José Cuauhtemoc "Bill" Meléndez (November 15, 1916 – September 2, 2008) was a Mexican-born American character animator, film director, and film producer, known for his cartoons for Warner Brothers and the Peanuts series. Meléndez provided the voice of Snoopy and Woodstock in the latter as well.
In 1938, Meléndez was hired by Walt Disney to work on animated short films and feature-length films such as Bambi, Fantasia, and Dumbo. Three years later, he joined Leon Schlesinger's team at the Warner Brothers studios, where, as a member of the Bob Clampett, Art Davis and Robert McKimson units, he animated on a number of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck shorts (as "J.C. Melendez"). UPA put him on their payroll in 1948 to work on many television commercials, as well as the Gerald McBoing-Boing and Madeline shorts.
After a decade at two smaller production houses, Meléndez founded his own production company in 1964. Bill Melendez Productions helped produce the annually broadcast Christmas special A Charlie Brown Christmas, for which he won an Emmy Award and the George Foster Peabody Award despite having to work on short notice and with a tight budget. Meléndez performed the voice of Snoopy, who normally in the specials does not talk.
Animation Loses Legend 7/8/02
Legendary Disney artist, animator, designer and filmmaker Ward Kimball passed away at the age of 88.
Ward Kimball, one of Walt Disney's legendary 'Nine Old Men', was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 4, 1914. At the young age of 20, Ward joined the Walt Disney Studios and spent the next 38 years drawing, animating and directing for Disney.
Some of the most memorable characters that Ward brought to life include Jiminy Cricket in 'Pinocchio', Tweedledee and Tweedledum in 'Alice in Wonderland' and Lucifer in 'Cinderella'. During his career, Ward directed two Academy Award winning short subject films, directed films for television and a live-action musical. Ward Kimball retired from Disney in 1972.
A fan of jazz and trains, Ward started the Dixieland jazz band 'Firehouse Five plus Two' and operates a full size locomotive on his ranch - Grizzly Flats.
In 1989, Ward Kimball was named a Disney Legend.
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