FLEXITOON

Check out my friend Craig Marin's web page http://www.flexitoon.com/ That is legendary Bil Baird and Craig's wife OLGA with WINNIE THE POOH to the right! Check their son's music page too at www.myspace.com/considerthemusic

GIN BLOSSOMS in Chicago!

A couple of GREAT GIN BLOSSOMS shows coming up this weekend! Friday August 24 at the CUBBY BEAR and then Saturday August 25 at the PALATINE STREET FESTIVAL!

Check www.ginblossoms.net or www.myspace.com/ginblossoms for details!

Another SPECIAL EDITION RANKIN/BASS DVD on the way!

Just got word today that WARNER BROTHERS is doing a Special Edition DVD of THE EASTER BUNNY IS COMIN' TO TOWN for next Easter! They want to include some extras and hopefully they will pair it up with the RANKIN/BASS cel animated special THE FIRST EASTER RABBIT starring Burl Ives. That is Maury Laws' signature on the postcard image of SUNNY & KING BRUCE from THE EASTER BUNNY IS COMIN' TO TOWN (right). I issued that Limited Edition postcard to promote the DVD releases of THE DAYDREAMER and THE WACKY WORLD OF MOTHER GOOSE (Anchor Bay).

CROWDED HOUSE!

We had the fortune of seeing CROWDED HOUSE last night at their 2nd SOLD OUT show at the HOUSE OF BLUES in Chicago! One word...AMAZING! I saw them on every tour in the Chicago area and they still have it! Reforming after 11 years...THANK YOU CROWDED HOUSE! They have a new CD out called TIME ON EARTH and I love the tune "Don't Stop Now." Check them out at www.crowdedhouse.com and www.myspace.com/crowdedhouse
Their opening acts were GREAT too! Check www.myspace.com/16frames and www.myspace.com/theliamfinn That is a self portrait of LIAM jumping! He put on a GREAT one man show! While your at it....check my revamped MUSIC MY SPACE at www.myspace.com/rgoldschmidt We have a few GIN BLOSSOMS shows coming up this weekend in Chicago!

BROOKFIELD ZOO'S HOLIDAY MAGIC!

Exciting News! We confirmed an appearance at BROOKFIELD ZOO'S HOLIDAY MAGIC 2007! When I say we...I mean the original RUDOLPH & SANTA Animagic figures ( courtesy of http://www.timeandspacetoys.com/ ) and myself! I will be signing books, talking about RANKIN/BASS and showing some VERY RARE stuff! This will be a VERY nice RANKIN/BASS Holiday event and we may even bring a guest or two! As soon as I confirm the dates, I will post them here!

A R/B CON drawing I did some years back....

Some SUMMER pics around CHICAGO...

Here are a few pics around town. JOSH bought a limited edition LOLLAPALOOZA skateboard by Element and the Hall of Fame statue is of Chicago legendary broadcaster JACK BRICKHOUSE!

The RANKIN/BASS Crew at THE PLAZA in New York!

I came accross this concept art I did for ENESCO on FROSTY THE SNOWMAN!

This was from a series of drawings I did for several different RANKIN/BASS lines of figurines back in 1999! Several concepts were actually produced and were quite successful for the company. I gave direction on many other RANKIN/BASS items over the years at ENESCO CORP.

Another Vintage STARVING ARTISTS picture...

This is a vintage picture of my band THE STARVING ARTISTS by Angelo Di Gangi! That is me on the right, when I had a JAN & DEAN haircut! Check out www.myspace.com/rgoldschmidt

NEW Pizza restaurant open in time for the con!

There is a GREAT new pizza restaurant that just opened up in ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL ...just in time for the WIZARD WORLD CON called 30's PIZZA FACTORY! Ask for the RANKIN/BASS KING KONG Pizza....30" BIG! Continuing a tradition that began in 1967 (Just after the RANKIN/BASS series THE KING KONG SHOW began it's run on ABC-TV and the same year MAD MONSTER PARTY was released, which also starred KONG as "IT"). Tell them WWW.RANKINBASS.COM sent you for an added surprise! Their PIZZA and BEER NUGGETS are the BEST!

With the WIZARD WORLD COMICON coming up this weekend...

In the early 1960's, DELL Comics produced a series of 3 comic books based on the RANKIN/BASS hit TV series THE NEW ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO! Here are a few of the original covers. The first time the COMICON switched to the DONALD H. STEPHENS CONVENTION center...these comics were high on my priority list.

RUDOLPH costume

A few years back I rented this RUDOLPH costume for an ALEX ROSS Halloween party! The nose even lit up. My daughter SARA is seen pictured here with me. I later used it again in a segment WILD CHICAGO did for PBS Television.

1966 KING KONG bendy figure

Here is a cool RANKIN/BASS Collectible from 1966 that didn't make my first book. A KING KONG RUBB'R NIK from MULTIPLE TOYS. KING KONG was one of the few RANKIN/BASS series that had merchandise associated with it. MULTIPLE TOYS and MATTEL made products.

A few exciting projects on the horizon...

Talking with some good people about some exciting RANKIN/BASS projects! Talking with a few ZOOs about a few RANKIN/BASS events this Holiday season. Also talking about doing an ultimate RANKIN/BASS Documentary for 2008 w/ a box set. This coming weekend is WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO! Look for the http://www.timeandspacetoys.com/ booth. I may be there on Saturday BUT say hello to KEVIN and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA'S Richard Hatch! LOLLAPALOOZA was this past weekend in Chicago and was interesting to say the least.

Another revision....

FRANKENSTEIN by Jack Davis!

I have a cool JACK DAVIS print on EBAY under seller ANIMAGIC1.

Another revision to the ENCHANTED WORLD cover...

MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO in NY a few years back....

We had a wonderful time in New York a few years back when the MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO had a night to honor the work of ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. & JULES BASS! ARTHUR RANKIN gave a wonderful talk that is viewable at the museum. ARTHUR points MASAKI Iizuka my way for a portrait of the guys who made it all happen at RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS.

ARTHUR, MASAKI and PETER BAKALIAN discuss business on the streets of New York. We had just been treated to a great breakfast at the PLAZA by Mr. Rankin and later that afternoon, New York was hit by a big snow storm (like the one that hits Christmas town in RUDOLPH)

DON DUGA (Storyboarder), BRADLEY BOLKE (Voice of JANGLE BELLS and CHUMLEY The walrus), Myself and RHODA MANN (Voice of Mother Nature) talk to my good friend PASTOR RODRIGUEZ at the book signing, after the MUSEUM event. We also had the FATHER TIME (Red Skelton) ANIMAGIC figure from RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR on display at our table for the huge crowd of RANKIN/BASS fans! All of us appear on the DOCUMENTARY that will be on THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS Special Edition DVD!

ARTHUR RANKIN signs some RUDOLPH games in New York! A fun time had by all!

THUNDERCATS #1 comic book

My son decided to list his issue of THUNDERCATS #1 (MARVEL COMICS) on EBAY under seller ANIMAGIC1. The artwork in this comic is actually very nice and it came out when the series did in 1985. There is a LIVE-ACTION film in the works now after all.