Romaire’s Christmas gators go viral online

Morgan City native Lee Romaire’s alligators with blue crab antlers that he created as part of a Cajun Christmas display for his hometown have gone viral on social media.

The alligators have garnered over half a million interactions, including an Instagram post from Blondie’s rock-star guitarist Chris Stein and Reddit ranking at No. 26 for one photo, a Louisiana Press Association news release said.

That doesn’t include the multitude of views on local TV affiliates from ABC, NBC, FOX, plus print and radio media that have covered the amazingly detailed display, the release said.

Romaire, CEO and founder of Romaire Studios in Los Angeles, unveiled his Cajun Christmas display in the median of Brashear Avenue on the Spirit of Morgan City shrimp boat Nov. 30 in conjunction with Morgan City’s annual Christmas lighting.

The display will stay up until early January.

Romaire Studios is one of the foremost providers of live-action creatures, characters and animated props for the entertainment industry.

In the Christmas display, Cajun Santa is decked out in white shrimping boots, and his outfit has brown fur instead white fur to represent the fur industry, both of which were once prevalent in the area. Instead of reindeer, Romaire chose to create albino alligators that are more “Christmassy” than regular alligators.

He added “crab antlers” to two of the alligators, a feature he didn’t reveal before the unveiling. Romaire named two of the alligators after prominent Morgan City residents.

The largest one was named “Doc” after former Morgan City mayor, the late Dr. C.R. “Doc” Brownell, who created the first Santa Claus and reindeer for the shrimp boat. The medium-sized alligator was named “Green” after local artist, the late Robert Greenwood, who created the second Santa Claus featured in the city’s Christmas display.

Santa’s lead alligator has a glowing nose just as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer did in the city’s previous Christmas display. Romaire Studios also created a multi-ethnic elf team donning shrimp-tail caps to deliver presents.

Romaire was motivated during a visit to Morgan City last year to give back to his hometown. He chose to add his own touch to the city’s Christmas display, which inspired him as a child.

The special display was a year-long project for 15 Romaire Studios special-effects artists and designers.