Rankin/Bass' The Year Without A Santa Claus and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas 50th Anniversary scrapbook

 Just to clarify!  I am expecting a shipment of this book next week!  I see that it is ready at the bindery.  I have two more big orders coming after that of this book.  If you want to secure a copy now and use ZELLE or PAYPAL, just email me at Rickgoldsc@aol.com and I can give you instructions and price.  When I have it back in-stock, I will make it live again in my ETSY shop!  There is a cool chapter in the book about the NBC Rudolph Animagic figure display that explains about the puppets, etc.

Here is the link to my latest Rankin/Bass Productions article!

https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/2403/rankin-bass-puppets-santa-rudolph/

 

Early Christmas shopping!

 Definitely order early this year!   The Recession and the supply chain delays have really hit my printer very hard, causing delays and skyrocketing inflation is causing all prices to go up!   I have a good stock right now, but I can see it won't be easy to replenish this year!   T-shirts are coming next week!

PBS' ANTIQUES ROADSHOW was Very Disappointing!

I am so sorry I told Rankin/Bass Productions fans to tune into PBS' ANTIQUES ROADSHOW tonight, because the piece that I saw, created a false narrative to what the Producers wanted you to believe.   I did multiple interviews for this show over the past year, so they can't say "We didn't know."  They even asked me to clarify on a few occasions, which I did.  In fact, they went out of their way to take the facts I relayed to them out of this segment.  At one point I got an email from someone that worked there, asking to order my book The Making of Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town and The Daydreamer directly from me, instead of our website?   They never ended up ordering?!

 

In the segment, they called them "Production puppets" and "Screen used puppets" and they are neither.  I explain in my RetroFan Magazine article in issue #17 out October 13th, 2021 and I explained to Antiques Roadshow, the screen used puppets, more correctly called Animagic figures, stayed in Japan and many remained in the collection of head animator Tad Mochinaga.   You can see these photos in my book on Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town and our Frosty the Snowman 50th Anniversary Scrapbook.   The Animagic figure of Santa in the TV Special had a smaller beard and lines in the beard that moved as his mouth did (Which you can clearly see in my book photos).  The publicity photo Santa has a much bigger and rounder beard, with no allowances for mouth movement.

 

The Animagic figures that appeared on Antiques Roadshow and were so badly appraised right from the start, were the Publicity only figures.   They were used for Publicity photos in New York and then they were put on display at NBC-TV in the Rockefeller Plaza for a short number of years.

 

While this host talked about his personal connection to the Animagic figures, I heard from the seller before Antiques Roadshow.   Then I appeared with the figures, after my friend Kevin Kriess bought them at many conventions and on television (2006-2009).  I helped coordinate the restoral with my friends Mark Caballero and Seamus and Robin Walsh at Screen-Novelties prior.  Kevin sold them to another friend of mine, Peter Lutrario.   I worked on the catalog for the 2020 auction,

through Profiles In History and I also worked on the exhibit at the Center For Puppetry Arts for this Holiday season.  This is the 20th Anniversary for my book The Making of the Rankin/Bass Holiday Classic:  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

    It was really disappointing to see this sort of fluff piece, after giving PBS, Antiques Roadshow and Detours so much of my time and the history of the figures!   I would never do an interview for them again... and again, I am sorry I promoted it originally!

Fifty years ago, Rankin/Bass Productions was in full Production of Santa Claus is comin' to town for ABC TV. Arthur Rankin, Jr's shooting script is pictured here, which is included in our book the making of Santa Claus is comin' to town and the Daydreamer. Many of my panels and articles in 2020, will focus on the classic TV special 🎅🤶 #rankinbassproductions #santaclausiscomintotown www.miserbros.com

Doing a few things with CBS Tomorrow!

Rudolph is 55 years old this year! 🦌 He airs on CBS Monday night! A big round of applause for the creators of the TV Special version, Romeo Muller (writer) and Antony Peters (designer) and all the other great people behind the special at Rankin/Bass Productions! 🎅 #cbs #rudolphtherednosedreindeer #rankinbassproductions Look for a new interview with me in The Patch this week!

50 years of Belly Whopping!

50!

www.miserbros.com is zipping on the Amazon platform!

I will be here this weekend! Opens at 10 am tomorrow! My panel is on Sunday at 1:30 pm!

Ba da Ba ba Ba! I'm Lovin' it!

https://artovision3d.com/collections/vendors?q=Miser+Bros+Press&fbclid=IwAR3ugre9klvCrK-oYS-eIKStMuf-6m6F3dhuvQ9pdgzf9UK5I-U9xMsipUg

Hats off to Frosty! The orders are flowing in again for the site! Everything is running smoothly!

 

C. 2019 Miser Bros Press/Rick Goldschmidt Archives 

UPDATE: Site is fixed! We have our site on a new server and so many people tried to pre-order our new book and hats, that it crashed and won't let you check out. We are aware of the problem and trying to get it fixed. We will extend the black Friday sale and I will post when it is fixed. Thanks for your patience www.miserbros.com 🎅 #cbs #frostythesnowman50thanniversaryscrapbook #blackfriday #sale #preorders #book #rankinbassproductions 🤶

Pheasant Run Resort Thanksgiving weekend at the Chicago Pop Culture Convention!

I hate to report this! Was hoping for at least a decent release. Universal is the worst company for the early Rankin/Bass specials. Another botched job. Loud buzzing on audio, no improvement on print, missing sound effects, etc. Fades to black in the middle of scenes (Three times). There is no menu or extras either for $18. 25 minutes of bad content. Returning my copy. Reminds me of the edited version that came out of Here Comes Peter Cottontail last spring and the awful blu Ray's of 2018/2019. Who is minding this store? #rankinbassproductions

A classic! This is actually from BOOK 2, which was nominated for an Emmy! Both specials are primo!

Monday

https://artovision3d.com/collections/shadowbox-art/products/santa-shadowbox-art?fbclid=IwAR19TkLg9FWDboG30o7qhWGBoUg_eUP4SfQhGowr0eS4tO05cY4oqBlWcls

Why have the Rankin/Bass TV Specials lasted so long?

 

I have already done a dozen radio and magazine interviews this holiday season!  The hosts and writers always ask:  Why have the Rankin/Bass TV Specials endured the tests of time?  The answer is complicated and I have written entire books about each special.  It always starts with the writing.  Romeo Muller, Jr. created all of the characters in Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and gave Rudolph the personality that we all identify with.   In essence, he created the Rankin/Bass Universe in the same way that Stan Lee's writing created the Marvel Universe (Stan Lee settled with Marvel in 2005).  He created all of the characters names, personalities, The Island of Misfit toys, etc.  The whole thing!  I love talking about it and the people involved with the Muller Estate are wonderful!  Good things are coming to them!

 

Paul Coker, Jr. Designed the Rankin/Bass universe post Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.   He is the most responsible for the Rankin/Bass look and especially the look of Frosty.   I would compare him to Jack Kirby, the artist that created the look and design of most of Marvel's Well known characters.  The Kirby estate finally settled with Disney/Marvel in 2014, the same year Arthur Rankin, Jr. passed away.  Arthur Rankin passed on many interesting things pertaining to legal issues to me, before he passed concerning all of the Rankin/Bass Universe.

 

c. 2001 Miser Bros Press/Rick Goldschmidt Archives

Designer Antony Peters is the other party that Created the Rankin/Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer universe, as he designed all of the characters in the same way Kirby designed Marvel's.  He gave Rankin/Bass' Rudolph his pointy eyes and the elves the GE Light Bulb noses.  The entire look of the cast of Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, from the Island of Misfit Toys, Hermey the Dentist, The Bumble, Yukon Cornelius, etc. came from the pen of Tony Peters.  Tony and I met up in New York and Had many long conversations before his passing.  He loved the Rudolph book I put together and his estate is wonderful too!

    I love talking about the history of Rankin/Bass Productions and will be doing much more of it during the Holidays as Frosty turns 50 and Rudolph 55!  I am setting up many radio, television, magazine, newspaper, podcast, etc. interviews! 

Mail Call!