Thumpety thump thump, look at Frosty go.

One can tell when the holiday season comes in. Retail stores hang up their Christmas decorations, radio stations play holiday music, and Starbucks breaks out their signature red cups. A popular tradition is also when all the classic television programs appear on TV, like Frosty the Snowman. Produced by Rankin/Bass Productions, CBS aired Frosty the Snowman for the first time in 1968. Rankin/Bass was known for their stop-motion animation, as well as their seasonal television specials. Their stop-motion films were popular for their distinct “Animagic” spheroidal doll-like characters. They were also known for their snowfall scenes that would project over the action in their traditional cell animation. After Rankin/Bass stopped production in 1987, the rights to the Rankin/Bass library have been sold to many companies over the years. Currently, the pre-1974 library is owned by DreamWorks Animation.

Frosty the Snowman was the first use of traditional cell animation by Rankin/Bass for a Christmas special. A greeting card artist and Mad Magazine artist (Paul Coker) joined the project to work on character and background drawings to make the film look like something one would see from a Christmas card.

If you want to remember the jolly happy soul, below is the 1968 Frosty the Snowman in its entirety. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDZ0qp-gVuY