THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY, BOOK 2 was left out of the RED BOX set release but was advertised as included? It was the only RANKIN/BASS special nominated for an EMMY!
Friday, December 12, 2008
ARTHUR RANKIN, JR.
NO "MERRY" FOR THIS CHRISTMAS ICONArthur Rankin, Jr., creator of such holiday TV classics as RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS, THUNDERCATS and THE HOBBIT is dealing with a BURGERMEISTER MEISTERBURGER in the form of WARNER BROS. It seems that WARNER BROS. had underpaid RANKIN/BASS in various ways, including 19 years of impermissible $200,000 annual deductions from the pool of revenues from which Rankin's profit participation is paid.
"It was an accounting mistake on WARNER BROS., part, a mistake that the company's accountants readily admit, right down to the penny," said Rankin. "However, WARNER BROS. is now claiming I caught their error too late. So instead of doing the right thing and fairly compensating RANKIN/BASS for helping generate years of viewer enjoyment, not to mention an awful lot of revenue,WARNER BROS.is hiding behind the statute of limitations."
The dispute dates back to the 1980's, when WARNER BROS. acquired from RANKIN/BASS, the rights to several of the RANKIN/BASS Christmas classics and other animated properties, including the enormously popular 1980's animated television series THUNDERCATS and SILVERHAWKS. The recent WARNER BROS. home video DVD box set releases of THUNDERCATS sold over a million DVDs and they are getting ready to release SILVERHAWKS. Mr. Rankin even graciously appeared on Set #2 of THUNDERCATS in a documentary and did the same for the WARNER BROS. Deluxe DVD release of THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS (Which is also available in a new box set).
"This is obviously not the right thing to do to a creator of such wonderful programming and the rest of his staff," says Rick Goldschmidt RANKIN/BASS Historian/Biographer. "As in all RANKIN/BASS specials, writer Romeo Muller would reform the villains. This villain needs to be reformed."
"As far as I am concerned," continues Rankin, "There is no question as to what is right and what is wrong. If you take something by mistake, you put it back. You don't get to keep it. We put those kinds of ethics into our shows for children. Maybe the folks at WARNER BROS. should watch a few of them."
SEASON'S GREETINGS!
Going on the MANCOW show next week...possibly in studio. Have a few days off next week and a vacation the week of CHRISTMAS...so can ship orders for the holiday rush with no problems!THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS: A PORTFOLIO
When I started work on my 3rd printing, PAUL COKER did this early design for the NEW cover!Thursday, December 11, 2008
Another RADIO INTERVIEW in the am...
Doing a morning interview with my friend Todd Michaels, Host of "The Wound-Up Wake-Up"Dial-Global 24/7 Radio Network which will be broadcast over 50 affiliates in the coming weeks! Todd worked on the LEEZA LIVE! radio show a few years back and had ARTHUR RANKIN and myself on....then LEEZA went on to DANCING WITH THE STARS.
SHIRLEY TEMPLE in ANIMAGIC by RANKIN/BASS
a few ANIMAGIC figures from an unproduced series on SHIRLEY TEMPLE from RANKIN/BASS!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Restoring SANTA!
Robin Walsh restores SANTA! www.screen-novelties.com Listen to her talk about it at the NPR website! My interview is there too!
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
INTERVIEW for NEWSHOUR with JIM LEHRER: ART BEAT
Doing an interview on Rankin/ Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for a new arts blog on the website of the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Art Beat (to launch Dec. 15) with Zoe Pollock Wednesday on my lunch! The photograph above is from the BROOKFIELD ZOO last year at this time! That is KEVIN KRIESS of www.timeandspacetoys.com talking about the restoral of the SANTA & RUDOLPH ANIMAGIC figures!
ECONOMIC STIMULUS MISER BROS book sale!
To the readers of this blog... I talked to MISER BROS PRESS and we are going to have a fun, two day sale on the 3rd printing of my LE hardcover THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS: A PORTFOLIO. Any book bought for the remainer of the day today or tomorrow WEDNESDAY December 10th, will be priced at $50 PLUS $6 PRIORITY MAIL FLAT ENVELOPE shipping! The book is LIMITED to just 100 copies and I will sign and draw in the books. You can simply PAYPAL Rickgoldsc@aol.com and put ECONOMIC STIMULUS book in the title. If you want to mail e-mail me 
Have a HOLLY, JOLLY CHRISTMAS! If you bought or have the book already, this makes it more affordable to give as a gift!
Have a HOLLY, JOLLY CHRISTMAS! If you bought or have the book already, this makes it more affordable to give as a gift!Monday, December 08, 2008
FROSTY THE SNOWMAN by PATRICK OWSLEY
check seller POWSLEY on EBAY out! OR buy direct from PATRICK POWSLEY@FLASH.NET
Sunday, December 07, 2008
RETURN TO OZ cast 1963 session
JULES BASS plays some piano and sings along with the cast of RETURN TO OZ with little Susan Conway (Dorothy) sitting on the piano! That is LARRY D. MANN (Better known as YUKON CORNELIUS) just over Jules' shoulder. That is BERNARD COWAN just behind MANN, who did the roar of the BUMBLE in Rudolph!A RANKIN/BASS HOLIDAY Package!
FOR A LIMITED TIME! This is a RANKIN/BASS Holiday package I put together of both of my books signed/personalized and drawn in! THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS: A PORTFOLIO LIMITED EDITION Hardcover is limited to 100 books! We are on our last box of RUDOLPH books too....so these books are going fast! In addition to the two books you get a collector's DVD of the original broadcast of RUDOLPH from 1964 from the GENERAL ELECTRIC FANTASY HOUR (Color/black & White) with commercials and original ending, THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY with commercials and bumpers and GRINCH bank bumpers + you get the 2008 RANKIN/BASS Holiday postcard with new art of FROSTY THE SNOWMAN by RANKIN/BASS Designer PAUL COKER, JR. and it is handsigned by PAUL with a black thinline sharpie. You get all of this for $100 + $7 shipping in a PRIORITY MAIL ENVELOPE with tracking! You can PAYPAL: Rickgoldsc@aol.com or e-mail me for mailing instructions. In the title at PAYPAL PLEASE put RANKIN/BASS HOLIDAY PACKAGE. Have a HOLLY, JOLLY CHRISTMAS!
A couple of happy CHRISTMAS kids!
My pal RON MURPHY gave me these pics and many more of these kids and their prized Christmas presents from the late 1950's or early 1960's. The boy has a Knickerbocker HUCKLEBERRY HOUND doll from HANNA-BARBERA!Phyllis Diller's Christmas card
My friend PHYLLIS DILLER has sent me one of her hand drawn cards for many, many years! You can tell CHRISTMAS is a very special time for her. PHYLLIS DILLER "Is a funny lady!"
NO "MERRY" FOR THIS CHRISTMAS ICON
NO "MERRY" FOR THIS CHRISTMAS ICON
Arthur Rankin, Jr., creator of such holiday TV classics as RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS, THUNDERCATS and THE HOBBIT is dealing with a BURGERMEISTER MEISTERBURGER in the form of WARNER BROS. It seems that WARNER BROS. had underpaid RANKIN/BASS in various ways, including 19 years of impermissible $200,000 annual deductions from the pool of revenues from which Rankin's profit participation is paid.
"It was an accounting mistake on WARNER BROS., part, a mistake that the company's accountants readily admit, right down to the penny," said Rankin. "However, WARNER BROS. is now claiming I caught their error too late. So instead of doing the right thing and fairly compensating RANKIN/BASS for helping generate years of viewer enjoyment, not to mention an awful lot of revenue,WARNER BROS.is hiding behind the statute of limitations."
The dispute dates back to the 1980's, when WARNER BROS. acquired from RANKIN/BASS, the rights to several of the RANKIN/BASS Christmas classics and other animated properties, including the enormously popular 1980's animated television series THUNDERCATS and SILVERHAWKS. The recent WARNER BROS. home video DVD box set releases of THUNDERCATS sold over a million DVDs and they are getting ready to release SILVERHAWKS. Mr. Rankin even graciously appeared on Set #2 of THUNDERCATS in a documentary and did the same for the WARNER BROS. Deluxe DVD release of THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS (Which is also available in a new box set).
"This is obviously not the right thing to do to a creator of such wonderful programming and the rest of his staff," says Rick Goldschmidt RANKIN/BASS Historian/Biographer. "As in all RANKIN/BASS specials, writer Romeo Muller would reform the villains. This villain needs to be reformed."
"As far as I am concerned," continues Rankin, "There is no question as to what is right and what is wrong. If you take something by mistake, you put it back. You don't get to keep it. We put those kinds of ethics into our shows for children. Maybe the folks at WARNER BROS. should watch a few of them."
