Thursday, September 04, 2008

R.I.P. Bill Meléndez

Wow! According to the good folks at Vivir Latino, the late Bill Meléndez became the first Mexican animator to work for Walt Disney back in 1938. (No, I don't know if he worked on Three Caballeros. At least not at this moment.) He also worked for Warner Brothers on such cartoons as Falling Hare and Bowery Bugs.

In 1965, he produced A Charlie Brown Christmas, a show for which he later won an Emmy and a Peabody Award. In addition, he also provided the voices for Snoopy and Woodstock -- Snoopy was Mexican? Who knew? -- and produced over 70 other Peanuts specials with Charles Schulz. (Wow! There's been that many Peanuts specials? Okay, I'll stop with the wows.)

I wish I had known more about this man while he was still alive. But at least there are many others who are way more familiar with his work and appreciative of it.

He will be missed.

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