Get ’em fast: Pre-order now: The U.S.P.S. is paying homage to the 1964 classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — the longest running, highest rated holiday special in TV history — with four commemorative stamps depicting some of the most-loved characters. The stamps are available for pre-order — Pam and I just nabbed ours. The stamps will be released on November 6, 2014 — and we bet they sell out in a flash!
From the USPS website:
On the evening of December 6, 1964, families sat down to watch a new TV show for the first time: an animated special called Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It featured the voice of Burl Ives as Sam, a singing snowman, who narrates the tale of a misfit reindeer who finds his own special way to shine. The hour-long show went on to become not only the longest-running and highest-rated Christmas special in TV history, but also a beloved holiday tradition.
Rudolph and his friends now bring their own brand of joy and nostalgia to four holiday stamps. The stamp artwork features still frames from the special, which was produced by Rankin/Bass using stop-motion animation. In this type of production, moveable models are photographed against backgrounds, giving the images their distinctive look. Rudolph, Santa, and the Abominable Snowman all star on stamps of their own, while a fourth stamp features Hermey, the elf who dreams of becoming a dentist, touching Rudolph’s glowing red nose.
In order to create the special, new characters (including the Abominable Snowman and Hermey) were added to those featured in the poem written by Robert L. May and the song written by Johnny Marks.
In addition to the Rudolph song, the special also contains five of composer Johnny Marks’s previous songs and seven new songs that include “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Silver and Gold,” “Jingle, Jingle, Jingle,” “The Most Wonderful Day of the Year,” “There’s Always Tomorrow” and “We’re a Couple of Misfits.”
And as for Rudolph, the star of the show? As the millions of fans of the classic animated special know, he went down in history!
Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps. The Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
All elements under license to Character Arts LLC. Made in the USA. Issue Date: November 6, 2014
Which of these stamps is your favorite, readers?
Pam says that Bumble is lookin’ awful cute!
Link love:
mcmgirl says
Thank you so much for the heads up! I immediately ordered 2 sets of these, one to use & one to save. I just love Rudolph & look forward to watching it every year, along with A Charlie Brown Christmas. I will never grow tired of these films. My children are all grown now & they have children of their own. The tradition continues!!
G S says
Ordered! Thanks so much! CVS had a set of Island of Misfit Toys ornaments back in the 90’s. When my new kitten broke my Herbie, my then-boyfriend not only replaced him, but got me the entire set that he found on eBay. I then knew he was a keeper! Now I keep them higher up on the tree.
I also pre-ordered a stamp when the Mustang stamp came out.
G S says
Oops, it is HERMEY vs. Herbie. My ornaments do say Herbie.
Jan says
I like them all – but where is Sam the Snowman??
Cynthia says
I just ordered them too! Thanks for the tip. I love the Rudolph film and bought it last year in a set of 1960s era Christmas dvds because I was not finding it on TV during the Christmas season as much as in the past. I grew up in the Chicago area in the 60s when local children’s television was in its heyday. Does anyone remember the black and white Christmas “music videos” shown annually on the Garfield Goose and Friends Show: “Hardrock, Coco and Joe” (these were 3 of Santa’s Elves); “Here Comes Suzy Snowflake” (both of these were done in stop-action with 3-D figures) and “Frosty the Snowman” (a cartoon)?
Susie says
I grew up in Punxsutawney, PA during the late 60’s and 70’s, and the WJAC station in Johnstown (“serving millions from atop the Alleghenies!”) played the Suzy Snowflake and Hardrock. Coco, and Joe films every Christmas season. I loved them and can still remember most of the words to Suzy! What sweet memories of childhood Christmases. Rudolph was also a favorite and I’m so happy to have heard about the stamps on this site; I just preordered 4 books.
tammyCA says
It wasn’t Christmas without Suzy Snowflake & Hardrock, Coco & Joe on the Garfield Goose show. I still watch them on YouTube (unless they were removed by now). And, I make little ornaments that I call Suzy snowflakes. 🙂 Remember all the tiny cute clothes & things viewers mom’s made for the mouse puppet? Loved that part!
shirley says
This was one of my favorite Christmas shows as a child in the sixties. I still catch myself singing “There’s always tomorrow” .that the little doe Clarice sang on the island of misfit toys. Thanks for letting us know about the stamps.
cebette says
This are so awesome! I have never pre-ordered a stamp but I’m going to get these for sure.
virginia says
This one and the Frosty the Snowman films were some of my son’s favorites as he was growing up in the in the 00s, which means that we saw them dozens of times on a loop. They hold up well — charming and playful, with great music and wonderful voice over work. The credits and stop animation are so quirky and fun–ironic because I am old enough to have been able to see these when they came out originally, but did not — only when I had my own child rather late in life. Many fond memories.
jeanne says
Boom, done. Thanks for the heads-up! My all time favorite Christmas special…since I was a kid. Wait, I still am a kid. 🙂
Speaking of Christmas…..I can’t wait to make my annual Putz house! I’ve made one each year since Kate’s been giving us plans. This year I want to retro-fit (get it? haha) one of the existing patterns to resemble my man’s cabin in the UP.
tammyCA says
“Cuuuuute!” As Rudolph says. But, wait where’s the misfit doll & all the rest of the characters? Did I miss seeing them? I’ve watched this show every year since it began.
Debbie says
Thanks for the heads up! I now have some on order, too. They will fit in perfectly with my Rudolph Christmas tree. I watch “Rudolph” at least a dozen times every year, along with 1945 version of “Christmas in Connecticut”.