Peanuts

I loved drawing Peanut characters as a child. It's one of the earliest form of cartoons that inspired me to learn about traditional animation, cartooning and illustration. If you could only see the hundreds of Snoopy doodles in my elementary school text books, LOL.

When you think of Peanuts, you think of Charles Shultz, the creator. But have you ever wondered who animated Snoopy and good ole' Charlie Brown? That would be the talented Peanuts animator Bill Melendez. He was the only animator aurthorized to work on Charles Schult's Peanuts characters and is better know for giving us "A Charlie Brown Christmas".

He was always working on short notice and with a super tight budget, which gave him the opportunity to voice Snoopy.....Wait! Snoopy usually never talks?!

Here's Bill Melendez in his Sherman Oaks studio in Los Angeles.

Unfortunately Bill Melendez passed away on Tuesday Sept. 2nd, 2008 in Santa Monica, Calif. May his work continue to inspire and entertain future artist/cartoonist enthusist everywhere.