Hardrock, Coco, and Joe/Suzy Snowflake/Frosty the Snowman (1951) – Rewatch

Growing up in Chicagoland, these three shorts heralded the Christmas season, airing on The Bozo Show every year. Watching now is just full of nostalgia. The mid-20th century plastic-aluminum Christmas aesthetic is one of those that I really dig and these are brimming with it. The story of Hardrock, Coco, and Joe is told through a jaunty, yodely tune about a Chinese Santa Claus and his three little helpers. Suzy Snowflake is a more haunting song about the fairy who brings winter to us all. The well-known story of Frosty the Snowman is presented here with a be-bopping, bouncy flair. The first two are rendered in wonderful, simple stop-motion, while Frosty is traditional animation that isn’t all that far from the popular Rankin-Bass version.