Oscar(R) Nominated and Emmy(R) Award Winning Animator and Director Bill Melendez Dies
Spending more than 70 Years in the Entertainment Industry Bill
Melendez is Best Known for Giving the Peanuts(TM) Characters Life
Including Classics: "A Charlie Brown Christmas," and "It's the Great
Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."
LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
Bill Melendez, considered a pioneer in animation and best known
for bringing the PEANUTS(TM) characters to life, died early Tuesday
morning September 2nd at St. John's hospital in Santa Monica. Doctors
say Melendez died "peacefully." He was 91 years old preparing to
celebrate his 92nd birthday in November.
With his trade mark handle bar mustache, Melendez was a phenomenal
talent whose unique style and distinct sense of humor inspired a
generation.
Melendez began his career at Walt Disney Studios. As a talented
young animator he worked on Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi, Dumbo and
classic Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck cartoons.
Years later, Melendez expanded his resume when he moved to Warner
Bros. to animate other famous cartoons such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck
and Porky Pig.
In 1948 Melendez left Warner Bros. and over the next decade and a
half he served as a director and producer on more than 1,000
commercials and films for United Productions of America (UPA),
Playhouse Pictures and John Sutherland Productions. It was at UPA that
Melendez started doing work for New York-based J. Walter Thompson ad
agency, whose clients included Ford Motor Co. The car maker expressed
interest in using PEANUTS characters to sell its cars on television.
In 1959 Melendez prepared his animation work and showed it to PEANUTS
creator Charles M. Schulz.
A partnership and friendship followed and as a result, Melendez
gave the PEANUTS kids life in more than 63 half-hour specials, five
one-hour specials, four feature films and more than 372 commercials.
Favorites include "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "A Charlie Brown
Thanksgiving," "She's a Good Skate Charlie Brown," and "You're a Good
Sport Charlie Brown." In addition to creating the cartoons, Melendez
also provided the voices for Snoopy and Woodstock.
Over the years, Melendez also animated "Garfield on the Town,"
"Cathy," "Babar Comes to America," and "The Lion, The Witch, & The
Wardrobe," among others.
Melendez, who was the only animator allowed to work with the
PEANUTS characters, won numerous awards and accolades including: 17
Emmy Award nominations and eight (8) Emmy(R) Award wins, one (1)
Oscar(R) Award nomination, two (2) Peabody Awards, one (1) Clio, three
(3) National Cartoonist Society Awards, and more than 150 Advertising
Awards.
Under the leadership of his son and other trusted executives, Bill
Melendez Productions, Inc., its sister studio Melendez Films in London
and Sopwith Productions (Melendez's art distribution unit) will
continue to animate, direct and produce features and commercials.
Born Jose Cuautemoc in 1916 in Sonora, Mexico, his family moved to
Arizona in 1928 and then to Los Angeles in the early 1930s. Melendez
trained at the Chouinard Art Studio (now CalArts) and is a former
faculty member of the Cinema Arts Department at USC.
Melendez is survived by his wife of 68 years Helen, two sons
Steven Melendez and (Ret.) Navy Rear Admiral Rodrigo Melendez, six
grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. A memorial service will take
place for family only.
Donations can be made in Bill Melendez's name to Children's
Hospital Los Angeles.
MEDIA NOTE: Photos are available. Please contact
agoldsmith@gkcommunications.net.
GK Communications
Amy Goldsmith, 310-440-0646
agoldsmith@gkcommunications.net
Copyright Business Wire 2008
