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Paul Coker Jr. was a designer and illustrator who designed many of the classic Rankin/Bass holiday TV special characters including Frosty the Snowman.
Legendary designer and illustrator
Paul Coker Jr. started his career as a designer for Hallmark greeting cards. He started a longtime association with Mad Magazine in 1961 as one of their illustrators who were called the “Usual Gang of Idiots.” He was known for the Mad Magazine panel “Horrifying Cliches,” and illustrated many of their film and television parodies including “Star Trek” and “Frasier.” He was a production designer for Rankin/Bass and helped create memorable characters for their beloved holiday TV specials. He created “Frosty the Snowman”, Kris Kringle for “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” and worked on “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year.”
Tributes to Paul Coker Jr.
Sad news. Andrew Farago is reporting that MAD great Paul Coker Jr. has died at age 93.
He was also the character designer of all those Rankin-Bass animated tv specials, like Frosty the Snowman.
This recurring feature in MAD was my favorite Coker work. pic.twitter.com/ZP4jOuztDS
— Derf Backderf (@DerfBackderf) July 29, 2022
We lost a legend today. 😔
Paul Coker Jr’s work for MAD and the Rankin-Bass specials has a strong influence in my work, and he remains an inspiration I go to when it comes to character design.
R.I.P. Paul Coker Jr. pic.twitter.com/nFVg2QCpbh— Luke Perkins (@NCLuke1024) July 29, 2022
Sorry to hear about the passing of the great Paul Coker Jr. for some reason never really mentioned when fans discuss The Usual Gang Of Idiots, but his work was full of warmth, joy & craziness, and he may actually be my favourite Mad artist of them all. pic.twitter.com/6gPUOjTOGn
— Finding Pete Doree Comics (@PeteDoree) July 29, 2022
Full Obituary: Deadline
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