Rankin-Bass Rudolph puppets - re-creations?

SpyrofoamKyle said:
Hey all! I've been on a journey the last four years or so trying to create my own replica of Rudolph. I make models of characters from films and video games and such by sculpting them out of styrofoam, mostly, and then covering them with felt. (With some additional materials like pipecleaners, dowel rods, craft foam, etc, for specific shapes and textures.)

It occurred to me some time ago that Rudolph would look very good as one of my models, since I could pretty accurately match the look of the real stop-motion puppet.

What I didn't know is how much of a little nemesis project he would turn out to be! Over the last four years, I've actually made four models of Rudolph (and countless false starts.) The cycle has been that I make him around Christmas, think he's good enough, put him on the shelf for a year...and then decide I can do better the following Christmas. (The upside being that the old ones have made handy gifts for my family!)

Throughout my endeavors I've enjoyed reading this thread, so I thought I would show off my latest attempt at creating everyone's favorite misfit. He stands about six inches tall, so I figure he's reasonably close to being the size of the real thing. I'm not guaranteeing that I won't end up remaking him yet again next year, but this is by far my best Rudolph to date.
Click to expand...
He looks perfect to me !!
 
I have a pretty interesting theory. The Rudolph and Santa puppets that are here in America are not the screen used puppets. They are puppets made specifically for advertising purposes. They were made by MOM productions (they were the ones who made the puppets used in the special). However these ones were made cheaper because they were not made to be animated. They were made with wire instead of ball and socket armatures. They were sent down to America to be posed for magazines and newspapers and next to GE products for some advertising.
rudolph_tv_special.jpgrudolph_tv_special_2.jpgDQaGpPbU8AAIR4d.jpeg1964_12_12-012-013-edited.jpg1976Rudolph.jpg1978rudolph.jpg
These puppets were the ones given to the Rankin/Bass secretary and were the puppets that melted in her attic.
That's why the Santa at the Tad Mochinaga exhibit looks closer to the one seen in the special. Because it is the one in the special. And the one here in America was just made for advertising purposes.

-Also I find it interesting that there were a few Sam puppets made. Each one looks a bit different. In size, texture, and small details.
Untitled22_20201221010810.pngrudolphrednosed_ives122-1.jpgburl_ives.jpg

But what are your thoughts?
 
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Freedmeep1964 said:
I have a pretty interesting theory. The Rudolph and Santa puppets that are here in America are not the screen used puppets. They are puppets made specifically for advertising purposes. They were made by MOM productions (they were the ones who made the puppets used in the special). However these ones were made cheaper because they were not made to be animated. They were made with wire instead of ball and socket armatures. They were sent down to America to be posed for magazines and newspapers and next to GE products for some advertising.

These puppets were the ones given to the Rankin/Bass secretary and were the puppets that melted in her attic.
That's why the Santa at the Tad Mochinaga exhibit looks closer to the one seen in the special. Because it is the one in the special. And the one here in America was just made for advertising purposes.

-Also I find it interesting that there were a few Sam puppets made. Each one looks a bit different. In size, texture, and small details.

But what are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
I'm hardly an expert on the history of the special, but it looks to me like at least two Rudolph puppets were used in the special, just from comparing how he appears across different scenes. I would imagine they may have done that to allow production on more than one scene at once?

The puppet most frequently seen in the special doesn't look to be the one that still exists in America. The shape of the head looks to be fairly different, and it looks to me like his hooves are larger, too. That one is seen in most of the scenes at the North Pole, such as everything from the reindeer games through singing We're a Couple of Misfits. It also shows up in a few scenes on the Island of Misfit Toys, and the brief montage of Rudolph on his own just before he grows up. In my opinion, this is the better looking of the two.

The second puppet, which is less frequently seen, seems to match the one in America and most of the those ads you posted. It looks a little smaller and rounder, to my eye, and the brown rim around his eyes looks to be less pronounced. This one is seen during the sequences where they are chased by the Bumble and first meet Yukon Cornelius, some parts on the Island of Misfit Toys, and during the scenes where Rudolph leaves the island on his own.

I can't claim any of that definitively, but that's how it looks to me, based on countless viewings. It's most noticeable from a forward-facing view. The puppets seem to look reasonably similar from the side. Apologies for the horrifying photo of un-restored Rudolph below, but you can see how the second puppet there seems to match that puppet, while the first does not. The main giveaway being his little antler bumps, as the left one is slightly more crooked on that puppet.

Just my (incredibly long winded) two cents.
 

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SpyrofoamKyle said:
I'm hardly an expert on the history of the special, but it looks to me like at least two Rudolph puppets were used in the special, just from comparing how he appears across different scenes. I would imagine they may have done that to allow production on more than one scene at once?

The puppet most frequently seen in the special doesn't look to be the one that still exists in America. The shape of the head looks to be fairly different, and it looks to me like his hooves are larger, too. That one is seen in most of the scenes at the North Pole, such as everything from the reindeer games through singing We're a Couple of Misfits. It also shows up in a few scenes on the Island of Misfit Toys, and the brief montage of Rudolph on his own just before he grows up. In my opinion, this is the better looking of the two.

The second puppet, which is less frequently seen, seems to match the one in America and most of the those ads you posted. It looks a little smaller and rounder, to my eye, and the brown rim around his eyes looks to be less pronounced. This one is seen during the sequences where they are chased by the Bumble and first meet Yukon Cornelius, some parts on the Island of Misfit Toys, and during the scenes where Rudolph leaves the island on his own.

I can't claim any of that definitively, but that's how it looks to me, based on countless viewings. It's most noticeable from a forward-facing view. The puppets seem to look reasonably similar from the side. Apologies for the horrifying photo of un-restored Rudolph below, but you can see how the second puppet there seems to match that puppet, while the first does not. The main giveaway being his little antler bumps, as the left one is slightly more crooked on that puppet.

Just my (incredibly long winded) two cents.
Click to expand...
Finding out that there are multiple puppets for a character gives me hope that they are still out there in Japan somewhere. Most likely in someone's private collection under great care.

Also The Hermey puppet swaps out for a new one when they sing Fame and Fortune.
Screenshot_2020-12-21-13-06-48-1.pngScreenshot_2020-12-21-13-07-05-1.png
I honestly like the Fame and Fortune Hermey a little bit more. That might be the one I'll try to replicate.
 
My theory was correct!!! Just found out that the day after I posted my theory about the puppets in America not being screen used with Rick Goldschmidt via Instagram, Rick Goldschmidt posted on his blog letting people know that the puppets here in America were made for promoting the special. My theory and his blog post were posted a day apart. He wrote that in his opinion, he thinks this doesn't make the puppets any less valuable. And I completely agree with him. He also said that many puppets from the Rudolph special and other Rankin/Bass films are in Japan and in great shape and care.
enchantedworldofrankinbass.blogspot.com

The Rankin/Bass Animagic figures of Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, that were auctioned off twice, are not the "Screen Used" figures in the classic TV Special

C. 2006 Miser Bros Press/Rick Goldschmidt Archives I know this may surprise some people and I certainly didn't want to interfere with an a...
enchantedworldofrankinbass.blogspot.com enchantedworldofrankinbass.blogspot.com
 
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Wow! Lots of big news there! Yeah, I don't think the value of those puppets is lessened any even if they weren't used in the special itself. They are still original figures from that time. I'm glad they're going to be going to the Center of Puppetry Arts. I'll have to make a trip to go see them for myself sometime...which will no doubt inspire me to keep remaking my replica over and over!
 
Bsarc1 said:
This is an awesome thread about Rudolph, seeing different replicas that alot of you guys have made....I figured I would share pics of my collection of Rudolph replicas....A very talented felt artist friend of mine and her son who is a sculptor made all of these for me except for the Bumble and tree....The Bumble was made so well several years ago by a company that made Rudolph action figures that I didn't think he needed to be re-done to fit in with these guys....Let me know what you guys think...I just got Santa and Yukon Cornelius today.
Click to expand...
These are incredible replicas. I’ve seen the original blue print for Rudolph but not Santa. Do you know if one is out there? I’ve contacted a marionette puppet maker to make a Santa for me as they can properly carve Santa’s head. Do you mind sharing what you paid for Santa and Rudolph? Would your artist make another? I’ve been on this journey a while searching for someone with an eye for detail like yours. I find it interesting that there arnt more artist created replicas for sale out there. I’d love a Bumble with the original wiry type fur and little hand stitched feet and hands. Thank you so much for sharing your pictures!
 
SpyrofoamKyle said:
Hey all! I've been on a journey the last four years or so trying to create my own replica of Rudolph. I make models of characters from films and video games and such by sculpting them out of styrofoam, mostly, and then covering them with felt. (With some additional materials like pipecleaners, dowel rods, craft foam, etc, for specific shapes and textures.)

It occurred to me some time ago that Rudolph would look very good as one of my models, since I could pretty accurately match the look of the real stop-motion puppet.

What I didn't know is how much of a little nemesis project he would turn out to be! Over the last four years, I've actually made four models of Rudolph (and countless false starts.) The cycle has been that I make him around Christmas, think he's good enough, put him on the shelf for a year...and then decide I can do better the following Christmas. (The upside being that the old ones have made handy gifts for my family!)

Throughout my endeavors I've enjoyed reading this thread, so I thought I would show off my latest attempt at creating everyone's favorite misfit. He stands about six inches tall, so I figure he's reasonably close to being the size of the real thing. I'm not guaranteeing that I won't end up remaking him yet again next year, but this is by far my best Rudolph to date.
Click to expand...
Amazing work. Very impressive.
 
I had no idea how some of these felt puppets were made. This is an interesting YouTube video on needle felting which I’m guessing is one of the many techniques used. Since I’m new to this site I’d love to hear of any references you all may used in make your puppets. Thank you

 
UncleGranny said:
I had no idea how some of these felt puppets were made. This is an interesting YouTube video on needle felting which I’m guessing is one of the many techniques used. Since I’m new to this site I’d love to hear of any references you all may used in make your puppets. Thank you

Click to expand...

The original Rudolph puppets when it came to the Riendeer we're made of wood, felt, and wire. I use needle felting over my carved wood pieces for most of my Rudolph builds. My first attempt was to sew felt over the wood, but it ended up looking hideous. I threw it out and spent months trying to figure out a way to make a Rudolph that looked good. I remember seeing an image at Denny's back in 2016 when the DreamWorks partnership was still going on. It was a new Rudolph render or photo (I can't tell if it was CGI or a real puppet).
1603498464912.png

It was hard to see any seams on this one so I figured if it was a real puppet it was probably needle felted. I went with that method on my newborn Rudolph replica. I needle felted over my wood carvings and sewed some other parts. I really liked the way it came out. Needle felting is a very old technique that has been around for years, Long before Rankin/Bass made Rudolph. I definitely wouldn't be surprised if they're used this for some parts of their Riendeer puppets when it came to Rudolph. Probably for the necks and legs. I definitely recommend giving it a try.
 
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Freedmeep1964 said:
The original Rudolph puppets when it came to the Riendeer we're made of wood, felt, and wire. I use needle felting over my carved wood pieces for most of my Rudolph builds. My first attempt was to sew felt over the wood, but it ended up looking hideous. I threw it out and spent months trying to figure out a way to make a Rudolph that looked good. I remember seeing an image at Denny's back in 2016 when the DreamWorks partnership was still going on. It was a new Rudolph render or photo (I can't tell if it was CGI or a real puppet).
View attachment 1382416
It was hard to see any seams on this one so I figured if it was a real puppet it was probably needle felted. I went with that method on my newborn Rudolph replica. I needle felted over my wood carvings and sewed some other parts. I really liked the way it came out. Needle felting is a very old technique that has been around for years, Long before Rankin/Bass made Rudolph. I definitely wouldn't be surprised if they're used this for some parts of their Riendeer puppets when it came to Rudolph. Probably for the necks and legs. I definitely recommend giving it a try.
Click to expand...
Is that your Rudolph or the dreamworks Rudolph? Very nice work if it is yours.
I didn’t realize Santa and Rudolph had done so many TV commercials for ATT, Verizon Denny’s and Apple. I’m not sure if these are real puppets or computer generated.

Microsoft Windows Phone TV Commercial 'Abominable Dating'
ispot.tv

Denny's Rudolph Pancakes TV Spot, 'Syrup Discovery'

The characters of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" discover syrup by accident, and a father tells the story of why syrup goes on pancakes. The Rudolph Pancakes are a part of the Denny's Tastes of the Holidays Menu.
ispot.tv ispot.tv
 
What ya think?
I did not do the render. A good friend did. But Ill be molding and casting it. Still adjusting some details.
 

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