#robert l. may

Gene Autry’s recording of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was released on 1 September 1949.

Johnny Marks based the song on Robert L. May’s 1939 poem created as a coloring book for Montgomery Ward (Marks was married to May’s sister, Margaret).

🦌🎄🎁

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Copyright

I’m working today on Son of Hel, my holly-jolly Christmas novel that will attempt to harmonize the disparate accretions surrounding Saint Nicholas. Unsurprisingly, these legends can be a bit of a maze to navigate, partly because many of them, at least here in America, are the product of corporate marketing—and that means copyright issues.

As he likely was for many children, Rudolph the Red-Nosed…

Are you a misfit? Christmas Top Ten Throwback #2: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

When Spanky was a little pup, I took him out for a day trip to the doggy park on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills.  He was so small, couldn’t run fast like the other dogs due to a hip issue and I was immediately reminded of Rudolph. I vividly remember thinking, Spanky couldn’t partake in the “reindeer games” and how sad that made me.  My little Spanky would always be different.

Have you…