Rankin/Bass-historian: 2/11/24

Thanks to Jesse Kimball and Mike Dean for bringing this to my attention this morning. I learn things every day in my Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass. This is my late friend Jack Davis'

original poster art for Rankin/Bass' Mad Monster Party? (Which wasn't used by the time it was originally released). I had a copy where an earlier title, The Monster Movie originally appeared on the banner. Then Arthur had Jack re-do the banner with Mad Monster Party? on the banner (which we have had on prints and shirts). This looks like a re-working that must have happened in 1971 (which eventually became Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters, designed by Paul). Arthur had my late pal Paul Coker, Jr. do new lettering, in what looks like a re-purposing, re-edit into a possible TV special version, hosted by Vincent Price. Vincent appeared as Evil Irontail in Rankin/Bass' Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971). Paul's rubber cemented pieces show the kind of aging that happens and I am unsure of why Francesca has a coating over her. It looks like they may have attempted to redesign her character and then removed what they put over her. At any rate, fun to look at and put the pieces together. Frank Frazetta's Rough drawing were used for the final one-sheet and half-sheet. Arthur did tell me he had a shorter edit of the film, that he liked better. It did away with some of the padding that Executive Producer Joseph E. Levine requested. I talk about all of this in my commentary on the Umbrella blu ray of the film. #madmonsterparty