KINGSPORT TIMES NEWS 12-07-06

I did an interview today with KEVIN CASTLE at the KINGSPORT TIMES NEWS in Tennessee. We talked about the restoral and appearances of RUDOLPH & SANTA by www.timeandspacetoys.com among many other things including the restoral of the RUDOLPH TV Special. The article will be a cover story for their magazine and it will be out on 12-07-06 and I will post it here when I get it. MAURY LAWS concert is in APPLETON, WI tomorrow night! Good luck with that MAURY!

RUDOLPH broadcast 2006 and other things!

I had SANTA CLAUS & RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER over to my home for THANKSGIVING this year thanks to my friend KEVIN KREISS & www.timeandspacetoys.com! I also had my sister Lindsey, my sister Stacey (who just screened her film on WEIRD PAUL in LEADS, ENGLAND), my mom Carol and my neighbor George Tackes over too. Over the weekend, I did interviews for AMERICAN ROAD MAGAZINE www.americanroadmagazine.com to be posted soon and for the CANADIAN newspaper NATIONAL POST with Bob McKenzie. Bob interviewed Arthur Rankin, Jr. last week too! It is confirmed RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER will air on CBS Dec. 8 7pm Central, FROSTY THE SNOWMAN will air on CBS Dec. 8th too at 8pm, SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN will air on ABC Dec. 5th at 7pm Central, THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS will air on ABC FAMILY Dec. 4th at 7pm Central (RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR will be on that night too), THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY will be on ABC FAMILY Christmas Eve at 11am. Many RANKIN/BASS classics will be on ABC FAMILY's schedule between now and Christmas...check your local listings.

Cool...COOL McCOOL DVD set!

I have been asked to Co-produce a new COOL McCOOL dvd set that is in the works. My friend Wally Wingert is Producing it. I will certainly help out. The late Bob McFadden became a friend of mine, because of all the great work he did for RANKIN/BASS and he even recorded voice mail messages for me as COOL, JINGLE BELLS (From YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS), MILTON THE MONSTER, BORIS KARLOFF (from MAD, MAD, MAD MONSTERS) and FRANKENBERRY. His COOL voice was based on JACK BENNY. Wally is also a voice actor for Animation and I know he appreciates what BOB has done over the years.

An Evening with RANKIN/BASS musical composer MAURY LAWS!

KEVIN KREISS www.timeandspacetoys.com and I met up with MAURY LAWS, his beautiful wife Karen and his son John on the Magnificent mile at the DRAKE HOTEL Friday night! We had a wonderful time and talked further about the RANKIN/BASS Symphony project. MAURY will have a RANKIN/BASS concert this Thursday in APPLETON, WISCONSIN. This will be a prototype to the larger symphony that will tour the states Christmas 2007! My CONGRATS goes out to MAURY! Check his website at www.maurylaws.com Also, he did some suites for the current BASEBALL MUSIC PROJECT that is playing accross the country right now. His HEAT MISER/SNOW MISER themes will be used in the new live action NBC special THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS Dec. 11.

AMAZING FANTASY BOOKS & COMICS Tinley Park, IL 11-24-06

We had a GREAT time meeting everyone that came out to AMAZING FANTASY BOOKS & COMICS in Tinley Park, IL www.afbooks.com ! People loved seeing the ANIMAGIC figures in person and could not have been nicer! We signed books for two solid hours and CHRISTMAS definitely came early this year for alot of people. The Staff at AF BOOKS was super and our sincere THANKS go out to GARRETT & JOE for hosting this GREAT event! That is KEVIN KREISS from www.timeandspacetoys.com in the pictures with me. He sells all the wonderful RANKIN/BASS merchandise you see in the pictures! To see larger images...just CLICK on the pictures. People loved the FREE MISER BROTHERS ornament set which is an EXCLUSIVE to TIME & SPACE TOYS. You can buy them there NOW! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

WGN MORNING NEWS 11-24-06

If you missed the segment: http://wgntv.trb.com

DAILY SOUTHTOWN article 11-24-06

RANKIN/BASS on CBS MORNING NEWS Chicago 11-24-06!

If you missed it: http://cbs2chicago.com/video/?id=27921@wbbm.dayport.com&cid=10

A mention for RUDOLPH & SANTA's appearance at the CENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS in ATLANTA, GA Dec. 8 - Jan. 7 in the ORLANDO SENTINEL!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Here is a RUDOLPH quiz by Lowry Davison! A HOLIDAY gift to you!

www.joobli.com/quiz.php HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN & FROSTY THE SNOWMAN Soundtrack CD!

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this CD! AND not just because I Co-Produced it. It was a top rate release from RHINO/WARNER MUSIC issued in a deluxe packaging in 2002 with a very nice booklet and RARE photos and graphics. The soundtracks sound excellent from the original masters and I believe it is still available from www.amazon.com When these soundtracks were first issued on LP in 1970, they were both MGM Promotional only radio releases and very hard to find. The FROSTY image on the cover was inked by my friend PATRICK OWSLEY too! Pick this CD up today! It was also beautifully pencilled by my friend MIKE FONTANELLI (SPUMCO) HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

FRIDAY 11-24-2006

Looks like all of our RANKIN/BASS events are happening this FRIDAY! Here is the schedule: THE DAILY SOUTHTOWN NEWSPAPER and THE CHICAGO SUN TIMES newspapers. 6:45 am CBS MORNING NEWS, 7:50am WGN MORNING NEWS with Larry Potash, LUNCH with MAURY LAWS RANKIN/BASS Musical Composer and then it is on to AMAZING FANTASY BOOKS & COMICS at 159th & Harlem Avenue in TINLEY PARK, IL from 5-7pm! The original RUDOLPH & SANTA ANIMAGIC figures will be with us the entire day! Come out and see them at AF BOOKS! Take pictures with them too!

UNCLE MISTLETOE!

Here is another CHRISTMASY Chicago Kid's item courtesy of RON MURPHY! MARSHALL FIELD'S own UNCLE MISTLETOE! This is the first year in CHICAGO for a long time that MARSHALL FIELD'S is no longer...it is now MACY'S. MACY'S did keep up the window decoration tradition though with MARY POPPINS and the WALNUT ROOM still has the big tree!

CENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS in Atlanta, GA Dec. 8 - Jan. 7

THE STARVING ARTISTS to return to THE OLD BARN in Burbank, IL!

We have been doing quite a bit of rehearsing lately in preparation of some Holiday gigs! It looks like we may be playing a show at THE OLD BARN this December. We played a Holiday show there last Holiday season. THE OLD BARN is a VERY nice restaurant with GREAT food! It has alot of history as well. W.C.FIELDS was a former patron and it has been there for years. ARTHUR RANKIN, JR. took me to dinner there when he was in town and was very impressed with the PRIME RIB and their wine list. As soon as I know a date, I will post it.

More DISNEYLAND and a update on the DAILY SOUTHTOWN/SUN TIMES NEWSPAPER article!

We had a GREAT time in California this past weekend at PATRICK & LESLIE OWSLEY's wedding at the UNIVERSAL CITY SHERATON and here are a few pics from our trip! The double exposure, dark picture is the only one I have of myself with my friend TAYLOR WHITE. Just got word today that the article being done on myself for the DAILY SOUTHTOWN NEWSPAPER by George Haas will run this Friday 11-24! It may also be featured in the SUN TIMES, the JOLIET HERALD, NAPERVILLE SUN, GARY POST and in Aurora (BEACON NEWS) and Elgin newspapers.

We made a BIG Splash at DISNEYLAND!

We just got back from California and it was a whirlwind trip! I was there for my very good friend PATRICK OWSLEY's wedding! CONGRATS to PATRICK & LESLIE OWSLEY! I enjoyed standing up in their wedding! I also got to take in some DISNEYLAND with my son JOSH and my good friend TAYLOR WHITE and his daughter Claire! Taylor and I discussed possibly re-issueing my first book THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS: A PORTFOLIO with some new content and a new PAUL COKER cover! I will keep you posted! Check out Taylor's website www.percepto.com for some GREAT CDs! More to come on my brief visit to CALIFORNIA!