The Life and Adventure of Santa Claus

Let’s review their last stop-motion Christmas special with a film about Santa Claus. Wait, didn’t we have Santa Claus Comin’ To Town? Yes we do, but this story of The Life and Adventure of Santa Claus, written by Wizard of Oz’s creator, L. Frank Baum, and technically the story was made first.

It starts with an epic opening; all the Nordic Immortals arrived down the stair for the meeting that Great Ak about Life and Adventure of Santa Claus at the forest of Burzee. The opening is by far the most epic in terms of Christmas Special. The chorus is deep and grand as the appearance of the Immortals. The beat matches the characters pacing, and it feels important.

Great Ak found an abandon mortal baby Claus, as he left him to a lioness named Sheagra to mother him. One of the sprites named Necile steals the baby from Sheagra, because she sings about her loneliness for a child as she raised the trees. Peter Nook (voiced by Peter Newman) warns how he can’t control Sheagra, and he’s the master of animals. With some convincing, Great Ak allows Necile to raise Claus. Throughout the years, Claus grows up with the Sprite, Tingler the Sound Imp, and has the world view with Great Ak in their mostly cruel ways. (Apparently, first location they viewed was January Junction, as it’s the same peasants from Jack Frost.) Claus leaves the Immortals to the snowy Laughing Valley of Ho Ha Ho. Claus has bring joy to children over the years at the Valley. An orphan stumbles upon Claus (assuming from Kids Town.).  Claus made his first toy as a black cat.

King Awgwa of the Awgwa demands Klaus to stop making toys and joys to children. They kidnap Claus while being invisible in the middle of the night, but were saved by summoning the Knooks. After the Awgwa have stolen all of Claus toys, Great Ak and the Immortals have declare war with the Awgwa. (It does go not The Hobbit intense with the war here, but intense for a Christmas Special.)

The rest goes Santa Claus’ Comin’ To Town in how Santa operates minus a tyrant.

The cast are mostly from the Thundercats. Santa Claus is voiced by Mumm-ra’s actor, Earl Hammond. King Awgwa is voiced by Panthro’s actor, the late Earle Hyman. Queen Zurline is voiced by Cheetara, Lynne Lipton. The Commander of the Wind Demon is voiced by Lion-O and Sonny of Cocoa Puffs, Larry Kenney. Fun fact: I met Tygra’s voice actor, Peter Newman at Retrocon. I was talking to him with the films he was in I liked. I forgot the character he voiced in Life and Adventure of Santa Claus. I was thinking about the character throughout the convention, until I remembered it was Peter Nook. I got back to his booth to remember the name, and coincidentally Peter Newman was signing The Life and Adventure of Santa Claus on VHS. This was so funny, Pumyra’s voice actress, Gerrianne Raphael was laughing hard at this moment, and she was next to Newman.

Santa Claus has the deep mighty voice, but I do prefer Rooney’s role. Try to do a counting game how many times Claus says “Must”. I like the film, but since Santa Claus’ Comin To Town came out first and had the bigger magic. Think of it as the John Carter effect where the book came first, a film influence by the book was made, and then the originator was came out with lesser spirit than the influenced made more.

There’s another version of Life and Adventure of Santa Claus, two different animated versions; one was part of an episode of Oz Kids, and the other is done by Mike Young’s Production. The Mike Young’s version filled the holes that Sheagra died from old age, Santa’s connection to one of the child that grows up with him, and they showed the Spirit of Death. However, the Awgwa are made really stupid.

The Life and Adventure of Santa Claus is a nice ending Christmas special for Rankin Bass. However, their career is mostly over for a while after Wind In The Willow, but there are sequels made with little to no approval from Rankin Bass, as you’ll figure which out is next.