Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Cover of one of the books of the Robert L. May story by Maxton Publishers, Inc.
First appearance	1939
Created by	Robert L. May
Voiced by	Billie Mae Richards (TV series, 1964–2010) Kathleen Barr (movie)
Information
Nickname(s)	Rudolph in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie: Red, Rudy, Rudy the Red nosed Reject, Neon-nose.
Species	Reindeer
Gender	Male
Title	The Red Nosed Reindeer
Family	Donner (father in 1964 film) Mrs. Donner (mother in 1964 film) Blitzen (father in 1998 film) Mitzi (mother in 1998 film) Rusty (brother in Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen) Arrow (cousin in 1998 film) Comet, Cupid and Dasher (uncles in 1998 film) Leroy, the Redneck Reindeer (cousin from the Joe Diffie song of the same name, on the album, Mr. Christmas)
Spouse(s)	Clarice (in 1964 film and 2001 film)/Zoey in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie
Children	Robbie (son in the Robbie the Reindeer films)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, popularly known as "Santa's ninth reindeer", is a fabled reindeer created by Robert Lewis May. Rudolph is usually depicted as the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve, though he is a young buck who has only adolescent antlers and a glowing red nose. Though he receives scrutiny for it, the luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through harsh winter weather.

Rudolph first appeared in a 1939 booklet written by Robert L. May and published by Montgomery Ward, the department store.

The story is owned by The Rudolph Company, LP and has been adapted in numerous forms including a popular song, the iconic 1964 television special and sequels, and a feature film and sequel. Character Arts, LLC manages the licensing for the Rudolph Company, LP. In many countries, Rudolph has become a figure of Christmas folklore. 2014 marked the 75th anniversary of the character and the 50th anniversary of the television special. A series of postage stamps featuring Rudolph was issued by the United States Postal Service on November 6, 2014.

Robert L. May created Rudolph in 1939 as an assignment for Chicago-based Montgomery Ward. The retailer had been buying and giving away coloring books for Christmas every year and it was decided that creating their own book would save money. May considered naming the reindeer "Rollo" or "Reginald" before deciding upon using the name "Rudolph." In its first year of publication, Montgomery Ward distributed 2.4 million copies of Rudolph's story. The story is written as a poem in anapestic tetrameter, the same meter as "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"). Publication and reprint rights for the book Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are controlled by Pearson PLC.