"Rudolph" the DC Comics Reindeer - 1958

Last year during the "Christmas Frenzy" I spotlighted the loveable Montgomery Wards character of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" on a number of posts. I covered the original 1939 department store handout that started it all, talked a little about the 1947 theatrical animated short by Max Fleischer, the 1948 song we all know, the 1958 Little Golden Book (still proudly in my posession (with Richard Scarry art) and the 1964 Rankin-Bass stop-motion television special. See them all and relive the fun here if you missed them.

Another fun take on the myth was from DC Comics, we have a theme going here me-thinks.

From 1950-1962, DC issued annuals starring Rudolph, building on their own take on the character. This is all efore the Rankin-Bass story so many folks closely identify with, one I loved in re-prints (in 1972 DC did a series of tabloid sized re-issues) as a kid. Below is the 1958 annual and one chock full of activity pages, elvin-slapstick and adolescent reindeer angst. I believe these all come from the loving pen of Sheldon Mayer...anyone?

Enjoy!

I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did. I have one more of these from 1959, I'll be posting it next Tuesday.

Talk to you soon.