Here's a bonus Off-Ramp Episode to celebrate a special anniversary!

In 1938, Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre scared the pants off the American public with the CBS Radio broadcast "The War of the Worlds."

In 2013, to mark the 75th anniversary of Welles' radio masterpiece, I commissioned RH Greene to produce a documentary telling the backstory of the broadcast, which he called "The War of the Welles." The icing on the cake is that it's introduced by the one and only George Takei. 

So let's listen to it again on the 84th anniversary, and lift a glass to the power of audio. 

(Fun fact: "The War of the Words" was broadcast on October 30, not 31, 1938.)

Support for this podcast comes from Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.

Today, we dig into the Off-Ramp archives to pay tribute to a man named Jules Bass, who was a part of our childhood. Bass died Tuesday at the age of 87.

With his partner, the late  Arthur Rankin, Jr., Bass produced some of the most beloved children's Christmas TV specials: "The Little Drummer Boy," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman," and one more that maybe isn't really a Christmasspecial at all. 

In 2012, Off-Ramp's RH Greene argued cogently that "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" was a Jewish origin story for Santa ... essentially a Hanukkah special. The clues are all there in plain sight: The villains are cartoon Nazis who burn toys instead of books. Santa is a foundling, like Moses, raised by Tante Kringle -- the Yiddish word for "aunt." And Santa is a freedom fighter, whose ragged band make an Exodus to their own promised land in the cold desert.

Support for this podcast comes from Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.

Our black widow spiders v. their brown widow spiders. Sex on the radio with Mimi Pond, author of Over Easy, graphic novel. An old friend shows another side of Ruben Salazar.

Celebrate the 50th birthday of the sexy, muscular Mustang; remember the mix-tape you made for your high school sweetheart; come to a rare Getty doubleheader; and look for Easter eggs in animated movies.

The marathoner whose life was saved by a photo at the 2013 Boston Marathon runs the race this year. Plus: Mike Kelley, Coachella, Heritage Square crash, and Friedkin's "Sorcerer."

Chapman University opens permanent Huell Howser exhibit; LA residents dealt with location shooting problems 100 years ago; Teaching adults to ride bikes.

Philippe Vergne and the MOCA challenge; John Hwang's loving portraits of his friends on Skid Row; a Modest Proposal to eliminate Scratchers litter; an actually new Frida Kahlo exhibit

A Disney artist uses a mattress to save a falling baby. When will Spotify, Pandora, and the rest start profiting songwriters? Female impressionists!

Unlikely mariachi Mateo Stoneman takes SxSW by storm in new documentary; city archives show fight against smog and backyard trash burning; hair Angels fight head lice.

A KISS arena football team is coming to SoCal. What was Cecil B. DeMille thinking when he made "Madam Satan?" Kristen Bell on the Ira Glass/"Veronica Mars" cameo.