You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen…but how much do you really know about Rudolph the red nosed reindeer? We’ll find out today as we talk about our favorite little known facts behind the making of the holiday classic! Of course if you’re a real fan of the show, none of this should come as a surprise. So, for those that don’t know: here’s a few things that all fanboys know about Rudolph the red nosed reindeer.
He’s not as old as you might think. Of course Rudolph’s been around for my whole life, but he’s still pretty new to the pack that pulls Santa sleigh. The poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas is what gave names to all of Santa’s Reindeer. Which Clement Moore wrote in 1823. Rudolph wasn’t in that poem. Nope, he didn’t exist until 1939. That means the other reindeer are 199 years old today. While Rudolph is only 83.
He was first a coloring sheet. In 1930 the executives at Montgomery Ward wanted a character to go on coloring books handed out to kids. That character turned out to be none other than Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. He was super popular with the kids. That year Montgomery Ward gave away 2.4 million copies of the booklet.
He was written by Robert May. According to Mentalfloss.com, “Robert May, a copywriter for Montgomery Ward’s mail order catalog division, was the employee tasked with writing a story and creating a marketable character for the coloring book. May started the process in early 1939, but that summer, his wife died from cancer, leaving him a widower with a 4-year-old daughter. Though his boss tried to reassign the project, May insisted on finishing it himself. ‘I needed Rudolph more than ever,’ he later admitted. He completed the story in August. Though Montgomery Ward could have kept the copyright for themselves, they handed it over to a financially struggling May in 1947.
A trippy Santa. In the original story written for the coloring book, Rudolph’s story isn’t the one we sing today. In it, Santa is delivering gifts to village of reindeer. Walking inside Rudolph’s dark house, he trips over a rug and falls flat on his back. When he discovers Rudolph and his nose he then invites Rudolph to accompany him with the rest of his deliveries.
The eyes don’t have it. May said while writing the story, he considered giving Rudolph giant glowing eyes to light the way. And then reconsidered and came up with a glowing nose. He said he couldn’t see reindeer making fun of a deer with big eyes.
Any other name… Other names that were in the running for the famous reindeer were: Rollo, Reginald, Romeo and Rodney.
Rudolph has a son in England. “The BBC made three cartoons based on Rudolph’s offspring, but the name of Robbie’s famous dad is never actually mentioned. The plot line tells us that the villain of the series, Blitzen, can’t stand to hear Rudolph’s name. In reality, it’s because the BBC couldn’t get permission to use it (or didn’t want to pay to use it). If you haven’t seen the British version but still remember Robbie, that’s because Fox Family ran the show for a few years in the early 2000s with redubbed voices, including Ben Stiller as Robbie, Hugh Grant as Blitzen, Britney Spears as Donner, and Brad Garrett as Prancer.”-MentalFloss.com
The song came later. Gene Autry’s song about Rudolph came out a decade after he was born. Since then the song has gone on to sell 150 million copies.
But they’re antiques! The original puppets for the Rankin/Bass TV special were lost. They resurfaced in 2006 on the television program Antiques Roadshow. A woman who worked for Rankin/Bass had Santa and Rudolph stored in her attic since the 1970s. Restored, they’re now on display at the Center for Puppetry Arts.
Not his first time. The Rankin/Bass television special was the second TV appearance for Rudolph. That honor goes to Fleischer Studios that ran a cartoon in 1948 that advertised for Montgomery Ward. The television special happened later on, in 1964.
And that’s it! Those are some of our favorite facts that all fanboys know about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. How many did you know?
It’s Mavericks Monday!
Also, don’t forget to wear your Mavericks gear to the store today! If you do, you’ll receive 10% taken off your entire purchase! If you miss today, not to worry! We’re running specials all throughout December. Check out the blog here to find out about all the ways you can save on Christmas gifts at Fanboys. Remember too that if you spend $20 or more you’ll be entered to win a $250 gift card and get a chance to roll the dice on $25,000 give away! All the information on that can be found here! Merry Christmas and we’ll see you at Fanboys!