Ralph Hulett's Christmas, Day 1

Another holiday season, another round of Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

For those new to the blog, Ralph Hulett was business representative Steve Hulett's father. He worked at Disney Animation from 1938 (when it was on Hyperion) to 1974, when he passed away.

The senior Hulett painted backgrounds for Disney animated shorts and features from 1943 to 1974. From 1949 to the time of his death, he also painted Christmas card designs, of which the above is a specimen from the 1960s. (Hulett painted various types of cards: winter landscapes, "character" cards, and still lifes.)

As you can see, he used various kinds of paint.

Anyway, we're getting down to the last of the new images. Prolific as Mr. Hulett was, he painted only so many Christmas cards.

Click here for more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards

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The first day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

Another Yuletide season kicks off, therefore we'll put up another round of Christmas cards by Disney background artist Ralph Hulett. Starting with one more "court jester" card ...

For those of you new to the blog, my late father painted a ton of holiday cards over a span of thirty years. Many were done for a card company named named "California Artists," and in those quaint, long-ago days before giant, interlocking conglomerates ruled everything, many card companies paid royalties on the designs.

Such was the case with California Artists. And dear old Dad made almost as much money from his yearly Christmas cards as he did from background painting at Disney.

Nowadays, Hallmark and the like just want to buy card art outright. What a marvelous, corporatist age we live in ...

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards. (UPDATE: this search link is now fixed.)

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Young Worshippers, by Ralph Hulett ... with Special Christmas Links

The staff and officers of the Animation Guild wish you a merry Christmas ... and offer you, as an added bonus, gleaming Christmas linkage.

Three children charmingly portray the wonderment of the shepherds and an angel at the lowly manger.

Roger Ebert shares his favorite ten animated features of 2009.

True, the once neglected art of animation has undergone a rebirth in both artistry and popularity. Yet having escaped one blind alley, it seems headed into another one: The dumbing-down of stories out of preference for meaningless nonstop action. Classic animated features were models of three-act stories: Recall "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" or "The Lion King." The characters were embedded in stories that made sense and involved making decisions based on values. Now too many stories end in brain-numbing battles, often starring heroes the age of the younger audience members ...

The New York Times looks at Sita Sings the Blues:

Nina Paley’s new film, which arrives in New York on Friday trailing festival love, is certainly ambitious and visually loaded. There are songs, bright colors and a story taken in part from one of the biggest, oldest epics in the world. But it is also modest, personal and, in spite of Ms. Paley’s use of digital vector graphic techniques, decidedly handmade ...

While we're on the New York Times, the "paper of record" admits to an oopsie:

An obituary on Dec. 17 about Roy E. Disney, who helped revitalize the famed animation division of the company founded by his uncle, Walt Disney, referred incompletely to the release of “Fantasia,” noted for its use of animation to interpret classical music. It was considered a “groundbreaking 1942 film” in the sense that it was released nationally that year. But a longer version was shown in a special engagement in 1940 in New York and again in 1941 in Los Angeles and a few other cities.

Terry Gilliam does terrific work, but he really has to stop saying things like this. He can afford to work for zip; others can't.

I’ve offered my services to Pixar. I said I’d even sweep the floors and mop up -- and no one’s called me back yet! ...

The Nikkster points out that the Top Three films on Wednesday were animated. (Well, she listed the Top Three, anyway, and I point out they're animated. Likewise for #7.)

1. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (Fox) Wed $19M [3,656 runs] -

2. Avatar (Fox) Wed $16.4M [3,456 runs] Cume $124.8M - Week 1

3. Princess And The Frog (Disney) Wed $2.4M [3,475 runs] Cume $53.2M - Week 5

4. Blind Side (Alcon/Warner Bros) Wed $2.2M [2,760 runs] Cume $171.1M - Week 6

5. Up In The Air (Paramount) Wed $1.7M [1,895] Cume $11M - Week 4

6. Morgans? (Sony) Wed $1.0M [2,718] Cume $9.9M - Week 1

7. A Christmas Carol (Disney) Wed $1.0M [1,245] Cume $133.7M - Week 8

Last item: Here early on Christmas day, we link to ASIFA's cavalcade of Disney Christmas cards. (It's only right.)

© 1955 by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image. See Ralph Hulett Christmas card designs at TAG's art gallery, open weekdays 8:30 am-5 pm. Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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Purple Procession, by Ralph Hulett

The color of royalty is used almost exclusively in this dramatic candle-lit procession honoring The King of Kings.

Add On: Christmas Card Q & A ...

When did Hulett start doing Christmas cards?

He started in the early 1950s, with a royalty deal with a card compnay named California Artists, which was bought out by a company named Designers Showcase in the 1960s. Designers Showcase was bought out in the early seventies. Hulett painted cards almost up to his death.

How many designs would he do per year?

Twenty-five to thirty designs would be published in a fat catalog each year. The books would be set up on large tables at upscale stationary stores, department stores, etc. Customers would pore through the catalogs and select the cards they wanted to order. Hulett would usually paint an extra four or five designs each season, and the company would select the ones it most liked.

Some years Hulett would go on cross-country junkets to various department stores in different cities, promoting the cards. He would give painting demonstrations in stores, garnering publicity.

Were there other Disney artists who did Christmas cards?

I can think of two. Eyvind Earle (another background painter, remembered today as the stylist for Sleeping Beauty) and Josh Meador, who was the head of visual effects at Walt Diwsney Productions for many years. Meador worked primarily in oils.

Are you going to publish these designs in a book?

Maybe. Eventually. When I get some free time. We put the card designs up at TAG blog so they are out there. This is far better than having them sit in a storage vault gathering dust.

© 1961 by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image. See Ralph Hulett Christmas card designs at TAG's art gallery, open weekdays 8:30 am-5 pm. Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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Another Ralph Hulett Christmas, part 1

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

Today we begin our annual holiday tradition of posting Mr. Hulett's christmas card art.

For those of you just joining the cocktail party, Ralph Hulett is a relative (my father, actually).

Born in Illinois in 1915, he moved to California at age 7, graduated from Glendale High School, went to Chouinard Art Institute on a scholarship, and started at Disney in 1938.

He worked in the Disney background department for thirty-plus years, working with the likes of Claude Coats, Al Dempster, Eyvind Earle, Ann Guenther, Bill Layne, and Walt Peregoy. (I'm sure I'm leaving a few notables out; I always do.)

Throughout his life, he enjoyed having multiple careers. He created record album covers, beach towels, and independent films. Also Christmas cards. Lots and lots of Christmas cards.

Over the next several weeks, we'll be putting up various samples of his holiday work here. As for offerings from earlier times, click on the link below.

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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The Seventh Day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

With all the pro-union, anti-union invective flying back and forth in the comments section of "Accelerated Disintegration", now is maybe a good time to post this Hulett Christmas card...

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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The Last Day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

(c) by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

And so we come to the last of the Hulett Christmas cards, with Santa Claus burying himself under beach sand, being politically incorrect. (Santa is no doubt here because he grows weary of Blitzen blowing smoke rings in his face.)

** Happy New Year **

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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The ninth day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

Here's another "wise men travelling to Bethlehem" card. From the early sixties.

Which leads to a story: In 1960, Ralph H. wrote, produced and painted a film on the birth of Christ titled A Light Shines In the Darkness. It was slightly less than twenty minutes, a film of artwork depicting events around the birth of Jesus. He used a similar style to the one seen here: Dramatic lighting and colors, varied angles.

He worked on the film after hours at Disney; a cameraman in the animation camera department shot it for him on film-reel ends so Dad could keep costs down. Ralph used a few limited-animation techniques, but the film was essentially camera moves with styled artwork.

When Dad finished the film, he showed it to Walt Disney, who said "Nice. What do you plan to do with it?" Which sort of took the wind out of Father's sails, since he was hoping Disney would maybe pick it up.

The picture was ultimately distributed by Cathedral Films. Here's another Christmas card (posted last year) which echoes the style of Light ...

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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White Christmas, by Ralph Hulett

Ralph Hulett's specialty of background design creates a winter landscape with brilliantly defined light and shadow ...

© 1955 by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

See Ralph Hulett Christmas card designs at TAG's art gallery, open weekdays 8:30 am-5 pm.

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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The twenty-fourth day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

The jesters again. Carrying trays again. If you scroll down, you'll find another design quite similar to this one. These colorful bits of card art came out years (decades) apart, and Mr. Hulett wasn't above reworking designs that had earlier sold like hot cakes.

Two more Christmas cards to go ...

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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The third day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

Mr. Hulett had himself a little mini-business painting cards with specific characters. His tall/short jesters were characters he painted every year in various activities. The jesters (or are they servants?) holding Christmas-type foods became a vertical card this particular year and a horizontal card in another year.

(You get a subject that enjoys robust sales, you do variations ...)

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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The last day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

LAST DAY of Christmas cards -- and Mr. Hulett departs with a Chirstmas Mouse in a pine tree. Can't get much more festive than saying goodbye with Santaesque vermin.

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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Ralph Hulett's Christmas, day VI

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

Another moody landscape card, slightly reminiscent of the “Ave Maria” section of Fantasia (on which Father did air-brush effects during his first couple of years at Disney...)

And how did the Christmas cards get sold in those far-off days of the early 'sixties? Why, the card companies had large albums out on large tables, complete with order forms. And potential customers would flip through the books examining sample cards, then order box sets of the cards they liked. This system of card buying has largely passed from existence, as has card companies paying royalties.

Back then, the card companies would send their artists out on publicity junkets to department stores across the fruited plain, where they would paint sample designs for the assembled multitudes, give interviews, and interact with the store managers.

Below is a picture of my father and fellow Christmas-card artist James Warren out on such a junket in 1963. Dad is the one looking over his shoulder with the marker or paint brush (or whatever it is) in his hand. James Warren is the artist who's seated. (I've no idea who the man in the light coat is.) So you see? There was more to the Christmas card industry than simply painting pretty designs at your day-job at Disney. You also had to fly around the country promoting the artwork.

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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A Ralph Hulett Christmas, 2010 edition

Click on the thumbnails for full-sized images

Starting on Sunday until New Year's Day, we continue our annual tradition of posting Christmas cards designed by Disney background artist Ralph Hulett for card publisher California Artists. A new design will be going up every other day -- twenty in all. (To refresh your memory, here are the postings from past years.)

This year we took special attention to make sure these are all-new images that have never been posted on the TAG Blog. If some of them look familiar, it's because padre would take every opportunity to use variations on his most popular themes. (This is sometimes known as "maximizing Christmas card royalties.")

Also starting in a week, our annual December show of Ralph Hulett card designs can be seen in Gallery 839 at our headquarters, open Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5 pm.

All artwork © Estate of Ralph Hulett

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The twenty-second day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

CHRISTMAS DAY! And God bless us every one!

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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The twenty-first day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

Have a Merry New England Christmas eve...

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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The thirteenth day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

I think padre analyzed one of the family's Christmas candle sticks, adapted it, and added the slumbering mice. A nice, whimsical card.

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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The twenty-third day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

Santa & reindeer kicking back after another Christmas. Hope you're not stressed out running to mall sales.

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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The fourth day of Ralph Hulett's Christmas

© by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image.

We now turn to a non-character Christmas card with a more religious theme: "the three wise men in the desert."

What's of interest here -- to me, at least -- are the hills behind the riders, sculpted with late-afternoon light.

When I was growing up, we lived in a mid-fifties style house, with open beams and lots of floor-to-ceiling glass. It was nestled in the high valley of La Crescenta. And outside the kitchen windows loomed high, rugged-looking mountains that resembled the mountains here.

Every afternoon the crests and ridges became burnished gold in the dying light, while the canyons lay in dark brown shadows.

Pretty clear where Dad got his inspiration for the look of those mountains.

Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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Ralph Hulett Christmas cards, classes of 1955 and 1961

Starting today (and running through New Year's Day), we continue our annual tradition of sharing Ralph Hulett Christmas cards. There is a show of Hulett's work at the art gallery at TAG's new headquarters; drop by during our office hours (Monday-Friday 8:30 am to 5).

This season's posts comprise the bulk of Hulett's 1955 and 1961 catalogues for the California Artists greeting card company, complete with their original titles and the (occasionally kitschy) catalogue captions.

Your favorite butler, Cheerio, bows graciously at your threshold and extends a hospitable holiday greeting to your friends.

© 1961 by the Estate Of Ralph Hulett. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized image. Here are more Ralph Hulett Christmas cards.

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