This winter I want to share my favorite snowmen from my personal stash of over 1,000 antique collectibles, photographs and artwork. The collection was on display at the Albright Memorial Library in Scranton, PA (and on TV a couple of times). Each day I will post a countdown of the top 100 snowmen, along with a backstory or two.
Drawing by Paul Coker, Jr. Rights – Picturetown Collection © 2005
What can I say. I hate Frosty. There are a few reasons–do you have some time? I've actually spoken on the subject for almost a hour on a show.
Easily, it's the worst of the Christmas TV classics–he can't hold a candle to Grinch or Chuck Brown–with one insipid song repeated over and over. Unfortunately this is the snowman everyone thinks of now and most people don't realize snowman-making was once a distingished pastime and one of the oldest forms of folk art we know initially enjoyed by adults as well as great artists. Frosty undid all of that. Him and his stupid dancing around made snowmen silly. Quite frankly, I have little use for him.
But he makes the list. Barely. Reluctantly. 1) He's the most famous snowman. 2) This is an original drawn specifically for me by the great Mad magazine cartoonist and Frosty creator, Paul Coker, Jr. And this drawing is actually a lot nicer than the Frosty we see each year on the Christmas special.
There's a few Frosty backstories but I'll pick this one I haven't told yet; I meet Mr. Coker initially by tracking him down in New Mexico to tell him about my snowman project and to let him know there was a "self-portrait by Paul Coker" up for sale on ebay. It was signed "Coker '54." He thought it was a forgery but I won the item ($30) and he has it now. Delighted, he explained it was indeed his painting done while in art school (he's in his late 80s). #98.
An earlier (and superior) version of Frosty, 1954 rare still
from initial 3 minute TV special that only few saw.
Has anyone out there seen this before?
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Comments
And no, I had never seen the original, but he also has a certain "doofus" quality about him.
Great find, Bob...and great laughs!
:-)
I find the idea of a snowman with legs - walking and dancing - offensive.
Everyone who matters knows that snowmen are monopedal, like a snail, sans the slime trail.
Ed Sullivan knew this. When Frosty appeared on his show they only showed him from the waist up.
I don't blame Coker for this, as he had to bipedalize Frosty so the commoners could relate. There is a societal and certainly media bias towards bipediality, even though there are a few famous monopeds, like Cheney, who leave slime trails.
So, Frosty basically brought me a childhood of disappointment and failure. The bastard.
Seriously, I never saw the original and I have to say, it had me boppin' my feet to the music. I always liked Coker's artwork, and I never made the connection between the Paul Coker from Mad and the Paul Coker from the cartoon. Thanks for the enlightment.
Rated.
Paul, your observations are dead on right. Well done.
Thanks everyone. Hope everyone is not going nuts with the holiday rush.
My first introduction to Frosty was the 1950's era Little Golden Book. I didn't really care that much about the story except for the traffic cop part. When I first moved to Chicago, I was so excited to see real traffic cops -- I kept half-expecting to see Frosty thumpity-thumping along the street. I still think of Frosty whenever I see a traffic cop.
I do confess though I get a little misty-eyed when Karen is crying over the Frosty-puddle in the other version. Locking a snowman in a greenhouse is pure evil genius.
Go kiss a snowblower, Frosty.
I watched a couple of those specials this last week. The best of them are little musicals, complete with an overture during the opening credits. Shmaltzy, for sure, but genuine and sweet.
The original used to be shown annually on a children's show in Chicago called "Garfield Goose." I remember racing home from school in December to make sure I saw it and two other cartoons that were only shown right before Christmas. The other two were "Suzy Snowflake" and "Hardrock, Coco and Joe."
The show was on WGN in the 6Os. And yes, I can still sing along. I know all the words to the songs in the other cartoons although I haven't seen any of them in years.
Whaaaa?? I can't say I remember ever seeing this particular Frosty, but god does it remind me of the B&W shows and commercials I watched as a youngster. All the jingles are silly when you look back at them, but that's all there was then.
http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/entertainment/watch/v17444435XQ5qxzXH#
I do remember this one.