February 1983; TV studio newsletter with announcement of the show's premiere.
March 31, 1986; Easter Parade article
This is an item that covered the event which was Rapid T. Rabbit's first personal appearance in costume, though the picture was certainly less than flattering.
December 1986, April 1987, March 1988; "Behind The Screens"
Back during the 1980's when 8-bit microcomputers were common in people's homes (before Windows PC's replaced them all), there were various online computer network services that users of these computers could dial into, years before the Internet was made available to the general public. Rapid T. Rabbit was a member of a number of these, among them a chat and gaming service for Commodore 64 computer users called PlayNET. During that time, Rabbit hosted two Live episodes of the RTR show while text-chatting with people from all over the country logged onto the PlayNET system (and also a third episode while logged onto CompuServe's Citizen Band Simulator), perhaps one of the first such television-online chat sessions held ever. These clips from the printed newsletter mailed out monthly to PlayNET members highlight Rabbit in their community.
March 2, 1987, "Services abound for computer users"
In this business brief, the President of the PlayNET service mentions Rapid T. Rabbit as one of the online community.
April 13, 1987; "Public Access TV" article
An item on the Television page about public access programming on Manhattan Cable TV, citing Rabbit's show as a typical example. (The article predates Time Warner Cable and Manhattan Neighborhood Network, when Manhattan Cable adminstered the public access channels directly.)
October 21, 1987; "UHF Channel 44"
For a month in 1987, the Rapid T. Rabbit Show was actually broadcast over the air via the then-recently launched Low Power (LPTV) Channels 44 & 54 (trasnmitters W44AI Hicksville NY & W54AY Brownsville-Brooklyn NY) originating from Metro-Access Studios in Manhattan. This clipping was an announcement of that broadcast. Unfortunately, there was little response to RTR on the air from the narrow audience the LPTV station reached and the show went back to being only on Manhattan Cable TV Public Access.
Vol.3 No.1 (1989), "FYI Did You Know?"
Someone who works for this cable company has a TV show.
September 15, 1990; "Cable Access Manhattan Programs"
Industry trade magazine item about local cable access programming, with a sidebar on Manhattan's public access (pre-Time Warner & MNN). The cost of the new RTR costume as mentioned was correct but the funding for it was already donated by the time this article was printed. Also, that quote should be "I think mine is the only real LIVE Children's TV show in the market now."
December 1990, "American Kabuki" article (excerpts)
This was a cover story on mascots and costume characters that covered the whole gamut from theme park characters to professional sports mascots. Rapid T. Rabbit was one of the characters interviewed for this article and actually got several paragraphs worth of mention, though the quotations were less than accurate. Therefore please read the note following the article which clears up those inaccuracies.
April 1992, "Bunny Burgers" article (excerpts)
Immediately after "Kabuki" issue of the magazine went on sale in the Fall of that year, Rabbit was contacted again by SPY Magazine, and asked to participate in a remote taping for a possible NBC television pilot called "SPY TV Pranks". He appeared in a setup, to "promote" a fictitious fast food chain that supposedly sold hamburgers made out of rabbit meat (though for the purpose of this "stunt" the burgers were of ground turkey). The remotes and live studio audience tapings were all completed by December of 1990, but the TV pilot presumably was not sold, and never aired as planned. However, the material and research that was gathered for the entire "Bunny Burgers" episode eventually wound up as another article in the April 1992 issue of SPY, and re-billed as an elaborate Easter prank. The entire text of the article can be read at http://www.devilbunnies.org/text/bunny-burgers.html
December 3, 1990; "Perspectives" page, "Overheard" (Quotes)
The freelance author for the above SPY Magazine "American Kabuki" article, lifted a quote from that article and included it in this page of weekly quotes, in the magazine he regularly works for. Also read notes following the "Kabuki" article.
March 2, 1995; "NYC television personality to make DooDah history"
Announcing Rapid T. Rabbit's first appearance in the Ocean City NJ DooDah Parade.
April 8, 1996; "Thousands stroll in Easter Brrrrade"
Rapid T. Rabbit asked to comment on the chilly weather during the Easter Parade that year.
1997 Winter Issue, "MNN Producers Celebrate at the Public Library"
Cover photo showing the gathering at the producer's party held in the Great Hall of the New York Public Library building on 5th Avenue. Can you spot Rabbit in the crowd?
October 1999, "Carousel for All Children" Opening in Staten Island NY
April 2006 ; "Coney Island April Bandorgan Rally"
Rapid T. Rabbit appeared at these events while covering them for the TV show.
Read Rabbit's monthly column in this magazine.
Rapid T. Rabbit appearing at various guild events.
September 2000 September 2002 November 2003 March 2004 June 2004 December 2004 July 2006 March 2007 July 2007
November 17-19, 2000; Program Book - Guest of Honor page
Rapid T. Rabbit was the first official Guest of Honor at this Chicago area Furry Fandom convention, and this mini-biography appeared in the con's book.
January 12, 2002; "The Fursuit of Happiness"
Article about furry fans who build and/or wear animal costumes.
March 28, 2005; "Hop On Board"
Supermarket tabloid "random sighting" picture and caption. Actually same picture that appeared in FT magazine above.
April 10, 2007 ; "For Your Amusement"
Caricature of Rapid T. Rabbit and fellow members of the Save Coney Island coalition on the steps of NY City Hall for a protest demonstration.
May 26, 2008; "Save Coney" Protestors Rain on City's Beach-Opening Parade
August 8, 2007 ; "Museum Row Family Festival"
Rapid T. Rabbit appearing at the Long Island Museum Row in support of Pennies For Ponies, raising funds for Nunley's Carousel.
March 24, 2008; "Hats Off to Creativity"
Easter Parade blurb.
November 20-22, 2009; Program Book - Guest of Honor page
Rapid T. Rabbit was the a returning Guest of Honor at this Chicago area Furry Fandom convention, and this mini-biography appeared in the con's book.
The Museum of the Moving Image in New York City held an exhbition on the Golden Era of public access television which included a panel discussion that Rabbit participated in and several screenings of classic access programming.
Museum of The Moving Image Press Release
The Village Voice - February 9, 2011
Wall Street Journal - February 10, 1011
The New York Observer - February 22, 2011
Tumblr.com (Caution-reader discretion advised.)
