R.I.P. Arthur Rankin

Well, this is sad news. Just before the fiftieth anniversary of the classic special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, its co-creator, Arthur Rankin, Jr., died at the age of eighty-nine. Rankin collaborated on the project with Jules Bass, as he had with so many wonderfully charming old specials that come around once a year. He passed away at his home in Bermuda, but not without a long life that consisted of over one hundred and fifty television installments. Thank you, Arthur Rankin.