Large Fierce Mammal

The Winter Warlock meets Proto-Claus in a scene from Santa Claus is Coming to Town. There’s just something about the full on Nosferatu manicure, with its long, taloned phalanges, that really speaks to me. (Click to enlarge)

I’m of the generation that grew up watching Rankin-Bass Christmas specials. I remember them and their characters with fondness, bless their dead little eyes, with the notable exception of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer that came out in December of 1964 and fanned my hatred of bullies. Yes, it was thoroughly entrenched even back then, and I recall wanting to teach some of the characters some Reindeer games that involve a firearm and a barbecue.

For those of you who either don’t know what I’m talking about, or need a refresher, take a look at this video by a collector of Rankin-Bass action figures. To paraphrase something Mrs. LFM recently said, it looks like Rankin-Bass threw up in his house.

While Rankin-Bass has dabbled in more standard styles of animation, it’s the stop motion productions using what they branded “Animagic” that have always stood out for me, and while their work isn’t limited to Christmas topics, that’s what springs to most minds whenever the name of the company is mentioned.

Never mind that for those of you for whom this time of year is all about the 25th of December and a year end pissup a week later, this is the season that keeps kids up at night. Have a gander at this prime example of classic Rankin-Bassery.

And to conclude, you may find this gent’s review of the Rankin-Bass body of work an entertaining two minutes and eight seconds of your life you’ll never get back.