Museum of Television in NY, December 2003 with Don Duga (continuity design at R/B), Bradley Bolke (Chumley, Jangle Bells, etc) and Rhoda Mann (Mother Nature and the original puppeteer for Howdy Doody)

My late, great friend Rhoda Mann is part of our new book. She was Howdy Doody's early years puppeteer! She was the voice of Mother Nature in The Year Without A Santa Claus #Rhodamann #Mothersday

 

I saw someone posting on one of my Rankin/Bass pages the old R/B Neca stuffed figures. I got mine signed when I brought my friends Rhoda Mann (Mother Nature) and Bradley Bolke (Jangle Bells) to the Museum of Television and Radio in NY. A few years later, I got both to appear in "We are Santa's Elves," the R/B Documentary on The Year Without A Santa Claus blu ray and dvd. 🤶🧑‍🎄🎅

I just got off the phone with my mom 😁 We are already planning the next holiday...Sunday May 8th, Mother's day! (Thanks to Karen Ruud for the cool ad) #mothersdaygift #mothersday

Happy Mother's day!

Howdy!

Howdy Doody

When I see Howdy now I think of my late friend Rhoda Mann, who was Howdy's original puppeteer and my late friend Gary Busk, who owned the Happy Days Howdy!

Howdy Doody

Yes, Mother dear!

Bradley had fun at the Museum of Television and radio in New York 2003

Rankin/Bass story boarder Don Duga, Bradley, myself and the late Rhoda Mann (Howdy Doody's first puppeteer and Mother Nature in the Year Without A Santa Claus).

A signed Mother Nature doll by my late, great friend Rhoda Mann

The late, great Rhoda Mann

Boys! 🎨

My friend PASTOR RODRIGUEZ L-R...BRADLEY BOLKE, ME and RHODA MANN (NEW YORK 2003)

RANKIN/BASS' THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS BLU RAY

c. 1974 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES

JINGLE & JANGLE BELLS voiced by my friends the late Bob McFadden and Bradley Bolke

MOTHER NATURE (Rhoda Mann) with her boys

I watched the BLU RAY tonight and THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS may be the only RANKIN/BASS special to be released in true HD. The rest of the content on the disc is remastered but not in HD including NESTOR, THE LONG-EARED DONKEY and RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR. I like the fact that WB does feature the special in true flat ratio without adjustment (The picture is square as it appeared on TV when it originally aired). It looks great and so does the rest of the disc.

There is a 2010 edition of Phyllis McGinley's 1957 book at www.amazon.com I wasn't aware of the fact that Ms. McGinley passed away in 1978. I am sure she was aware and excited to see the story brought to television by RANKIN/BASS!

RANKIN/BASS BLU RAY debut!

RANKIN/BASS BLU RAY debut today and the BEST of 2010! I am sure this will be converted to the best HD picture possible (Unlike some of the other R/B titles) and it includes a RANKIN/BASS documentary we made with SPARKHILL a few years back! You get to see PAUL COKER, JR. in his home with some of his R/B drawings, ARTHUR RANKIN, JR., DON DUGA, RHODA MANN, BRADLEY BOLKE, MAURY LAWS, etc.

RHODA by Jack Davis

My friend RHODA MANN

My friend RHODA MANN has done so many interesting things in her career! She was the original HOWDY DOODY puppeteer and then went on to do many cartoon voices including many for RANKIN/BASS. We did a book signing together in New York at ARTHUR RANKIN's night at the MUSEUM OF TV & RADIO. She was the voice of MOTHER NATURE in THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS and I had WARNER BROTHERS include her in the documentary WE ARE SANTA'S ELVES on the dvd. The reason I was able to locate THAT GIRL IN WONDERLAND (One of the RAREST RANKIN/BASS titles) with commercials, was because RHODA had managed to tape it when it first aired in 1973. A great gal!

THAT GIRL IN WONDERLAND

I still have the DVD of the RARE RANKIN/BASS cel animated episode of the SATURDAY SUPERSTAR MOVIE with commercials. RHODA MANN, one of the voice actresses that appears in the special, lent it to me to transfer. RHODA was also the first HOWDY DOODY puppeteer on the HOWDY DOODY SHOW! It is $15 shipped and you can PAYPAL Rickgoldsc@aol.com

THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS Deluxe DVD at TARGET, BEST BUY, etc.

There is a documentary on the deluxe edition DVD of THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS that includes interviews with ARTHUR RANKIN, JR., PAUL COKER, JR., MAURY LAWS, DON DUGA, RHODA MANN, BRAD BOLKE and myself called "We are Santa's Elves." It is also available on the RED BOX SET.