Jules Bass.

 Acclaimed director, producer, lyricist, composer and author who formed the influential Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment with his friend Arthur Rankin Jr. and produced beloved stop-motion classics such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Mad Monster Party, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, Peter Cottontail and 2D-animated shows such as Frosty the Snowman, ThunderCats and The Wind in the Willows.Died Oct. 25, age 87. READ MORE