Why have the Rankin/Bass TV Specials lasted so long?

 

I have already done a dozen radio and magazine interviews this holiday season!  The hosts and writers always ask:  Why have the Rankin/Bass TV Specials endured the tests of time?  The answer is complicated and I have written entire books about each special.  It always starts with the writing.  Romeo Muller, Jr. created all of the characters in Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and gave Rudolph the personality that we all identify with.   In essence, he created the Rankin/Bass Universe in the same way that Stan Lee's writing created the Marvel Universe (Stan Lee settled with Marvel in 2005).  He created all of the characters names, personalities, The Island of Misfit toys, etc.  The whole thing!  I love talking about it and the people involved with the Muller Estate are wonderful!  Good things are coming to them!

 

Paul Coker, Jr. Designed the Rankin/Bass universe post Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.   He is the most responsible for the Rankin/Bass look and especially the look of Frosty.   I would compare him to Jack Kirby, the artist that created the look and design of most of Marvel's Well known characters.  The Kirby estate finally settled with Disney/Marvel in 2014, the same year Arthur Rankin, Jr. passed away.  Arthur Rankin passed on many interesting things pertaining to legal issues to me, before he passed concerning all of the Rankin/Bass Universe.

 

c. 2001 Miser Bros Press/Rick Goldschmidt Archives

Designer Antony Peters is the other party that Created the Rankin/Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer universe, as he designed all of the characters in the same way Kirby designed Marvel's.  He gave Rankin/Bass' Rudolph his pointy eyes and the elves the GE Light Bulb noses.  The entire look of the cast of Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, from the Island of Misfit Toys, Hermey the Dentist, The Bumble, Yukon Cornelius, etc. came from the pen of Tony Peters.  Tony and I met up in New York and Had many long conversations before his passing.  He loved the Rudolph book I put together and his estate is wonderful too!

    I love talking about the history of Rankin/Bass Productions and will be doing much more of it during the Holidays as Frosty turns 50 and Rudolph 55!  I am setting up many radio, television, magazine, newspaper, podcast, etc. interviews!