Ask anyone that grew up in Chicago or Western Pennsylvania about Hardrock, Coco and Joe and you’ll instantly bring a smile to their face. Three black and white Christmas stop motion classics have been airing on television stations since the 1950’s. They still delight kids of all ages to this day. Suzy Snowflake, Frosty the Snowman, and Hardrock, Coco, and Joe: The Three Little Dwarfs are two minute and 45 second short films that were broadcast on only two television stations in the US, WGN-TV in Chicago and WJAC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Johnstown, PA. Originally produced in the early 1950’s, these short films aired annually as part of children’s programming to get the little ones fire up for the Christmas season. These classics were seen by so many families over the years, they have become a holiday season tradition that even adults now look forward to. As the kids grew into adults, and children’s programming dwindled, their airing would no longer be restricted to just kids. On WJAC, they can be seen airing all over the programming schedule from prime time to Saturday Night Live to Channel 6 News 11 at 11. Growing up in Western Pennsylvania as I did, I would watch these over and over every year on WJAC. My grandmother still stops and pause for a moment to check them out, while she’s flipping through the channels. While the stop motion is very low budget and crude by today’s standards, those who grew up with these shorts have a special place for them in their heart. Seeing these as a kid, I knew Christmas is here! Thousands of viewers have checked them out on Youtube. Let’s take a look at each and uncover some little known facts! HARDROCK, COCO, AND JOE: THE THREE LITTLE DWARFS...