Author decorates Oak Lawn home with collectibles connected to Rankin/Bass holiday classics

OAK LAWN, Ill. (WLS) -- Nearly every square inch of author Rick Goldschmidt's Oak Lawn home is filled with a collectible item, many of them connected to the prolific TV producers Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass.

Rankin/Bass produced such memorable Christmas classics as "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman."

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"Christmas was a big thing for them. They became the fathers of Christmas television," Goldschmidt said.

Goldschmidt said he first got interested in Rankin/Bass productions when he graduated college with an art degree. A chance meeting led him to write a book on the duo almost three decades ago.

That first book was a big success, leading to the merchandising of products from many of the characters in the TV shows and to Goldschmidt to writing another book. He wrote seven books in all, on the prolific producers neither of whom are still alive.

"It's basically preserving the legacy of Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass," Goldschmidt said.

Even the bathroom is filled with memorabilia. Goldschmidt says he enjoys living among all the items. It helps inspire his work.

He says he never planned on making this his life's work. He says it was a calling and seems like it was meant to be. And he's grateful, especially during this time of year.

"It puts you in the spirit of Christmas like no other. It has so much heat and warmth, which is lacking in today's entertainment," Goldschmidt said.

Some of the characters Rankin and Bass introduced to us, like Snow Miser and Heat Miser, they are 50 years old on Tuesday, and Bumble from Rudolf is 60 years old. And all of them are likely to remain Christmas traditions for many generations.

You can learn more about Goldschmidt's latest work here.