Rankin/Bass-historian

Thursday, December 09, 2010

For my dear friend Gena (Who was working with Paul McCartney today!)

Maury Laws:

I didn’t write cartoon music or what I call hot licks, trendy stuff that would be outdated in five years. Something that’s very hot this year, they run away from in five years.

I couldn't agree more :)

From my NEW RANKIN/BASS book coming Holidays 2011! Artwork by Paul Coker, Jr.
c. 1971 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES

2010 RANKIN/BASS T-Shirts are in!

The limited edition RANKIN/BASS 2010 T-shirts are in and we are already out of Small (BUT expect to get more in). We do have Medium, Large and XL for $20 each plus $7 shipping AND this time we have XXL for $22 + $7 shipping. Beautiful Amanda Lehner is modeling the shirt and she is also appearing in THE STARVING ARTISTS' "Toxic Box" video! Email Wes at Rickgoldsc@aol.com for availability and purchasing info! This shirt is a dark grey with the "It's Sheer ANIMAGIC" logo on the back collar and it is a soft, slim fit type shirt.

Romeo Muller:

Live television did have an electric quality to it that’s missing today. I try to stay away from gratuitous violence as much as possible. I use violence only in a comical way. One of the threads that run through my work is that I always try to reform the villain.
Muller says he does not strive for moral themes in his stories but rather aims for “goodwill toward men”. Rudolph is about a little being with a flaw that makes him a hero. It’s simple, the children identify with it. We worry about ourselves & our faults & it’s gratification when somebody else saves the world.

I couldn't agree more :)

I did a phone interview this morning with Bob Mangels (Our annual RUDOLPH talk) that will appear on WJQZ 103.5 FM this Friday in Wellsville, NY at 8:45am NY time. I talked about a few things that I haven't mentioned yet.

photograph by Tom Repetny

Arthur Rankin :

"Atrocious" and "garbage" are his assessements of NBC's remake of Year Without a Santa Claus. "If something is good the first time, why remake it"? Mr. Rankin has also recently directed plays in Bermuda.

I could not agree more :)

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

RANKIN/BASS' SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN in ice for the 40th Anniversary

Joe Cutroni took these cool (pun intended) pictures on his cel phone!

The restored RANKIN/BASS ANIMAGIC figures of Santa & Rudolph will be on the SCI FI Channel tonight on a show called HOLLYWOOD TREASURES episode "Chasing Rudolph." Check your grid or local listings. Peter Lutrario and I are talking about a big 50th Anniversary party/display for the public, in New York with the RANKIN/BASS staff and ANIMAGIC figures to benefit charity! Plan on it! Maybe we can do this at the MUSEUM OF TV & RADIO again.

Here is a cool company ad that didn't make my books...

Art by Paul Coker, Jr.

Jules Bass :

"I attribute it all to the story." He suspects the unabashed simplicity of the Rankin-Bass specials explains their durability. "It was so simple, had it been less simple, it would have failed." Bass believes today's scriptwriters are fatally wedded to smart-ass irony. "The writers of today are brought up on The Simpsons," he says, and are unwilling to leave a story to its essence.

I could not agree more :)