Snow Miser
| Snow Miser | |
|---|---|
|
Snow Miser | |
| First appearance | "The Year Without a Santa Claus" (1974) |
| Last appearance | "A Miser Brothers Christmas" (2008) |
| Created by | Rankin Bass |
| Portrayed by |
Dick Shawn (1974) Michael McKean (2006) Juan Chioran (2008) |
Snow Miser is a character from the Rankin/Bass-produced 1974 stop-motion animated Christmas special The Year Without a Santa Claus. Snow Miser was voiced by actor/comedian Dick Shawn.
In the special, Snow Miser controlled cold weather all over the Earth; his nemesis is his half-brother, Heat Miser. Mother Nature herself is their mother.
Snow Miser is a Jack Frost-like being, with an icicle cane and the ability to freeze objects at will. As he sings in his "The Snow Miser Song" ("whatever I touch turns to snow in my clutch"), he freezes objects with a touch or causes them to burst into snowflakes (he can also restore the objects he has transformed into snowflakes). He can also project cold from his hands or mouth to form objects of solid ice. As suggested by his name, he prefers cold weather ("I never want to know a day that's over 40 degrees-I'd rather have it 30, 20, 10, 5 and let it freeze!"). Snow Miser lives in an ice castle and is attended to by miniature clones of himself called the Mini Misers. He defends his domain fiercely, but unlike his half-brother Heat Miser, he is gregarious and generally friendly.
Other appearances
- In the 2006 NBC live-action remake, he is played by actor Michael McKean. Also, the Mini Misers are replaced by women in white swimsuits and scarves, firing giant icicles at Heat Miser's fortress from a crossbow.
- A 2008 sequel premiered on ABC Family, A Miser Brothers' Christmas had Snow Miser and Heat Miser set aside their differences to save Christmas when Santa's unable to make his run again, and fight off their brother, North Wind. In this special, Canadian voice actor Juan Chioran provided Snow Miser's voice since Dick Shawn died in 1987. The special, considered a sequel, was produced by Warner Bros. Animation (which owns the post-1973 Rankin-Bass library) and Cuppa Coffee Animation for ABC Family.
Collectibles
Action figures based on The Year Without a Santa Claus were produced by Palisades Toys in 2002 and included Snow Miser, Heat Miser, and the Mini Misers. The figures were re-released by NECA in late 2006. Plushes of both figures were also released.
Song
Both the Snow Miser and Heat Miser sing a song known commonly as the Snow Miser song or Heat Miser song.
Snow Miser:
I'm Mr. White Christmas,
I'm Mr. Snow.
I'm Mr. Icicle,
I'm Mr. Ten Below.
Friends call me Snow Miser,
Whatever I touch
Turns to snow in my clutch!
I'm too much.
Mini Misers:
He's Mr. White Christmas
He's Mr. Snow!
Snow Miser:
(Spoken:That's right!)
Mini Misers:
He's Mr. Icicle,
He's Mr. Ten Below!
Snow Miser:
Friends call me Snow Miser,
Whatever I touch
Turns to snow in my clutch.
Mini Misers:
He's too much!
Snow Miser:
I never want to know a day that's over forty degrees,
I'd rather have it thirty, twenty, ten, five, and let it freeze!
Mini Misers:
He's Mr. White Christmas
He's Mr. Snow!
Snow Miser: (Spoken: That's right!)
Mini Misers:
He's Mr. Icicle,
He's Mr. Ten Below!
Snow Miser:
Friends call me Snow Miser,
What ever I touch
Turns to snow in my clutch!
Too much.
Snow Miser and Mini Misers: (Spoken) Too much!
Trivia
The song was used in Batman & Robin as the favorite song of Mr. Freeze, who had an affinity for the cold and for freezing things, just like the Snow Miser.