of the ASSOCIATED PRESS gave us! The individual songs were some of the BEST sellers for an independent artist on ITUNES for the month of December. THANKS to all!

THE BALLAD OF SMOKEY THE BEAR (1966)

THE BALLAD OF SMOKEY THE BEAR DVDs are a little late. They will actually be in early next week and on their way shortly after. Arthur Rankin, Jr. actually took the recording equipment out to James Cagney's farm in upstate New York to record his voice for this special back in 1966. He also had to provide a letter from President Johnson to get Cagney to do it!

We wish you the Merriest, the Merriest ...

Have a HAP, HAP, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Reviews of RANKIN/BASS ROUND 2 items...

http://actionfigureinsider.com/features/Round2Xmas07.shtml

FATHER TIME...another ANIMAGIC figure that has stood the test of time

RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR is coming!

I did an interview tonight with Philip Potempa at THE TIMES NEWSPAPER and they are planning a weekend section featuring RANKIN/BASS and FATHER TIME.

Billy Carroll Sent me this...

Ring in the Holidays with RANKIN/BASS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Art by Kirsten Ulve

MERRY CHRISTMAS from the ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS!

For your Christmas Eve enjoyment...

http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/qpodcast_20071224_4224.mp3
Here is an interview with my friend BILLIE MAE RICHARDS, PAUL SOLES & CARL BANAS

THE LEPRECHAUN'S CHRISTMAS GOLD

Got in a few collector's DVDs of THE LEPRECHAUN'S CHRISTMAS GOLD (1981) starring Art Carney.

RANKIN/BASS Hallmark Ornaments

Here are some of the ornaments from the ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS that HALLMARK offered this year! My girlfriend Josephine bought all of them for me. THANKS to Chris Wolfson for the catalog page.

RANKIN/BASS Disneyland records ad

Got this ad from my pal GREG EHRBAR! He wrote a book recently called MOUSE TRACKS: The History of DISNEYLAND RECORDS that I would recommend. I offer both of these soundtracks on CD now.

THE STINGIEST MAN IN TOWN (1978)

Always loved these PAUL COKER, JR. Model sheets of the Vendors from the RANKIN/BASS TV Special THE STINGIEST MAN IN TOWN with the voice of Walter Mathau.

ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. & JULES BASS

The guys who made it all happen! I can't say enough good things about ARTHUR RANKIN & JULES BASS! They send their BEST WISHES during this holiday season!

THE BALLAD OF SMOKEY THE BEAR (1966)

I will have a Collector's DVD of THE BALLAD OF SMOKEY THE BEAR starring the voice of JAMES CAGNEY just a few days after Christmas! It is a very nice print of one of my favorite ANIMAGIC RANKIN/BASS shows too! I paired it up with THE RED BARON, which was on the ABC SATURDAY SUPERSTAR MOVIES. RANKIN/BASS eye candy for all to enjoy!

FLEXITOON Greetings!

From my pals at www.flexitoon.com

PAUL COKER, JR. Greetings 2007!

SHAG Greetings

Got a nice Christmas card 8 color archival pigment print in the mail today! It is limited to 150 signed and numbered copies. Very cool!

THE KRINGLES wish you the Merriest!

Cool RANKIN/BASS gift items at www.timeandspacetoys.com & GALAXY TOYS

www.timeandspacetoys.com

HIROSHI TABATA makes ANIMAGIC! (1970)

ABC FAMILY

I wish ABC FAMILY had aired the "We Are Santa's Elves" Documentary that is now on the DELUXE EDITION DVD of THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS (Warner Brothers). I had suggested that to them months ago. It only seems fair to give credit to the Producers and RANKIN/BASS cast for supplying ABC FAMILY with hours of entertainment for many years on their 25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.

Still shipping out orders.....

If you ordered something from me, it is already in the mail! I am caught up! I will still ship items out this weekend, so feel free to order all you like via www.rankinbass.com EBAY seller ANIMAGIC1 and MISER BROS or direct. E-mail: Rickgoldsc@aol.com THANKS for a GREAT season! SEASON'S GREETINGS!

THE FLIGHT OF DRAGONS

Just got in some FLIGHT OF DRAGONS Collector's DVDs! I also have THE BALLAD OF SMOKEY THE BEAR (1966) w/ the voice of JAMES CAGNEY and THE RED BARON (1972) being mastered right now for an upcoming Collector's DVD. 1964 RUDOLPH DVDs going fast...order soon! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

SHIRLEY TEMPLE

Here are a few other ANIMAGIC figures that survived from a SHIRLEY TEMPLE special/series that was never produced. The ANIMAGIC figures reside in Arthur Rankin's collection.

FROSTY airs again on the networks!

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN continues to get high ratings and aired two times in Prime Time! Why do they keep airing that FROSTY RETURNS???? The only other RANKIN/BASS Special that should be airing with FROSTY is FROSTY'S WINTER WONDERLAND (1976) starring ANDY GRIFFITH.

RANKIN/BASS Wrapping paper at TOYS 'R' US

TOYS 'R' US had EXCLUSIVE RANKIN/BASS FROSTY THE SNOWMAN and RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER wrapping paper this year! I used some of it today to wrap some gifts. The FROSTY art was pulled from the WARNER BROTHERS style guide that Patrick Owsley, Mike Fontanelli and Mark Christianson worked on a few years back.

DVDs

Just got in more un-cut 1964 RUDOLPH DVDs w/ GE Commercials. Posted a few more DVDs on EBAY including this JACK FROST DVD with Patrick Owsley's art on the cover. Also have Re-mastered WILLY McBEAN & HIS MAGIC MACHINE! E-mail: Rickgoldsc@aol.com

MARCO (1970)

Here is another picture of a surviving ANIMAGIC figure or some people call them puppets. It is again, from the collection of ROMEO MULLER and it is one of the tree people from the Live-Action/ANIMAGIC feature film MARCO. The film is out on DVD Letter-boxed and I would highly recommend it for a short scene in ANIMAGIC featuring the song "Peace Berries."

It's settled! Tomorrow we travel to Sombertown!

To view all of the DECEMBER NEWS (and there is alot of it!), just click on DECEMBER 2007 at the right in the ARCHIVES list. Enjoy!

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

Here is a PAUL COKER, JR. painting/Model sheet he did for a RANKIN/BASS Project/treatment I started in 2001. The Project is called THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR and would star ANDY WILLIAMS & THE OSMONDS (As they appeared in the RANKIN/BASS series). ANDY loved the idea, paintings and called me up to commit to it. This would be done in the ROMEO MULLER traditional RANKIN/BASS style. I was recently asked for help by the OPRAH show as THE OSMONDS made a recent appearance on her show. Donny could not say enough good things about RANKIN/BASS when I interviewed him. I would love to see this RANKIN/BASS special hit the airwaves.

DAVID SHELDON Greetings!

http://www.dksheldon.com/ My pal David Sheldon did a GREAT gift card line (they are near the registers) for TARGET this Holiday season! David illustrated my CD covers and is well known for his work in READER'S DIGEST, OLD NAVY, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, LOG COMMERCIALS (from REN & STIMPY), etc.

THE DEEP ARCHIVES

www.thedeeparchives.com

All The Best!

I did a new interview that is featured on www.allthebest2007.blogspot.com Enjoy! This image is a model sheet JACK DAVIS did of KING KONG or IT possibly for MAD MONSTER PARTY (1967). I originally thought it was for THE KING KONG Show, which Jack also designed BUT it in MMP had a slender face like this design. Image courtesy of www.thedeeparchives.com . This art is on EBAY right now!

This is the DVD to get this season!

I noticed TARGET was selling out of them! It has NESTOR THE LONG-EARED DONKEY and RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR on it too! YEAR WITHOUT..is Re-Mastered and it has the WE ARE SANTA'S ELVES Documentary with ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. and the rest of the cast!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

As the Holidays draw near, we want to wish everyone the Happiest of Holidays from the Enchanted World of RANKIN/BASS!

BOOKS!

AMAZON didn't order enough books again this year? It says temporarily unavailable BUT they ordered two more cases last night. You can order it directly from me. E-mail me at: Rickgoldsc@aol.com OR you can buy through www.rankinbass.com I sign and draw in all orders through there too. I go to the post office every AM so it ships right away. THANKS!

SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN TO TOWN action figures

Just posted these sets on EBAY for my Mom. Kevin from www.timeandspacetoys.com says these are very desirable these days. I loved this line! BOB PLANT was behind it and sent me some samples of these just before PLAYING MANTIS went out of business. Glad they returned as ROUND 2!

Robert L. May's 2nd book...

Did you know? In 1954, ROBERT L. MAY wrote a 2nd book about the famous reindeer called RUDOLPH SHINES AGAIN. Not sure why RANKIN/BASS made their 2nd special as RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR but that is what they did. MAY and I were the same age when we wrote our RUDOLPH books ironically. AMAZON has been ordering tons of RUDOLPH books from MISER BROS PRESS this year! I guess the AP WIRE article really made people aware of it.

The DV Show

I did a few interviews this past Friday and this is one of them. I posted alot of NEWS on the BLOG in the month of DECEMBER...to look at it all, just click on DECEMBER 2007 to the right and everything will come up. It's the HOLIDAY season! I will post some other RARE stuff as we get closer to the BIG day! Luckily, I am on vacation the week of Christmas this year!

www.thedvshow.com/podcasts/dec17.html

Christmas Party!

I went with the "Love of my life" Josephine to her company Christmas party last night! A very enjoyable time, as the snow was falling down around Chicago. Josephine is an RN at a Chicago area Hospital and a very creative person. I can't tell you how proud I am of the HERMEY THE ELF costume she made for my son. She is my inspiration to be the best person I can be.

RANKIN/BASS Snow!

We got hit with about 5-6 inches of RANKIN/BASS snow last night! I was able to dig out. Working hard on getting all of the many orders we are getting right now! Trying to get everything out for Christmas! I posted a TIGER MOUNTAIN PRESS edition of my first book THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS: A PORTFOLIO on EBAY that my son Josh found in his collection under seller ANIMAGIC1 today!

THE TIMES

We were visited last weekend by PHILLIP POTEMPA of THE TIMES newspapers and he wrote this! www.nwi.com/articles/2007/12/12/columnists/offbeat/docbce60e66374a4161862573ae00822349.txt

Cover concept by Bob Plant

After seeing my friend BOB PLANT (Round 2) at my BORDERS book signing last weekend, I thought back to the days when we were going to do a BOOK/FIGURE package with PLAYING MANTIS in 2001! Bob did several wonderful, alternate cover concepts for my book and this was one of them that I REALLY liked. When I was signing books at the zoo, a few women asked me to draw RUDOLPH & CLARICE together and this image immediately popped into my head.

Another original RUDOLPH cast member that survived..

This guy is from the collection of ROMEO MULLER (Photograph by Gene Muller). I think it was given to Romeo during the 10th Anniversary party for RUDOLPH. It looks like Donner or one of the reindeer team from the 1964 special.

RUDOLPH Recording session

Arthur Rankin, Jr. gives direction to the RUDOLPH voice actors as JULES BASS stands behind hime. Bernard Cowan is in the foreground and recording engineer Bill Giles is just behind Arthur's right arm.

TONY PETERS designs...

TONY PETERS designed all of the early RANKIN/BASS series and TV Specials such as THE NEW ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO, TALES OF THE WIZARD OF OZ, WILLY McBEAN & HIS MAGIC MACHINE and RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. He had a beautiful lettering style as seen here on these Christmas seals he designed! The lettering style was used on THE TALES OF THE WIZARD OF OZ & PINOCCHIO. TONY resides in NY today and has had a long career in animation and design! (Click image to enlarge)

A RANKIN/BASS HALLMARK greeting card

I picked this HALLMARK Greeting card up tonight from WALGREENS. It features RANKIN/BASS' FROSTY THE SNOWMAN as inked by my friend PATRICK OWSLEY. When you open it up it plays Burl Ives' "Holly, Jolly Christmas." Perhaps HALLMARK didn't realize BURL voiced SAM THE SNOWMAN in RANKIN/BASS' RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. Cool card anyway!

PATRICK OWSLEY art for Christmas!

Artist and friend PATRICK OWSLEY is still doing those RANKIN/BASS original art drawings for Christmas! E-mail him at Powsley@flash.net and click the link at the right for his BLOG. He actually did some of the DVD covers for CLASSIC MEDIA and EAST WEST DVD! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Collector's DVDs in!

Just received some RANKIN/BASS collector's DVDs! E-mail: Rickgoldsc@aol.com Also, check out EBAY under seller ANIMAGIC1 and MISER BROS for some cool things! Orders placed by December 20th, sshould still make it by Christmas! Got in more WILLY McBean (re-mastered), LEPRECHAUN'S CHRISTMAS GOLD, THAT GIRL IN WONDERLAND, THE LIFE & ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS, MOUSE ON THE MAYFLOWER, etc.

MONROEVILLE MALL Pittsburgh, PA

http://kdka.com/topstories/Rudolph.puppets.Santa.2.609823.html

The original RUDOLPH & SANTA Animagic figures will be appearing in TOY GALAXY in the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh, PA courtesy of www.timeandspacetoys.com . I signed a LIMITED # of my MAKING OF RUDOLPH books for the event. Tons of RANKIN/BASS toys will be available for the event also! Check it out!

The BERNARD COWAN ARCHIVES!

I heard from my friend Elliot Cowan (Son of RANKIN/BASS Vocal Supervisor BERNARD COWAN) and he is in the process of having the sessions (from the New York Song sessions) from the RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER transferred from 1'2" tape. He said the quality is amazing and there are out-takes, studio chatter, etc. There are also demos of LARRY D. MANN (Yukon Cornelius) singing "Silver & Gold"and "Ruidolph the red-nosed reindeer." AMAZING stuff! Now, hopefully CLASSIC MEDIA will see the value in this material as extras for next year's DVD box set release of the RANKIN/BASS classics!

MO'C

www.mitchoconnell.com

BROOKFIELD ZOO Part 2 Sunday Dec. 9th

The HOLLY, JOLLY Stage on a cold Winter's night...

Questions from the audience...

Trivia and Prizes! Prizes provided by www.timeandspacetoys.com

Kevin took questions from the audience while I signed books.

Could you Please draw RUDOLPH & CLARICE?

What was wrong with the Misfit girl doll?

Mark & Kevin talk RANKIN/BASS Merchandise at the zoo!

The threat of a storm kept some away....

THOSE FUNNY LITTLE PEOPLE danced on Sunday night too!

We want to THANK Ken Grzeslo and all the GREAT people at the BROOKFIELD ZOO for a wonderful RANKIN/BASS Event! They asked us to come back and we just may!

RADIO SHOW Friday Dec. 14

Bob Mangels
Oldies Radio WJQZ
Wellsville, NY (near Buffalo)
I will be on with BOB at 9:40am Eastern time on WJQZ

I want to be a Dentist!

(from l to r: My hygenist MARSHA SOIC, My Dentist MISHA IVETICH and myself)

I had to visit the Dentist for a filling and I always forget about HERMEY THE ELF and I was reminded by DR. PAPPAS in the waiting room. He said HERMEY might have been one of the reasons he decided to be a dentist. MISHA is holding the http://www.timeandspacetoys.com/ Ornament EXCLUSIVE of the HUMBLE BUMBLE and KING MOONRACER and MARSHA is holding the DELUXE EDITION DVD release of THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS available at TARGET (with RANKIN/BASS Documentary). I have been going to HOMETOWN DENTAL CARE since I was in Kindergarten.

BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC Sunday Dec. 9th, 2007

We received a nice mention in the CHICAGO TRIBUNE Friday section picking us as the #4 thing to do that weekend: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/chi-1207_burbsdec07,0,1316728.story

Kevin had to start the talk by himself Sunday while THE STARVING ARTISTS were still playing some music!

We met some GREAT fans! We talked a bit about the CBS airing of RUDOLPH and we met a very nice person from RC2 (They bought PLAYING MANTIS) and www.timeandspacetoys.com will be getting their remaining RANKIN/BASS stock!

THE LIFE & ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS

I always get tons of e-mails at Rickgoldsc@aol.com about THE LIFE & ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS. I do have it on a collector's DVD-R to enjoy! The ANIMAGIC head you see at the left was one of the few ANIMAGIC pieces to survive.

ROBIN WALSH on NPR!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17024572

Robin Walsh from http://www.screen-novelties.com/ (check out the restoral pictures on their site!) gets interviewed on NPR under the article title PUPPETS FROM THE 1964 RUDOLPH GET THE STAR TREATMENT! Robin actually restored the original ANIMAGIC RANKIN/BASS RUDOLPH & SANTA figures from very rocky shape, while keeping their integrety intact! You can also listen to the interview BILLIE MAE RICHARDS (Voice of RUDOLPH) and I did for NPR a few years back, from this NPR page...when RUDOLPH turned 40!

RUDOLPH doesn't shine so bright on CBS!

"You mean you never heard the story about how CBS messed up our show? Well, pull up an iceberg and lend an ear!" I never heard so many complaints about the annual airing of RUDOLPH on the network, as I did at my appearances this year. Apparently CBS not only time compressed the whole show BUT they even shortened songs and took out the instrumental section of "we are Santa's elves" again. But apparently the worst thing they did was use sections of both the animation from "Fame & Fortune" and the "We're a couple of misfits" animation and mixed it together during the abridged version of the song "We're a couple of misfits" and Rudolph & Hermey's mouths were not moving when they should have been and vice versa. Who edited this??? I would be happy to help get the correct version of the show on air for the first time since 1964 and help put together a Documentary that would include all of the members of RANKIN/BASS as well as the voice actor cast! This is the longest running, Highest rated TV Special (Not just Christmas) of all-time and CBS needs to start treating it as such! On the commercials they said it is Re-Mastered and High Definition? They still are not showing the PEPPERMINT MINE sequence that was restored to the DVD version in 1998. It hasn't aired on the networks since 1964?

THE STARVING ARTISTS Live at BORDERS 12-09-07

The STARVING ARTISTS Road Crew: DENNIS & KEVIN

We got an early start to our day on SUNDAY and BORDERS BOOKS in Schaumburg, IL was Rockin' to the sounds of the STARVING ARTISTS!

Den introduced SKATES the Chicago Wolves mascot and the coaches'wife for an event that followed our performance. Dennis is quite the announcer.

' You can see it in my Eyes!'

"Good Afternoon BORDERS Customers! Make sure you take advantage of those BORDERS rewards points!"

STARVING ARTISTS lead guitar player shows up and discusses a RANKIN/BASS sculpting project with Kevin of http://www.timeandspacetoys.com/

BROOKFIELD ZOO Saturday Night! HUGE Turnout!

My Mom took all of the following pictures...

We had a very enjoyable time at BROOKFIELD ZOO'S Holiday Magic Saturday night! If you can make it out Sunday night, I would strongly recommend it! We want to THANK Ken Grezslo and the ZOO for putting on a wonderful event for all! I signed and drew in many, many books!

The book line got so long, that Kevin had to do the question and answers on the mike alone.

The weather was bad last weekend, so HOLIDAY MAGIC actually began tonight!

RUDOLPH'S Nose was Shining bright!

We will be back tonight and I will have more DVDs!

The HOLLY, JOLLY stage...

RANKIN/BASS Questions and answers....

This is part of our traveling RANKIN/BASS museum!

Kevin was interviewed by Philip Potempa for THE TIMES newspaper. The feature will come out between Christmas and New Year's Day!

The ZOO is decorated beautifully!

A Dancing Elf!

BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC Saturday!

We enjoyed our first of two visits to BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC in Schaumburg, IL today! Got to meet alot of die hard RANKIN/BASS fans! We want to wish our friend PATRICK McKAY a speedy recovery from his illness!

We had a nice meeting with our friend Bob Plant from ROUND 2 and we talked about many different RANKIN/BASS Product ideas for future toy releases! It was the first time we met face to face and the first time he saw the SANTA & RUDOLPH Animagic figures in-person. Bob helped me with some cover concepts and a few images for my MAKING OF RUDOLPH book! He was also responsible for the GREAT action figure line from SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN.

THE RANKIN/BASS Weekend is almost here!

Snow is falling tonight in the Chicagoland area and it may this weekend as well! It's beginning to look alot like Christmas! Come out to BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC in Schaumburg, IL at Noon on Saturday and 11am on Sunday and say hello to the original RANKIN/BASS Animagic figures of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER and SANTA CLAUS! You may even get to say hello to a live HERMEY THE ELF! Then come out to BROOKFIELD ZOO in Brookfield, IL to hang out with SANTA & RUDOLPH there at 5pm both SATURDAY and SUNDAY! We will have lots of RANKIN/BASS merchandise courtesy of http://www.timeandspacetoys.com/ including some EXCLUSIVES. There are some other SPECIAL things planned BUT you will have to come to the events to find out about those! Kevin and I talked to NPR Radio today about the re-stored ANIMAGIC figures! I may bring some original ANIMAGIC figures, from my collection, to these events too.

BOOK SUPPLY running low!

Just realized that our book supply on THE MAKING OF THE RANKIN/BASS HOLIDAY CLASSIC: RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER HC book is running low and may not go to a 2nd printing. With the book signing events this weekend and the large amount of on-line orders we have been getting, this may be the last Holiday season that it is available. Order your copy soon!

Here is another ANIMAGIC figure that survived the years....

FATHER TIME (voiced by Red Skelton) from RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR (which IS on THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS Deluxe Edition DVD!). He is in the collection of David Scheve www.thedeeparchives.com Notice he is missing his right eyebrow.

The guys who made this all possible.....

ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. and JULES BASS!

CHICAGO SUN TIMES

This is the article with all the right info for this weekend's appearances.
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/television/679244,CST-FTR-rudolph04.article
'Something tells me it's all happening at the zoo. I do believe it. I do believe it's true' PAUL SIMON

One of CNN's most popular stories of the Day!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/04/real.rudolph.ap/index.html

More Press....

There is actually an AP VIDEO with this article! I think it has Kevin and I in Ohio talking about the ANIMAGIC figures!
Click on the small pic of RUDOLPH's head to the right of the article! The picture to the left is from the Panel discussion we did Don Hilliard. It was very well recieved and a full room! The screening of the NEW RANKIN/BASS Documentary was a hit too!

www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/living/s_540959.html

I may be doing the Morning show in Chicago on NBC in the next few days!

I have the RARE RUDOLPH cd up on EBAY under seller ANIMAGIC1!

Getting reports from many fans that CBS hacked up the classic special more than they even have in the past! Appears they just do not care. They could air a GREAT RANKIN/BASS Documentary with all the players BUT have shown no interest :(

RADIO SHOW tomorrow AM 8:15am!

I am going to need some BUMBLE Hot Chocolate with the weather we have coming into Chicago right now....2-5 inches of snow. I will be on a radio show tomorrow am in the QUAD CITIES KUUL 101.3 FM at 8:15am Central time with the KUUL GUYS! You can check it out online too at http://www.thekuulmorningguys.com/ They are a CLEAR CHANNEL station out of Davenport, Iowa!

Tuesday December 4th, 2007

Nice color mention in the CHICAGO SUN TIMES this am! It lists the ZOO time as 6pm, which appears to be correct. They are located at First Ave. & 31st street. The Schaumburg BORDERS is also listed for Noon both days and they are located at 1540 E. Golf Rd..

Annual RUDOLPH TV on-line book signing!

All books bought from http://www.rankinbass.com/ today will be signed (and I will draw the character of your choice...include your choice with your payment). It has become a tradition to do an on-line signing when RUDOLPH makes it's annual appearance on CBS TV. This is the 43rd airing tonight! I may even include a few surprises in your package with each book order!

Photographs by Josh Goldschmidt

We were on ABC NEWS in Chicago...

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=5811245
The AP story is also on CNBC, BUSINESS WEEK, MSNBC, etc.

Music on Sunday!

For SUNDAY's Appearance at the Schaumburg, IL BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC, we will start a little early with THE STARVING ARTISTS at 11am! We will do a LIVE performance to support my CD RICK GOLDSCHMIDT SINGS, due to the fact that we missed our show last week with the bad weather.

A RANKIN/BASS Weekend!

December 8th and 9th we will have the original RANKIN/BASS Animagic figures at BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC in Schaumburg, IL at Noon for a two hour book signing and screening! Then we will move on to BROOKFIELD ZOO in Brookfield, IL at 5pm both days! The events there will include plenty of merchandise and prizes from http://www.timeandspacetoys.com/ and I will talk and screen some RARE RANKIN/BASS and do another book signing! If you live or are traveling to the Illinois area this weekend...you will not want to miss this! The Schaumburg BORDERS is very close to O'HARE AIRPORT and BROOKFIELD ZOO is only about 30 minutes South of there. RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER airs on CBS tonight! Check your local listings! Just got in more DVDs of the Un-cut 1964 Broadcast with commercials!

Trivia about TV's 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'
The Associated Press
Published: December 3, 2007

Things you may not have known about the Rankin/Bass TV special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," which first aired in 1964:
_"Rudolph" was worked on simultaneously in New York, Japan, Britain and Canada. The concept for the show was developed in New York, the animation was done in Japan, the music was recorded in England and the voice actors were in Canada.
_Rudolph's voice was provided by a woman, Billie Mae Richards.
_Each Rankin/Bass "animagic" figure cost $5,000 to make in 1964. The production took 18 months to complete.
_The song "We're a Couple of Misfits" was replaced by "Fame and Fortune" when the special reaired in 1965. An executive with original sponsor General Electric Co. made the decision, though his reasons have never been clear. The change remained in place until 1998, when "Misfits" was put back in.

_Many fans ask, "What makes the girl doll that cries on the Island of Misfit Toys a misfit?" Nothing in the script by Romeo Muller gives any indication, but co-producer Arthur Rankin Jr. recently offered this explanation: "She was cast off by her mistress and clinically depressed, and they didn't have Prozac back then."
_The 1964 edition of the special did not show Santa going back to the Island of Misfit toys to pick up the toys. Viewers wanted to see that and wrote letters, according to Rankin's producing partner Jules Bass, so the ending we see now with the toys being dropped off Santa's sleigh with little umbrellas was animated and added in 1965.
_Johnny Marks, who wrote the original song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," was Arthur Rankin Jr.'s neighbor in New York.
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Source: Rick Goldschmidt, author of "The Making of the Rankin/Bass Holiday Classic: 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.'"

Photograph by Josh Goldschmidt (Columbus, OH)

Article

Restored 'Rudolph' Figures Make Rounds
By DOUG WHITEMAN Associated Press Writer © 2007 The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — They look terrific for a duo whose holiday act debuted 43 years ago.
Though one still carries around a spare tire of belly fat, it doesn't seem to have aged him, and the other is still a bright, shining guy despite some rough times.
Rediscovered and restored puppets of Santa Claus and Rudolph that were animated for TV's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" are making holiday appearances, delighting fans of the special that has been a perennial favorite since its first airing in 1964. CBS plans to show it again Tuesday.
In the animated feature, inspired by the Johnny Marks song, Rudolph is laughed at and excluded from reindeer games over his glowing red nose. He finds acceptance at the Island of Misfit Toys before reuniting with Santa one foggy Christmas Eve.
"It's like meeting a celebrity, like meeting Clint Eastwood, or ('Batman' stars) Adam West and Burt Ward. These are icons," said Rick Goldschmidt, historian of the Rankin/Bass animation studio, who accompanied the 8-inch-high red-suited Santa and 4-inch-high yearling Rudolph with antler nubs to a comic book convention over Thanksgiving weekend.
Two years ago, the figures were acquired by current owner Kevin Kriess. Santa's face was stained, there was mold under his beard and half his mustache was gone. Rudolph was missing the red light bulb from his nose, said Kriess, a longtime fan of the special whose Harmony, Pa.-based business TimeandSpaceToys.com sells action figures and other collectibles based on movies and TV shows.
Kriess, 44, said he bought his two treasures from a person whose family had received them years ago from a relative who worked for Rankin/Bass. For many years, the delicate wood, wire and fabric puppets had been treated casually: first as toys and later as holiday decorations.
"They had Rudolph in a candy dish with candy all around him, just on a coffee table, and people would just reach in around Rudolph's body and pull out a candy cane or something," Kriess said. In the family's holiday photos, you could spot Santa slumped under a tree in a corner, he said.
Arthur Rankin Jr., who with producing partner Jules Bass created the "Rudolph" special for original sponsor General Electric, said the figures were just going to be thrown out, so his secretary took them home and gave them to family. No effort was made to preserve them, because no one imagined the show would become a hallowed classic.
"You make a film and you don't know whether it's going to work or not, whether it will have an audience," said Rankin, 83, reached by phone in Bermuda, where he is now retired. "In the case of 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,' it went beyond any expectations."
The firm in Japan that animated the figures likely had a half-dozen replicas of each figure, Rankin said. But he believes any other red-suit Santas and yearling Rudolphs were probably discarded, because the puppets tended to get worn out by the animators.
The firm used the "stop-motion" method _ starting and stopping a camera while arms and other parts are moved in tiny increments that appear as fluid movement in the final film.
Kriess bought his pair after he shared photos of them and what he knew about their history with Rankin, who confirmed they had been used in the filming. The sale contract requires that the purchase price and the seller's identity not be revealed, Kriess said.
He took the figures to Los Angeles stop-motion animation studio Screen Novelties International, which restored them. Animal hair was found to match the surviving half of Santa's mustache, and Rudolph's red nose was rewired and now lights again. Kriess said the company did the work mostly as a labor of love and charged only $4,000 for expenses.
A few puppets of other characters are still in the possession of people who worked on the film, said historian Goldschmidt, whose books include "The Making of the Rankin/Bass Holiday Classic: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
Kriess has scheduled more pre-Christmas appearances: in the Chicago area at the Brookfield Zoo and a Borders book store Dec. 8-9, and at Kriess' new brick-and-mortar store at the Monroeville Mall near Pittsburgh the following weekend.
He hopes to make a holiday tradition out of an annual tour, though he acknowledges receiving sometimes-tempting offers for his puppets ranging up to tens of thousands of dollars.
Even if he ever sold them, Kriess said, he would require the buyer to allow him to continue exhibiting the puppets occasionally.

AP WIRE

Doug Whiteman tells us that his RUDOLPH article has now hit the AP WIRE. BIG RANKIN/BASS weekend coming up if you live in the Chicago area...more details to follow!

Original RANKIN/BASS art for the Holidays!

Buy some original RANKIN/BASS art from Patrick Owsley! He did the DVD cover for JACK FROST (seen here) and covers for other RANKIN/BASS Holiday Classics. E-mail him at powsley@flash.net or click the link on the right to his blog! Enchanting stuff!

RANKIN/BASS Collection Photo series #1

Per my friend Patrick Owsley's suggestion. I will post some photos of my RANKIN/BASS collection periodically. These are two RARE dolls from the RANKIN/BASS series TALES OF THE WIZARD OF OZ (1961). The charm bracelet around the Scarecrow's neck was issued as a tie in product if you bought a GENERAL ELECTRIC Iron from RETURN TO OZ (1964).

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1974)

Often forgot about, this RANKIN/BASS classic remained on the CBS Network for years! It is now available on the FROSTY'S WINTER WONDERLAND DVD and I offer the soundtrack in STEREO. George Gobel and Joel Grey lent their voice to this Cel animated classic. I especially like the Paul Coker, Jr. design to the Santa Claus at the end of the special.

The MISER BROTHERS

www.timeandspacetoys.com still has these EXCLUSIVE ornaments available! They have other HEAT & SNOW MISER items as well. They will also be with me at all of our appearances this weekend with lots of RANKIN/BASS Product!

Paul Coker, Jr.'s original cover art

Paul originally did the cover art for my first book with a Yellow background with swirls of colored pencil all around. We later changed it to Blue with snowflakes and added in the ANIMAGIC heads of RUDOLPH & FROSTY near the Banner.

MITCH O' CONNELL Event

www.mitchoconnell.com

Busy RANKIN/BASS Week coming up!

This is going to be a pretty busy and BIG RANKIN/BASS week! We just got another HUGE book order from AMAZON! RUDOLPH airs Tuesday night on CBS and Billy at www.tvparty.com tells me my RUDOLPH articles there are getting many hits. I just received more of the 1964 un-cut General Electric Fantasy Hour RUDOLPH DVDs with THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY un-cut w/ commercials and bumpers. Things are definitely hopping here!

The Laws Family

MAURY LAWS & family! Maury was a HUGE part in the longevity of the RANKIN/BASS Christmas classics! Read more about him at www.maurylaws.com You will hear his Orchestrations for the 43rd Annual performance of the RANKIN/BASS TV Musical Spectacular RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER this Tuesday Night on CBS! Check your local listings.

ARTHUR RANKIN, JR.

Going through the RANKIN/BASS archives at my house....

SARA Elf!

SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN mini-book

Picked up this cook little hardcover book of RANKIN/BASS' SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN at UNCLE FUN today. I think I remember these coming out a few years ago from www.runningpress.com I like that the actual images from the TV Special are used through out the book.

Saturday December 1st, 2007

We had to cancel our STARVING ARTISTS performance at BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC tonight, due to terrible weather in the Chicagoland area. First we got some snow around Noon, that later turned to rain and then Ice. We ended up in the Wrigleyville area during the heart of the storm and did some shopping at Pete Wentz's store CLANDESTINE http://www.clandestineindustries.com/ . Pete was in the store Wednesday and Joseph talked to him about the project we may work on. We also did some shopping at UNCLE FUN and QUAKE (Bought an EVEL KNIEVEL lunch box and a FRANKENSTEIN SOAKY for Josh). UNCLE FUN had a postcard for sale that I actually published.

Sara designed her own hoodie with Joseph...

My new CLANDESTINE shades... BORDERS BOOKS was actually kind of relieved that we canceled. They said that there were few customers in the store and we could play some music next weekend, before the book signings I am doing at Noon Dec. 8th and 9th. Since I will be doing TV and Radio appearances this week, we expect to have a much larger crowd and we will have the SANTA & RUDOLPH Animagic figures there.