Jules Bass, producer of stop-motion holiday specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, has died at the age of 87, according to his publicist, Jennifer Fisherman Ruff, through Deadline. He died in Rye, New York, due to age-related illnesses. In 1960, Bass, alongside ABC art director Arthur Rankin Jr., established Videocraft International and originally started out creating traditional animation. With its breakout holiday classic Rudolph in 1964, the company helped popularize Christmas specials like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas in the 1960s. In addition to Rudolph, the company also produced The Little Drummer Boy, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, and The Year Without a Santa Claus. Apart from his holiday specials, he executive-produced the Thundercats animated series from 1985-1989. He eventually retired from filmmaking in 1987 and wrote children’s books starring Herb the Vegetarian Dragon.
