Arthur Rankin Jr.‘s work is known worldwide and a memory of many people’s childhoods. “Frosty the Snowman,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ and many more are cherished TV specials. The legendary animator, producer and director has passed away at the age of 89.
Rankin, along with Jules Bass founded their production company, Videocraft International, which is now known as Rankin/Bass Productions. Their first project was the TV series, “The New Adventures of Pinocchio, which premiered in 1960 on TV. Rankin’s animated projects are endless: The Ballad of Smokey the Bear (1966), The Wacky Word of Mother Goose (1967), Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970), The Little Drummer Boy (1968), The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) and the 1980s animated series Thundercats.
Every December, we will remember Rankin’s work when “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman” air.
