| Bill Melendez | |
|---|---|
| Born | José Cuauhtémoc Meléndez November 15, 1916 Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico |
| Died | September 2, 2008 (aged 91) Santa Monica, California, USA |
| Occupation | Animator |
| Years active | 1938–2006 |
| Spouse | Helen Melendez (1940-2008) (his death) |
José Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Meléndez (November 15, 1916 – September 2, 2008)[1] was a Mexican-American character animator, film director, voice artist and producer, known for his cartoons for Warner Brothers, UPA and the Peanuts series. Melendez provided the voices of Snoopy and Woodstock in the latter as well.
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His father named General Ramon Melendez, a military soldier, originally named him Cuauthemoc Melendez, but had a big fight with his priest, and his mother agreed with the priest, that didn't like the name Cuauthemoc. A native of the Mexican city of Hermosillo, Sonora, Melendez was educated in U.S. public schools in Douglas, Arizona. and had good grades. Later in Los Angeles at the Chouinard Art Institute (which would later become California Institute of the Arts).
Following the 1941 Disney strike, Bill was hired by Leon Schlesinger to animate in Bob Clampett's unit. After Clampett's departure, Bill moved to the Arthur Davis unit. When the number of animation units at Warner Bros. was reduced from four to three in 1948, Melendez, after being moved to Robert McKimson's unit for a time, moved over to United Productions of America (UPA) where he animated on cartoons such as Gerald McBoing-Boing. Melendez also produced and directed thousands of television commercials, first at UPA, then Playhouse Pictures and John Sutherland Productions.[2] In 1963, Melendez founded his own studio in the basement of his Hollywood home. Bill Melendez Productions is still active and is currently run by his son Steven Melendez.[3] In addition to animation, Melendez was once a faculty member at the University of Southern California's Cinema Arts Department.
He is parodied in the online cartoon Homestar Runner.[4]
Mr. Melendez’s second career as the voice of Snoopy happened entirely by accident. Because Mr. Schulz would not countenance the idea of a beagle uttering English dialogue, Mr. Melendez recited gibberish into a tape recorder, speeded it up and put the result on the soundtrack.
For his decades of squeaks, squawks and grunts, Mr. Melendez received residuals to the end of his life.
Melendez died from natural causes on September 2, 2008, two and a half months before his 92nd birthday, in Santa Monica, California. He was survived by his wife of 68 years, the former Helen Huhn, his two sons Steven Cuitlahuac (Melendez) and Rodrigo Cuauhtémoc (Melendez) -a retired US Navy Rear Admiral, six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
In addition to producing Peanuts specials, Bill Melendez, as well as Lee Mendelson, has also produced specials for the comic strip Garfield.
Subsequent Garfield specials were produced by Film Roman, who also produced Garfield and Friends.
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