Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to May's original story than Marks' song, which had not yet been written. It was reissued in 1951 with the song added. May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, adapted the story of Rudolph into a song. Gene Autry's recording of the song hit No. 1 on the "Billboard" pop singles chart the week of Christmas 1949. Autry's recording sold 2.5 million copies the first year, eventually selling a total of 25 million, and it remained the second best-selling record of all time until the 1980s. DC Comics, then known as National Periodical Publications, published a series of 13 annuals titled "Rudolph the
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Gillen, to draw "cute reindeer", using zoo deer as models. The alert, bouncy character Gillen developed convinced management to support the idea. Maxton Books published the first mass-market edition of "Rudolph" in 1947 and a sequel, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Shines Again", in 1954. In 1992, Applewood Books published "Rudolph's Second Christmas", an unpublished sequel that Robert May wrote in 1947. In 2003, Penguin Books issued a reprint version of the original "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" with new artwork by Lisa Papp. Penguin also reprinted May's sequels, "Rudolph Shines Again" and "Rudolph's Second Christmas" (now retitled "Rudolph to the Rescue").