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The response and reviews of our new book have been wonderful, this Christmas season! I am expecting more books on Christmas eve! The optimism for 2025 is off the charts! #Bestchristmasever

This is the guy who created the Bumble, Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius, Sam the Snowman, The Island of Misfit Toys, Clarice, The Heat Miser, The Snow Miser and many more! Often, he based the characters on friends and used their names. This is one of many newspaper interviews I have from his personal scrapbook. Romeo Muller, Jr. was the genius writer behind the characters! #romeomuller #rudolphtherednosedreindeer #santaclaus #rankinbass #writer #creator #genius

Bill Giles reminded me of this story from my book THE MAKING OF THE RANKIN/BASS HOLIDAY CLASSIC: RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, which I forgot about :) Janis Orenstein (Clarice) came to the studio after school with her mom to record "There's Always Tomorrow," and nailed it on the first take! He said he never recorded anyone that did that...it was rare. He had her do a few more takes BUT it was the first take that made it into the special and on the soundtrack album. He also told me about a soundtrack album that was attempted in the studio, that was beyond the DECCA LP that was released, that was a total disaster and never released.

Clarice 🎨

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1232108842/rankinbass-clarice-art-by-rick

Did you know that Clarice was based on a friend of Rankin/Bass Writer Romeo Muller's named Clarice? #tuesday🎨 #clarice #rankinbass #rudolphtherednosedreindeer

I wrote about Janis Orenstein (Clarice) in my upcoming Rudolph article, in Retrofan magazine issue #12. Recording engineer Bill Giles remembers her well. Clarice was based on Romeo Muller's friend Clarice. I connected with Janis, just after my Rudolph book came out in 2001, when she was singing opera in Germany. She passed away in Ontario in 2010. #Rudolphtherednosedreindeer #rankinbassproductions #Christmas www.miserbros.com

Bill Giles talks about Janis Orenstein (Clarice) in my RetroFan magazine Rudolph article issue #12 out soon!

Clarice was designed after a friend of Romeo Muller's, Clarice's creator

Antony Peters, Co-Creator of all of the characters in Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

 

I have been doing a lot of interviews for radio, magazines, etc. this holiday season and I explain how Romeo Muller, Jr., writer of the TV Special created all of the characters in the classic, except for Rudolph and Santa Claus.   This is true, all of the concepts came from the pen of Romeo, but it was visualized by Antony Peters.  Antony and I became great friends before his passing.  He worked at Rankin/Bass Productions when it was known as Videocraft International in the late 1950s.   He always described himself to me as the art kid in the back room.   At any rate, he designed The New Adventures of Pinocchio and The Tales of the Wizard of Oz and the lettering style in the titles,   He even oversaw the animation on OZ at Crawley studios in Canada.   He came up with the original concept of Willy McBean & His Magic Machine and designed all of the characters in Rudolph, which was his last project at Rankin/Bass Productions.  It is his lettering style that was used in the titles (I like the original end titles from 1964 best, which we have now in color).  Tony was a talented artist and designer and we can thank him for the look of the Animagic characters! 

Who created Rankin/Bass' The Island of Misfit toys? Hermey the Elf? Yukon Cornelius? the Bumble? Sam the Snowman?

 

Romeo Muller, Jr.

I have been doing tons of interviews already this season and I get asked about why Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the others have lasted so long?!   Not hard to figure out why with the great writer Romeo Muller, who created the Burgermeister Meisterburger, the misfit girl doll, the Heat Miser and Snow Miser, etc.   Look for the article in REMIND MAGAZINE's holiday issue and more!   I will be on the radio and TV coast to coast again talking about the creator and creators of these beloved classics!  

Romeo Muller is the creator of all the Rudolph characters we know and love PLUS many other Rankin/Bass characters!

 

(Click image to enlarge and read)

This is the guy who created the Bumble, Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius, Sam the Snowman, The Island of Misfit Toys, Clarice, The Heat Miser, The Snow Miser and many more! Often, he based the characters on friends and used their names. This is one of many newspaper interviews I have from his personal scrapbook. Romeo Muller, Jr. was the genius writer behind the characters! #romeomuller #rudolphtherednosedreindeer #santaclaus #rankinbass #writer #creator #genius

Bill Giles Wednesday

Bill Giles called me today and we had a nice long chat! Bill was the recording engineer in Canada for Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! He also engineered many legendary sessions with artists such as Elvis Presley, Perry Como, Sonny and Cher and even worked on preparing Beatle tracks for the US. This story

 Janis Orenstein was the wonderful voice

C. 2001 Miser Bros Press/Rick Goldschmidt Archives  

always impresses me! Did you know Janis Orenstein nailed her performance of "There's Always Tomorrow" in one take? Bill says He and Bunny Cowan were the only ones in the studio with Janis and her Mom. They recorded a 2nd take as a backup, but they used the first performance for the special! Bill says she was in the studio for all of 15 minutes. Janis went on to become an Opera singer and the last I heard from her, she was living in Germany. Bill said he heard Alfie Scopp (Charlie-In-the-box) passed away. Alfie signed my GE ad and last I heard he was 96. Bill also confirmed that Peg Dixon was the voice of Mrs. Claus. I couldn't remember. #clarice #billgiles #rankinbass #rudolphtherednosedreindeer #canada #rcarecordingstudio #rcavictor #theresalwaystomorrow