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Baby, it's cold outside, and that means it's time for one of my cold weather favorites: the old Rankin/Bass animated holiday specials I used to watch as a kid (and still enjoy, years later, with my own children).
Nothing puts me in the holiday spirit like seeing Rudolph, Yukon Cornelius, and the Abominable Snowman (or "Bumble", as Yukon likes to call him). And who could forget Kris Kringle, the Winter Warlock, and Burgermeister Meisterburger?
Here’s the full movie schedule for ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas and also TV Guide's Holiday Guide. Between the two, you'll find show times for Elf, Little Drummer Boy, It's a Wonderful Life, Christmas Vacation, The Grinch, Polar Express, Nightmare Before Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and many more.
Did You Know?
Some characters in the Rankin/Bass movies were based on—and physically resembled—the real entertainers who supplied their voices. For example:
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Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer's "Sam the Snowman" was based on folk-singer-turned-actor Burl Ives.
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S.D. Kluger, the mailman narrator of Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, was based on singer/dancer Fred Astaire.
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Entertainer Jimmy Durante narrated Frosty the Snowman.
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And character actor Keenan Wynn supplied the voice for the Winter Warlock in Santa Claus is Comin' to Town.
Lost & Found
When filming ended on the set of Rudolph, the puppets were simply going to be discarded, so a secretary took them home and gave them to her family. They resurfaced decades later, were acquired by a collector, and ultimately restored. You can read the full story here and learn about the restoration process here.
A Little Trivia
The reason Yukon Cornelius licked his ice axe after dropping it in the snow was not to see if he'd discovered silver or gold—he was on a quest to find a lost peppermint mine. (This was explained in a deleted scene.) Here's more trivia about Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
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"Oh, well, now I'm off to get my life-sustaining supplies: cornmeal and gunpowder and hamhocks and guitar strings!"
–Yukon Cornelius
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One more thing…
The character of Frosty the Snowman was designed by MAD Magazine artist and Kansas native Paul Coker, Jr. I've been an admirer of this incredibly talented artist's line work for years. Though from an earlier generation, Mr. Coker was—like me—a member of the Pi Deuteron chapter of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at the University of Kansas. A small, signed, original drawing of his is displayed in the house, and I remember studying it in detail between classes, all those years ago.
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This year, Hanukkah begins the evening of Sunday, December 6th and ends the evening of Monday, December 14th. Chag Hanukkah Sameach!
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"As he thinks in his heart, so he is."
–Jewish Proverb
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1. Publisher's Weekly has released its list of Best Children's Picture Books of 2015.
2. I enjoy playing guitar now and again, so when I came across this recent NYTimes article about singer Tony Bennett's side career as a painter, I began wondering why so many musicians also happen to be visual artists. John Lennon, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Ronnie Wood, Stevie Nicks, and Johnny Cash, all created visual art, to name a few. The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia drew, painted, and designed a collection of neck ties. (Click on a name to see sample works and/or articles.)
As this article makes clear, artistic ability is not uncommon among other types of entertainers and celebrities as well, including Jim Carrey, Rosie O'Donnell, Anthony Hopkins, Lucy Liu and Johnny Depp.
3. Prince Charles is a talented watercolor painter and recently participated in the making of a PBS documentary film titled The Royal Paintbox which explores the hidden artistic side of the royal family, past and present. View the trailer for the film.
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"A line on paper is like a note in the air."
–Jerry Garcia
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~ Win a Limited-Edition Print ~
Beginning this month, I'm giving away a signed, limited edition fine art print to one loyal subscriber of this newsletter each month. Current subscribers are automatically entered. The winner will be announced in the January 1st, issue. Here's this month's print…
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True Love
This print started out as many do—a card for one of my kids.
- SIZE: Artwork is 8 x 10 inches with a 2 inch white border to accommodate signature and numbering (fits in standard 11 x 14 inch frame).
- EDITION: 1 out of a total of 20 artist proofs.
- MATERIALS: Hand-signed, limited edition, Giclée fine art print, matted but unframed.
- PAPER: Printed on Hahnemuhle William Turner — a 310g, acid-free, natural white, mould-made paper with 100% rag content (highly archival).
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Not Subscribed Yet?
Click the button below. When you receive the confirmation email, click the appropriate link, and then sit back and wait for your first issue to arrive. It's easy!
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"To love or have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life."
–Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
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Until Next Week…
Well, that's all for this issue of The Happiness of Art.
As Jimmy Durante himself would often say: "Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are!" (The meaning of this phrase remained a mystery for many years until Jimmy explained what it meant. Click here to find out.)
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Previous Newsletter Issues
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"Love, Love, Love The Happiness of Art (and my friend for sharing it with me.) Thank you!"
–Kelly | Indianapolis, IN
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Are you unable to see images in this email?
I'm more of an illustrator than I am a writer, so if your email client blocks the images in The Happiness of Art—you're missing out. This quick tutorial tells you how to enable images in most of the popular email clients, including AOL, Yahoo and Gmail.
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Suggestions? I'd appreciate your feedback: deuhlig@deuhlig.com.
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About Me
Hi. I’m D.E.Uhlig. I’m an artist, author, husband and father.
For as long as I can remember, I have loved to draw. Years ago I gave my wife a hand-drawn card for our anniversary, and she loved it so much she made me promise to ALWAYS hand-draw her cards. Then our three kids made me promise to do the same with their birthday cards. And when I posted some of my drawings online, people began asking how they could purchase my work—so I created this newsletter. I believe in something I like to call “The Happiness of Art” and I hope it makes you smile.
Official Bio
D.E.Uhlig is an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in numerous publications including the Kansas City Star, Christian Science Monitor, University Daily Kansan, Editorial Humor Magazine, and World Policy Journal. Commercial illustration and design clients over the years have included Samsung, Sprint, and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, among others—and his Starbucks RedCup illustrations have been featured on the company's Pinterest and Facebook pages. In 1989, Mr. Uhlig co-founded Uhlig LLC, a leading provider of cross-media publishing and communication services in industries ranging from residential housing to book publishing to cancer care. Mr. Uhlig is married with three children and resides in Kansas City. He is currently working on children’s books, ebooks and apps.
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