“It’s Sheer AniMagic!:” The Rankin-Bass Christmas Specials

By Michael Lyons

There’s a word...actually two words...that are as Synonymous with the Christmas season as Gifts, Fruitcake, Carols and Credit Card Debt:

Rankin/Bass.  

The humble animation studio started by two gentlemen by the names of Arthur Rankin, Jr and Jules Bass, with its unique style of animation, has become so associated with Christmas thanks to its specials, such as “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.”

These specials, and countless others, have not only become TV classics, they have become legendary standards, shown without fail each and every holiday season, some for over fifty years and several generations of children.

Many of the Rankin/Bass specials are so unique, because many were made using their 3-D, stop motion animation style deemed “AniMagic.”  With incredibly detailed worlds, the style is perfect for the Christmas holidays, as each character looks like an ornament and each background looks like a miniature Christmas village that would be at home under a family Christmas Tree.

The majority of the specials were written by Romeo Muller, a TV staff writer who imbued the specials with not only compelling adventure stories, but touches of mythology that still resonate today.

Arthur Rankin was a graphic designer with the ABC Network, who worked his way up through the creative ranks and eventually transitioned to the advertising industry, where he met his eventual business partner, Jules Bass.

Together, they segued into TV animation production.  And, although their many projects include Saturday morning cartoons, feature films and even specials created for other Holidays, it’s with Christmas that the name Rankin/Bass is so connected (even hearing their brief jingle played over the Studio logo at the conclusion of each special conjures up the Christmas season),

For the completist, here is a full list of the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials:

“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” (1964)

“Cricket on the Hearth” (1967)

“The Little Drummer Boy” (1968)

“Frosty the Snowman (1969)

“Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” (1970)

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1974)

“The Year Without a Santa Claus” (1974)

“The First Christmas” (1974)

“Frosty’s Winter Wonderland” (1976)

“Rudolph’s Shiny New Year” (1976)

“The Little Dummer Boy Book II” (1976)

“Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey (1977)

“The Stingiest Man in Town” (1978)

“Jack Frost” (1979)

“Pinocchio’s Christmas” (1980)

“The Leprechaun’s Christmas Gold” (1981)

“The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” (1985)

“Santa Baby!” (2001)

And there was also the feature length film, “Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July” (1979)

For a comprehensive and fascinating look at these and more Rankin/Bass animated work, check out Rick Goldschmidt’s book, “The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass: A Portfolio.”

The book illustrates why the Rankin/Bass specials are more than TV standards.  They’re family memories and traditions passed down, Christmas after Christmas.