If you grew up any time in the last 40 years, you likely have Arthur Rankin, Jr. to thank for bringing you at least part of your childhood. Along with his partner Jules Bass they formed Rankin/Bass Studios, perhaps best known as producers of stop motion holiday classics like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town.”
He passed away at age 89 in his home in Bermuda and is survived by his wife and his animation partner Bass.
Their stop-motion character designs with signature round cheeks and epic beards bled over to their work in traditionally-animated fantasy classics such as “The Last Unicorn” and adaptations of “The Hobbit” and “The Return of the King.” They also dominated holiday traditional animation with their classic version of “Frosty the Snowman” and “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” which is mandatory viewing in our household every December 24. Losing some of that signature style but none of the flair, they also produced the original “Thundercats” and “Silverhawks” cartoon shows.
Here’s Rankin talking recently about the success of Rudolph and how it launched their careers and the longevity it created:
I can think of no greater tribute than to share some of Rankin/Bass’s best work here:
While we can celebrate all of the ways Rankin’s work touched all of us, it’s also worth noting that much of this work is beyond silly and bordering on ultracampy. However, they stick out as some of the things I love and treasure the most. Examples?
There’s simply too much here to memorialize, so I’ll leave that to you. Share your favorite Rankin/Bass moments in the comments.