Snow Sells!

If you want to show your appreciation to Today's Snowman for bringing you the best in snowman news and fulfilling all your snowman needs, then please take a gander to the right side of the page to our sponsors, all have the true holiday spirit.

Give-a-Song is a company based in England and they will actually create a unique song for your someone special. Pretty cool idea and I'm thinking about this myself for Christmas for my mom who already has everything...but no songs written for her yet.



Next, I want to mention LED Christmas Lights and Christmas Lighting, two websites which provide the world's best selection of decorative lighting for the holidays.



Holiday shopping for a pet owner? Holiday Dog Collars has fantastic gift ideas, Christmas theme leashes and collars they are both funny and classy!



This next sponsor is for yourself OR others because these two sites Christmas Tree Ornaments & Snowman Ornaments have great ornaments to dress your tree.

And what holiday is complete without Holiday Teddy Bears?!? I kid you not, Christmas teddy bears are here and ready to do whatever teddy bears do. Everyone loves them so you can't go wrong giving them as a holiday gift.

Finally, thanks to all of you for supporting our sponsors!

Snowman Fix

© Susanna Coleman 2010

I received this fantastic letter from a reader of my book The History of the Snowman that I wanted to share. Thank you so much Susanna...

"I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your book. I've loved snowmen since I was a kid, but as I live in Alabama, I've built a grand total of two-- both under four feet tall. (The first was in 1993 in the "blizzard" of 93 when I was 11... the second was this past February when I was 28. His photo is enclosed.) Since I can't build real ones often, I resort to making snowman crafts... snowman jewelry, thread spool snowmen, Coke bottle snowmen, plush snowmen, button snowmen, etc., etc. (Kitsch, yes, but I have to get my fix somehow.)

Anyhow, I especially enjoyed the images, both your cartoons and the advertising items, plus the accounts of historical snowmen. I teach college English composition, and I'm trying to come up with an excuse for making the book required reading for my classes :) My students could definitely learn from it about how to make their essays interesting!

Thank you for such an amazing (and amusing) book! -Susanna"

Martha Gradisher on Today's Snowman

One of my favorite cartoonists sent me this snowman illustration. We met at The New Yorker cartoonist lunches in New York City and became friends. Martha's work runs the whole gamut from cutting edge to this delightful holiday painting she made for her grand-daughter.

Right now her cartoons can be enjoyed at The Corner Frame Shop at 40 South Franklin St. in Nyack, NY.

Return of the Snowman

Today's Snowman has been on, what the kids like to say, a radical sabbatical but we have returned from Maine, where snowmen are on everyone's mind. I was up in Bethel, Maine, home of the world's largest snowman scouting for the continuing snowman movie project, which is still progressing very nicely. Details soon!

Meanwhile, in Ogunquit, I had the great opportunity to visit the coolest store in Maine, The Herringbones Design Shop. I say this not because they sell signed copies of The History of the Snowman but because the store has the same sensibilities I enjoy (if you're familiar with my sister site, Smartass Ideas For the Home, you know what I mean....).



Owned by Judith Lee, the shop has unusual decorative items, art and books by Maine artists as well as shirts, furniture, collectibles and much more (check out the amazing decorative film reels behind the cashier). Herringbones is located at 309 Shore Road, a short walk from the very center of Ogunquit.

Thanks Snowman Makers!

More beautiful snowmen. From Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan by Roy Kushner. He has a link to obtain framed copies of his photos. Here's his story on his great snow sculpture;

"As I was building the snowman, many passersby stopped to take photos of me and each other next to it. The snowman seemed to attract smiles and provoke words of encouragement as I worked methodically in the cold snow under the low gray sky.



"People wanted to be near the snowman, to touch it, and to ask questions about it. It was as if the snowman took on a kind of small social significance during its construction - its “afterlife’ in the days that followed I was not privy to. However, when visiting the snowman with my family later that Saturday, I noticed that someone had made a small valentine-shaped heart and put it on the snowman’s lap."









Here an older photo of a polar bear from Blimpy Burger from my friend Patty of Open Salon.



From Chris this amazing two-faced snowman that took him 16 hours over a period of 4 days.





Snowman with it's creator Chris.

Thanks everyone!
Bob

March of the Snowmen

Photo and sculpture by Randy Gallegos 2010 ©

First off is this ominous sculpture created by a true artist, illustrator Randy Gallegos. This was made on the ledge over the West Side Highway around the corner from me. That's the marvelous Cloisters in the background.


Photo and sculpture by Angie Alexander 2010 ©

Another great artist is Angie Alexander. He's on the left.


Photos by the Conneran family 2010 ©

From New Jersey comes this tribute to the Venus de Milo. "But now she’s clothed in a cheap bikini top and wrap," according to Open Saloner Cindy Capitani. "Someone called the cops to complain about the snow porn on a neighborhood lawn. So the cops, not knowing what to cite the family under, just asked them to dress her (and a corncob pipe and a button nose would not do)." For more details please read Cindy's full story.



New Jersey is bursting with snowman fever. From Newark, New Jersey is this anti-drug, crackhead snowman. More here thanks to the Star-Ledger.


Photo and snowman by the Charlotte K. 2010 ©

And now for something completely different, is this wholesome snow woman from my great friend, Charlotte of Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania. Nothing controversial here...until neighbors blew-up this innocent snow woman.



Finally, from my friends Rachel, David and Mr. Met. Thanks, guys.

Are You Guys Still Around?

_{Cartoon by Bob Eckstein 2010 ©}

Photo by Martin Dege 2010 ©

KASSEL, GERMANY–In another German town, built with polluted snow from the street a few days ago by Martin Dege, is this black snowman (the creator is very keen on calling it a black snowman). This marvelous thought-provoking artist makes "instant art."

OXFORD, ENGLAND–It doesn't snow much in Oxford but luckily it did while I was there and the townsfolk made the most of it. Here's just a sampling of the snowman population decorating the countryside. All photos from Oxford Mail.

Photo by Thomas Nowell 2010 ©

FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA–Thanks to Thomas, a reader here for this great snow wolf.

Finally, this new acquisition to my collection, which is now a little over 800 items. I'm brainstorming how to film my collection for an upcoming snowman movie (it stars NPR's/CBS's Mo Rocca). I'm thinking of setting it up in the spring at Brimfield Flea Market, one of the world's largest and having Gary Sohmers, the Antique Roadshow guy in the Hawaiian shirt discuss the collection with nutty snowman collectors. Feel free to chime in with any suggestions–I'm working on that part of the script right now (before you criticize that selection let me share that I'm old friends with Gary).

Anyhoo, here's the latest photo. I don't have the name of either in the photo.

_{Photo owned by Bob Eckstein/Picturetown, Inc. 2010 ©}