It’s a sad Christmas season. Jules Bass, co-founder of Rankin/Bass productions, has passed away at 87. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bass passed away on Tuesday at an assisted living facility in Rye, New York.

Born in Philadelphia in 1935, Bass was the co-founder of Videocraft International with his partner Arthur Rankin Jr., that very company would soon be re-named Rankin/Bass Productions. In 2005, Rankin would say this about their partnership.

While still under the Videocraft label, the two’s first production would be the TV series The New Adventures of Pinocchio. Premiering in 1960, the show was the duo’s first jump into the iconic “Animagic” style that they would later on be so well known for. Funny enough, the animation itself was outsourced in Japan and produced by Dentsu Studios. The series consisted of 130 five-minute “chapters” that would make up a series of five-chapter, 25-minute episodes.

“We sort of complemented each other. He had certain talents that I didn’t have, and I had certain talents that he didn’t have. I was basically an artist and a creator; he was a creator and a writer and a lyricist.”

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While Pinocchio was a steppingstone, it was Rudolph that was the launchpad for the overall lasting impression of Rankin/Bass. 1964’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer would premiere on television with such success, that it would lead to even more specials spanning from Christmas to Easter. Bass, who was a co-producer of Rudolph, would continue to stay involved in the production of various classics produced by the company. He would contribute as a writer to The New Adventures of Pinocchio, The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow, The First Easter Rabbit, The Little Drummer Boy Book II, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, and four episodes of Thundercats. It’s worth noting that he wrote under the name Julian P. Gardner for the holiday specials.

Jules Bass’s Footprint In History

     Jensen Farley Pictures (Sunn Classic Pictures)

Along with writing, Bass also contributed as director of many of the company’s specials and movies. He directed the theatrical animagic monster comedy Mad Monster Party? and co-directed with Rankin on the classic holiday specials such as Cricket on the Hearth, Mouse on the Mayflower, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, The Year Without a Santa Claus, Rudolph’s Shiny New Year, The Little Drummer Boy (both books 1 and 2), Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey. He also co-directed with Rankin the cult fantasy hits such as 1977’s The Hobbit, 1980’s The Return of the King, and 1982’s The Last Unicorn. Bass would also serve as lyrical writer for many of the catchy tunes that came from the beloved specials, such as “Put One Foot in Front of the Other," “I Believe in Santa Claus,” and even the Miser Brother’s songs from Year Without a Santa Claus.

After the folding of Rankin/Bass in 1987, Bass also halted his producing and directing career, at least partially. He is credited with consulting producer for the short-lived 2011 reboot of Thundercats as well as the 2020 ThunderCats Roar. Bass also wrote a short series of children’s books about Herb the Vegetarian Dragon.

Rankin passed away in 2014 at age 89. Bass’s daughter, Jean Nicole Bass, passed away in January at 61.