Before the Howdy

History

Before he said “Howdy,” he was Santa Claus. In 1949, Kerens, Texas, built a giant Santa to bring Christmas shoppers back to town. That unlikely attraction became Big Tex. This six-part documentary follows the builders, setbacks, $750 sale, transformation, fire, and enduring legacy of a Texas icon. With historical accounts, dramatic readings, music, and sound effects. Production note: AI-generated voices and music; recreated effects. Historical readings and newly written questions are dramatizations, not archival recordings or new interviews.

1. A Town Needs a Miracle

In 1949, Kerens, Texas needed a reason for Christmas shoppers to stay in town. Howell Brister proposed an enormous Santa Claus—and asked his neighbors to help make it real. The opening chapter of the story behind Big Tex.

Season 1, episode 1 of 6. A Narratique production.

This documentary uses AI-generated narration and character voices, with original AI-generated music and recreated sound effects. Historical quotations are identified dramatic readings, not archival recordings or newly conducted interviews. Questions are newly written.

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2. Everybody Builds Santa

Pipe, chicken wire, red oilcloth, a papier-mâché face, and a beard unraveled by hand: the giant Santa takes shape. Students, factory workers, artists, and utility crews turn a promoter’s idea into a public surprise.

Season 1, episode 2 of 6. A Narratique production.

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3. The Giant Falls

Publicity brings attention to Kerens. Then a storm brings Santa down. The town repairs its giant, photographs travel, and Brister remembers trains stopping to give passengers a look. A story of spectacle, setback, and persistence.

Season 1, episode 3 of 6. A Narratique production.

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4. Santa for Sale

Two Christmas seasons later, the novelty is fading. Santa is offered for sale: a thousand dollars with the chimney, seven hundred fifty without. Brister’s sales effort leads to a photograph, a meeting in Dallas, and the transaction that changes the giant’s future.

Season 1, episode 4 of 6. A Narratique production.

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5. Making Big Tex

Artist Jack Bridges transforms the Kerens Santa into a cowboy. Big Tex debuts in 1952, gains a voice the following year, and becomes an annual presence. How design, performance, and repeated visits turn an attraction into a tradition.

Season 1, episode 5 of 6. A Narratique production.

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6. The Town Inside the Cowboy

The 2012 fire destroys the familiar cowboy, but the character returns through a new undertaking. The finale follows the rebuilding, the memories attached to Big Tex, and the Kerens work that remains essential to his story.

Season 1, episode 6 of 6. A Narratique production.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.