Dig A Hole: Bill Melendez, WB and “Peanuts” animator & the voice of Snoopy
September 3rd, 2008 by Scott Marks
Bill Meléndez, the Mexican-born American animator who is best known for directing half hour Peanuts television specials died Tuesday at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. He was 91.
As an animator, the distinguished mustachioed José Cuauhtemoc “Bill” Meléndez walked with giants. In 1938, began his career at Walt Disney Studios drawing Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck shorts before moving on to such feature length masterworks as Bambi, Fantasia and Dumbo. Three years later he moved to Warner Bros. to become part of the Robert Clampett unit. J.C. Meléndez had a hand in such immortal Looney Tunes as Wabbit Twouble, Falling Hare, Wagon Heels, Baby Bottleneck, The Great Piggy Bank Robbery and The Big Snooze.
When Clampett left the studio in 1948, Meléndez moved over to the Art Davis and Robert McKimson units. Between 1941 and 1951, Meléndez worked on over 50 Warner Bros. shorts. In 1951, Meléndez went to work for UPA where he animated dozens of television commercials as well as numerous Gerald McBoing-Boing and Madeline shorts. Saul Bass called upon Meléndez to help animate the opening credit scene for It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
In 1964, Meléndez formed Bill Meléndez Productions and became the only animator Charles M. Schultz permitted to work with his beloved Peanuts characters to. Along with producing partner Lee Mendelson, the duo worked on over 75 Peanuts TV specials.
Continue reading Dig A Hole: Bill Melendez, WB and “Peanuts” animator & the voice of Snoopy
Tags: a Charlie Brown Christmas, Animator, bill melendez dead, bill melendez dies, charles m. schultz, charles schultz, Charlie Brown, Director, ford motors, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Obituary, peanuts, snoopy, VideoFiled Under Obituaries
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