“The Chipmunk Song,” which sold a phenomenal 4.5 million recor

In 1958, Ross Bagdasarian Sr. created his overnight sensation
“The Chipmunk Song,” which sold a phenomenal 4.5 million
records in seven weeks and has gone on to become one of the
most popular Christmas songs of all time.
The Chipmunks first appeared on television in 1961 with The Alvin
Show, which was one of the first prime time animated television
series to air on national television.
After Ross Sr.’s sudden death in 1972, his son Ross Bagdasarian,
Jr., and his wife, Janice Karman, sought to carry on The Chipmunk
tradition.
In 1981, Alvin and The Chipmunks appeared in their first prime
time television special, A Chipmunk Christmas.
The popularity of that special led to their #1 Saturday morning
series from 1983–1991. Not only did this series feature Alvin,
Simon and Theodore, but it introduced for the first time
their female counterparts, The Chipettes — Brittany, Eleanor
and Jeanette. Created by Janice Karman as a way to bring a
feminine point of view to the characters, The Chipettes have
provided additional success for the television episodes, albums,
merchandise and feature films.
More million selling albums and direct-to-video releases followed.
During holiday 2007, Janice Karman reinvented The Chipmunks as
CGI (computer-generated imagery) characters in a new live action
feature film, Alvin and The Chipmunks. This smash hit became the
first in a series of blockbuster feature films, with Alvin and The
Chipmunks: The Squeakquel hitting theaters in 2009, followed
by Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked in 2011. These three
films have generated nearly $2 billion.
Today, Ross Bagdasarian and Janice Karman preside over a
worldwide Chipmunk empire with the same hands-on approach
they began more than thirty years ago. As Janice says, “To us,
The Chipmunks and Chipettes aren’t cartoon characters, they are
real kids with real emotions.” Perhaps that is why, after more than
53 years, The Chipmunks are more popular than ever.
Alvin and The Chipmunks, The Chipettes and Characters™ &
© 2012 Bagdasarian Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.
Simon
Theodore
Alvin