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.

In the studio with LA artist Edward Walton Wilcox, called "a brilliant and romantic star hurtling through the same galaxy as ... Odd Nerdrum and Hieronymous Bosch."

Baseball announcing legend Ernie Harwell, dead at 92, remembered by friends and fans.

Norman Corwin turns 100 ... FOOD ARCHIVE: Colman Andrews and Jonathan Gold, Beard winners ... a blacksmith moves to Heritage Square ... Tyrus Wong, almost 100, feted by Otis College of Art and Design ... Artist Edward Walton Wilcox on faith and storytelling ...

Eat-LA and Off-Ramp get your goat ... Shirley Jahad's electric car diaries ... Dinner Party Download ... "Did I leave my i-Phone at the bar ..." RL Greene's tribute to his twin brother ... Charles Phoenix and the Third Dimension ...Leigh Brackett's screenplays include The Big Sleep and The Empire Strikes Back.

Tom Hanks talking with KPCC's John Rabe about World War Two, the movies, his tenuous link to Abe Lincoln, and public radio.

Award-winning journalists say former LAPD chief Daryl Gates responsible for riots, ran clandestine spy ring to intimidate foes.

Another take on the late Daryl Gates - spymaster ... Tom Hanks on public radio, World War Two, and more ... deaf and hearing actors in play about famous French murder case ... Kitty Felde talks with Vin Scully - in 1983! ... CyberFrequencies and life on the web ...

Joe Domanick: former LAPD chief Daryl Gates was responsible for the '92 riots ... Dinner Party Download talks with rappers Das Racists ... Mark Peel's lunch counter ... the men in skirts of Liberty Tax Prep ... TCM's Ben Mankiewicz says "I'm not hip - the goatee's in my contract!" ... fish eggs on pizza? ... Mark Lacter says, "Hey, billionaires -- ante up!"