Animator Gave Life to "Peanuts" Characters
Bill Melendez, the only person Charles Schulz authorized to animate his characters, has died of natural causes.
Melendez's nearly seven decades as a professional animator began in 1938 when he was hired by Walt Disney Studios. He went on to animate TV specials such as "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and was the voice of Snoopy, who never spoke intelligible words but issued expressive howls, sighs and sobs.
Melendez was born in 1916 in Hermosillo in the Mexican state of Sonora. Having met "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz in 1959 while creating Ford Motor Co. TV commercials featuring Peanuts characters, Melendez became the only person Schulz authorized to animate his characters.
He founded his own production company in 1964 and went on to produce, direct or animate some 70 "Peanuts" TV specials, four movies and hundreds of commercials.
The first special was 1965's "A Charlie Brown Christmas." The show reportedly worried CBS because it broke so much new ground for a cartoon: It lacked a laugh track, used real children as voice actors, had a jazz score and included a scene in which Linus recited lines from the New Testament.
A six-time Emmy awardee, he also was co-nominee for an Academy Award in 1971 for the music for "A Boy Named Charlie Brown."
Melendez is survived by his wife Helen; sons Steven Melendez and (Ret.) Navy Rear Adm. Rodrigo Melendez, six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He was 91-years-old.
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Bill Melendez, the only person Charles Schulz authorized to animate his characters, has died of natural causes.
Melendez's nearly seven decades as a professional animator began in 1938 when he was hired by Walt Disney Studios. He went on to animate TV specials such as "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and was the voice of Snoopy, who never spoke intelligible words but issued expressive howls, sighs and sobs.
Melendez was born in 1916 in Hermosillo in the Mexican state of Sonora. Having met "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz in 1959 while creating Ford Motor Co. TV commercials featuring Peanuts characters, Melendez became the only person Schulz authorized to animate his characters.
He founded his own production company in 1964 and went on to produce, direct or animate some 70 "Peanuts" TV specials, four movies and hundreds of commercials.
The first special was 1965's "A Charlie Brown Christmas." The show reportedly worried CBS because it broke so much new ground for a cartoon: It lacked a laugh track, used real children as voice actors, had a jazz score and included a scene in which Linus recited lines from the New Testament.
A six-time Emmy awardee, he also was co-nominee for an Academy Award in 1971 for the music for "A Boy Named Charlie Brown."
Melendez is survived by his wife Helen; sons Steven Melendez and (Ret.) Navy Rear Adm. Rodrigo Melendez, six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He was 91-years-old.
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