Did SPARKHILL interview today!

I did my interview today with SPARKHILL/WARNER BROTHERS for the SPECIAL EDITION DVD of THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS! ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. was interviewed yesterday in New York. Other crews went out and did interviews with MAURY LAWS, PAUL COKER, JR., DON DUGA, BRAD BOLKE (Voice of JANGLE BELLS) and RHODA MANN (Voice of MOTHER NATURE)!~ There is also going to be a short documentary about stop-motion with RAY HARRYHAUSEN and THE CHIODO BROTHERS featuring some NEW animation. I also heard from the WB Production team and they are using the correct original PAUL COKER lettering on the package!

Behind the scenes on THE NEW ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO (1960)

Reiko Yamagata and Kyoko Kita create the ANIMAGIC cast of RANKIN/BASS' THE NEW ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO in 1960. It was RANKIN/BASS' First ANIMAGIC Production and a very popular one (Especially in CANADA). There is NEW interest in the series and more news to come soon!

BEHIND THE SCENES!

Here is a picture of HIROSHI TABATA working on SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN (1971). JACK DAVIS and PAUL COKER, JR. visited the studio on this day as they were in JAPAN on a MAD Vacation. I am still on the road to recovery! THANKS for all the kind GET WELL e-mails. Looks like my home/collection will be featured in an upcoming CHICAGO TRIBUNE article for the HOME SECTION. I am also assisting with a release of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO in JAPAN.

This article appeared in DISH and CABLE guides Christmas, 2001 (Click to enlarge)

THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS Special edition DVD!

Things are coming together nicely for the WARNER BROTHERS re-release of THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS DVD for Christmas 2007! SPARKHILL is Producing two documnetaries that will include interviews from all of the RANKIN/BASS key members and we will finally get to hear about the BEHIND-THE-SCENES from the people that actually worked on the special! One of the Documentaries will be about the history of RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS. This may prove to be the most exciting RANKIN/BASS release of the Holiday season.

More TEMPE, AZ pictures from RICK GOLDSCHMIDT SINGS..AGAIN sessions

SCOTT JOHNSON is laying down the solo to my song "Jo" on his vintage GIBSON as engineer GEORGE KELLER tracks it. CHICO DIAZ and RYAN PRIER (My Rhythm section) take a break outside the studio.

SCOTTY tracks his solo to "You Can See it in my eyes" as ROBIN works his VOX wah-wah pedal. ROBIN is in the Producer's chair at his URANUS STUDIOS. I think he was on the phone with THE FORMAT just before they paid us a visit in the studio.

JACK DAVIS

JACK DAVIS is a friend and one of my favorite artists! He did alot of things for RANKIN/BASS as well. Here are a few DAVIS pieces and a few tribute drawings to JACK from PAUL COKER, JR. and MORT DRUCKER. I talked with ARTHUR RANKIN, JR., PAUL COKER, JR. and MAURY LAWS today and they are all on board for the special edition YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS DVD along with RHODA MANN (MOTHER NATURE) and BRADLEY BOLKE (JANGLE BELLS)!

RECOVERY!

I am trying hard to recover from my surgery and it has been difficult. I lack energy and need to rest often. The Doctors say it will be a while before I am 100%. I do have some VERY good RANKIN/BASS NEWS! I heard from SPARKHILL ENTERTAINMENT and they are Producing two RANKIN/BASS Documentaries for a special edition DVD of THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS for Christmas 2007! I am assisting in any way I can and am setting up interviews as I type this. This will be a very exciting project and will finally bring together the MAKING OF stories from the creators.

Back from the Hospital 04-20-07!

Just spent the last two weeks in the hospital with a serious respitory problem that puzzled the Doctors. I had to have surgery and am in the recovery process, so PLEASE be patient with requests. THANK YOU for all of your prayers and support! I posted a picture of a RARE regional TV GUIDE that my friend RON MURPHY gave me while I was in the hospital! The cover features THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF DANNY KAYE: THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES (Which is out on DVD and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it!)

SNOCAP store on MY SPACE and here!

GREAT Easter DVD from RANKIN/BASS!

This is a GREAT DVD release from RANKIN/BASS and WARNER BROTHERS that came out in 2006! Perfect for family viewing and how could it miss with FRED ASTAIRE coming back as S.D. Klueger! Some GREAT songs too! You can pick it up at www.amazon.com

ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. visit!

I recently invited ARTHUR RANKIN to Chicago to go over the revisions for the 3rd printing of my book THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS: A PORTFOLIO! Here are a few pictures of us going over the first draft in 1997!

Hippity...Hoppity...EASTER is on it's way!

Here is a beautiful PAUL COKER, JR. color model sheet of PETER COTTONTAIL from HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL! Paul will be working on the final color painting for the 3rd edition of THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS: A PORTFOLIO after ARTHUR RANKIN and JULES BASS approve the final rough!

HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL!

This is the BEST of the three RANKIN/BASS Easter specials and the first! DANNY KAYE was SEYMOUR S. SASSAFRASS and even rode a unicycle (I just bought a NEW one myself). The DVD is available and try not to purchase it with the horrible CGI animated thing that CLASSIC MEDIA did a few years back that has nothing to do with RANKIN/BASS.

NEW MASTER!

Got a NEW master of RICK GOLDSCHMIDT SINGS...AGAIN from SONOROUS over the weekend and it sounds even better. I did post a few songs pre-REMASTER at www.myspace.com/rickgoldschmidt. I may have come down with Strep throat over the weekend too. My hair stylist BEN is a new cast member of a show that will start airing on BRAVO April 11th called SHEER GENIUS which will be hosted by JACLYN SMITH. Check it out at www.bravotv.com

THE LAST UNICORN: A SALUTE TO ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. & JULES BASS USA FILM FESTIVAL

Ann Alexander and Allie Polatin tell me the 23rd annual KidFilm festival was a success. I tried to assist with getting ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. and JULES BASS to appear at this festival in Dallas, Texas BUT that is easier said than done. Glad to see that the kids had fun! www.usafilmfestival.com

DAYDREAMER SOUNDTRACK cd arrives!

THE DAYDREAMER soundtrack CD is finally out and it is a GREAT one! The music sounds amazing (Digitally re-mastered), there are BONUS tracks, a 36 minute interview I did with MAURY LAWS and I was lucky enough to write new liner notes. Listening to the interview again was interesting. We talked about RUDOLPH, RETURN TO OZ, THE BERMUDA DEPTHS, JERRY LEWIS, MAD MONSTER PARTY, etc. MAURY talks about the process that he and JULES BASS went through to create the wonderful RANKIN/BASS soundtracks and gives insight to the creation of "One Star In The Night" from THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY. If you love the music from the classic RANKIN/BASS specials, you will love this!

AZ Pictures #1

Just got back from TEMPE, AZ and recorded once again with SCOTT JOHNSON & ROBIN WILSON (of GIN BLOSSOMS) left... Also went to HOHOKAM PARK a few days to see the CHICAGO CUBS Spring training games and hang out with Hall of famer FERGIE JENKINS!

PAUL COKER Jr.'s ROUGH for 3rd printing cover!

03-05-07

There is a possibility that I may be playing a LIVE show at SCOTT JOHNSON's (GIN BLOSSOMS) open mike night at the YUCCAH TAP ROOM in Scottsdale, AZ this coming Monday night...possibly with SCOTTY, ROBIN WILSON (GIN BLOSSOMS), Ryan Prior and Chico Diaz. We are going to rehearse earlier that night for our recording sessions this week. Hope to see you out there! I'm told Arizona is a good place when you have ASTHMA.