I (foolishly) mentioned to GreenHamster I wanted to draw the Goodtimes Rudolph for Christmas (something I do almost every year) and (very foolishly) asked GreenHamster if he'd like to write the script for said Rudolph comic.
This was a bad idea because, by doing so, I was essentially giving my word to produce more art. :P
Anyway, here's GreenHamster's script,
"Hmm, considering how you despise the Rankin Bass Rudolph, how about something like this: "Hey Slyly, I heard there's an alternative universe of me where the adults treated me like dirt, especially my dad." "Wow Red, that's crazy!" "Tell me about it, the next thing you'll know is that people with differences are a disgrace to the world!" (Which you and I, along with everyone else on this planet know that's not true.)"
Rudolph is referring to how he was verbally 'abused' by his father in the Rankin-Bass special (more on this later).
About this drawing... if you can believe it, I've been working on this since around the 10th of December (it's now the 14th). A drawing that'd ordinarily take only an hour or so to do has taken me four days. And that's not for any noble reason---it's obvious this drawing isn't better than anything else in my gallery, but was instead a consequence of picking up the clipboard and setting it back down, often without putting anything on the paper at all. I'd been looking at the art, in various stages of completion, for days. I've been expecting to find a reason to NOT finish it, most likely from ripping it or spilling something on it, as the clipboard sat adjacent to my feeding space (I've ruined comics and cards via food/grease stains---I dunno how any of it gets there, but mess finds a way). ^^
One thing that's held me back is my health. Concisely, I'm experiencing symptoms of hardened arteries. I have been to my doctor and twice now to the cardiologist (even once to the emergency room). I've been told my X-rays, EKGs, and bloodwork look good, and I did very well on my stress test (the results of that are pending). In short, I seem to have the symptoms but not the disease. This, of course, makes me want to drink (and I have), thereby making whatever problem I have all the worse (and drinking, of course, isn't conducive to cartooning).
Astute watchers have noticed I photographed this drawing rather than scanned it. This is because I didn't feel like cleaning and coloring it. I just wanted this drawing up and over with.
Rudolph...
Now, I understand for the story of Rudolph to work, it's essential for Rudolph to be mistreated by the world. But, in the Rankin-Bass special, most everyone is a jerk to most everyone (even Mrs. Claus is a deplorable wretch); Rudolph isn't a special case. Because of this, the abuse Rudolph receives is simply his share in a world that has plenty of hate ready at the hip for anyone and everyone. So, given that fact, I want to tell the Rankin-Bass Rudolph to get over it rather than feel sorry for him (which is the opposite of how I should feel).
Cf. the Goodtimes adaptation, in which most everyone in the village gets along reasonably well with one another, save where it comes to Rudolph. You can see the difference in how Rudolph is treated compared to everyone else, making it easier therefore to want to take Rudolph's side.
I dunno ...I reluctantly concede that the Rankin-Bass special IS the better of the two (the Goodtimes version is unambitious and has too many plot holes), though I find the Goodtimes movie to be the more 'lovable' of the two (mostly for Rudolph, which is proper).
Then there are the supporting characters...
The supporting Rankin-Bass characters were TOO good. For example, as much as I dislike Hermey (the dentist elf), he is more developed, requires less explanation, and is generally more endearing than Rudolph. In fact, Hermey is a better Rudolph than Rudolph himself! Hermey quite easily could have been his own main character/franchise with his own special (think 'Misfit Toys', minus Rudolph) and his own (now) classic Christmas song. Essentially (IMHO), the Rankin-Bass Rudolph is like Taz-Mania: you don't watch it for the titular character, but for its supporting cast.
CF. the supporting cast from the Goodtimes version.
Slyly and Leonard had potential to be good characters, but (unlike the RB characters) they were underwritten, especially Leonard. Slyly clearly has a story, and has suffered some sort of trauma. He had whatever experience he had and, like Rudolph, ran away to seclusion in the mountains. Had Slyly been better written, he may've advised Rudolph to not do as he did (encouraging Rudolph to turn back). Rudolph, in turn, may've suggested Slyly to return to the village with him (instilling the idea of hope/second chances).
As for Leonard, he could have been an ex-bodyguard or something for Stormella, and suffered under her rule. Leonard could therefore sympathize with the plight of Rudolph and Slyly and (given his history with Stormella) Leonard would know how to sneak into Stormella's fortress (to rescue Zoe). This would enable Leonard to contribute more meaningfully to the plot and given him more personality.
Even Stormella (the villain) had potential. She and Santa were obviously a thing together at some point, hence her holding a grudge against Santa and his success. Sure, Stormella requires more explanation than (say) the Bumble from the Rankin-Bass special, but that's fine---new holiday lore could have been created here ...but, alas, we got only what we got. :P
Pencil...
The featured pencil is decorated with Rankin-Bass Rudolph characters. The pencil was printed by Raymond Geddes (copyrighted 2017), and was likely sold in a pack of six.
I've yet to find pencils of the Goodtimes Rudolph (I'm not even sure any exist).
I really like your thoughts on this. I also felt the Rankin-Bass version was also way too harsh. It would've been nice to see the abusers face some kind of fallout. It would also be nice if there was a new Rudolph film that updated the story to be more accepting, even if the red nose didn't prove as valuable as it was.
I really like your thoughts on this. I also felt the Rankin-Bass version was also way too harsh. It
The original film teaches us the true meaning of Rudolph's story; that difference will be punished unless it's profitable.What more can we expect from a character created not by folklore but a department store? These newer adaptions bury that under layers of sentiment. Who will prepare children for the harsh reality of the job market now?
The original film teaches us the true meaning of Rudolph's story; that difference will be punished u
I do remember a song where Rudolph complains to the other reindeer about how hypocritical they were for praising him now after having been so mean to him when he was growing up.
The story of Rudolph: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer I do remember a
Simply because of the song and how it was sung, I figured it was from the 1940's or thereabouts. You can tell music from different eras not only in the sound of the instrumentals, but in the lyrics and how they are sung.
As for the story it was based on, I never knew about it until I saw the article I linked to.
Simply because of the song and how it was sung, I figured it was from the 1940's or thereabouts. Yo
Hey, sorru about your health problems, I hope things will go for the better somehow. Also, that is a cute comic, thinking about alternate universes can be fun!
Hey, sorru about your health problems, I hope things will go for the better somehow. Also, that is a
