Frosty Friends
41st in the series.

As the Keepsake artist with the second-longest run on the Frosty Friends series, Tom Best sat down to answer some questions about the long-running adventures of Frosty and his North Pole pals.

(In order of when they first started on the series):

Jim Mahon (Series creator*) – 2 ornaments
Ed Seale – 19 ornaments
Bob Siedler – 1 ornament
Sharon Pike – 1 ornament
Julia Lee – 2 ornaments
June Brock – 1 ornament
Sharon Visker – 3 ornaments
Tom Best – 12 ornaments

*NOTE: In 2016, Jim Mahon posted that the concept for the eskimo ornament was submitted to the studio by Keepsake Artist, Donna (Lee) Hill.

“Who did what has always been the biggest misconception with the series.  Back in the day, they didn’t put names on boxes, so the creator of the series was always just speculated, not actually known.  But getting that all figured out is something I took on when I started on the series, and I’m glad we got that corrected.”

“A former Keepsake Artist, Julie Forsyth had friended Jim (Mahon) on Facebook because (she) had known him from back when he worked here (at Hallmark).  And when we started trying to figure out who was the original creator of Frosty, she reached out to him.  And so, I ended up friending him, too, and we found out Jim was our guy.”

NOTES:

      • Ed Seale attributed the original two Frosty Friends ornaments to Jim Mahon in the premiere issue of his official newsletter, The Polar Post (Volume I, Issue I) in Early 2004. Download a PDF of the Issue.
      •  In 2016, Jim Mahon posted that the concept for the eskimo ornament was submitted to the studio by Keepsake Artist, Donna (Lee) Hill.

“He went on to have a really stellar career; he worked for Jim Henson and the Muppets.  And he talks so kindly of Jim and how wonderful he was and how great those years were.”

Jim Mahon’s artist profile (on Digital Dream Book)

“It’s based on the old ‘going to the carnival and put your head in the display.’  That was the whole idea.  Considering there’s very little material for a boy in the frozen tundra, ice tends to be a popular material for building.  And because Frosty in the past has sculpted before, the tools in #41 are the same as the ones he used back in 2000 for #21.”

“Tom and His Frosty Friends.” For Keeps 18 Summer 2020: 4-5