Cool News
Bill Melendez 1916-2008
I am – Hercules
The voice of Snoopy is gone.
The great Bill Melendez, who animated everybody from Mickey Mouse and Bambi to Bugs Bunny and Charlie Brown, passed away Tuesday at age 91.
An Oscar nominee and 8-time Emmy winner, Melendez was the only filmmaker Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz allowed to oversee the animated versions of Charlie Brown and Snoopy --- in 68 TV specials, four feature films and more than 372 commercials.
His Warner Bros. work included such classics as “Wabbit Twouble,” “Mouse Menace,” “What Makes Daffy Duck,” “What’s Up, Doc” and “Gerald McBoing Boing.”
His first directorial effort was 1965’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” His last was 2006’s “He’s A Bully, Charlie Brown.”
Audiences should especially revere Melendez, the only adult among the Peanuts voice cast, because his vocalizations for Charlie Brown’s famous beagle (who managed to “talk” without words) were always so inspired.
Read more about Melendez’s life and career here.
Look again upon the perfect floating hearts above Sally Brown's head:
Hear Melendez as Snoopy:
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My sympathies to the family and his friends
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Rest in peace, Sir.
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to read the article.
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His work had a huge effect on my childhood, as many of the rest of you...he's left a terrific legacy.
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Sigh. Bill Melendez's animation was what introduced me to PEANUTS. The film SNOOPY COME HOME may in fact be the movie that affected me more than any other as a child. When Snoopy left Charlie Brown for the dying prior owner... IT KILLED ME. Then when I discovered the joy of Charles Schulz's strips - published in paperback form at my Grandmother's Lake Cabin where I spent many months in many summers... they came to life in my head. The characters had voices and motions that they never would have had otherwise. Bill's animation wasn't mind-blowing, but it breathed life into something that so needed to be brought to life. I have many animation cels and pencils from his PEANUTS shorts... Be well.
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Sep 03, 2008 9:08:56 PM CDT
~~~Let Me Guess...He Stayed in the Olsen Twins Loft Too?~~~
by the marquis de side 3
seriously. first Heath, now Snoopy. those two are the harlots of the devil! =0p
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The creative forces behind our favorite characters keep leaving us.
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Thank you, Mr. Melendez. RIP
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Just found out who this guy was after watching the Charlie Brown special. That just plain sucks.
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WTF...why are all my heroes dying off.
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had the exact same effect on me. For months afterwards, I'd tear up just from hearing the "Snoopy Come Home" song in my head.
Can't say that the animated shows introduced me to the strip; we had an anthology lying around the house, and I pored over them before I could read all the words.
At any rate, may we all have lives as long and productive as Mr. Melendez's. -
When I was a little kid, Snoopy was the Top Dog in my book. My daughter is almost three and loves Gerald McBoingboing. You will be missed, Mr. Melendez.
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A big, big loss indeed. RIP.
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"Hold me, sir."
In all seriousness, my first introduction to Peanuts was my dad's paperback collection from the 1950s. Those books are still on the shelf at my parents and I still look through them when I visit. -
It's bad enough that ALL cartoons are CGI these days, but do we HAVE to lose so many of the traditional 'toon greats? :(
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I'm an actor/director high school drama teacher. I started my theatrical career taking the Peanuts specials and comic strips/transcribing them, directing them and starring as Snoopy from the 4th thru 6th grades. This truly hurts. Each of those animated specials were a godsend to a kid like me. Sorry to see him go.
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Sep 03, 2008 10:12:07 PM CDT
Three Charlie Brown specials have stood the test of time
by pizza the hut
...the oldest Christmas, Halloween, and by a slim vote, the Thanksgiving specials. Something about them is timeless, and clicking on all cylinders. The rest have been kind of "meh" to me, mainly because the animation style seemed to change over the years to a thinner line style, plus the stories were kind of a mixed bag, but some have had their moments. Those three specials to me though are yearly rituals, and remind me of all of the Charlie Brown moments in my life as a kid. RIP Bill.
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Snoopy was my favorite of the Peanuts cast. I suppose Bill M. is in good company after all, namely Schulz.
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I have been a fan of Bill's work since I was a toddler. Thank you Bill for the timeless magic you brought to life, and the outstanding family entertainment. RIP my friend!
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We had him for 91 years! That is amazing. We were lucky to have had him for so long. Thanks for the memories!
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Sometimes, it's not about being slick -- it's having heart. The imperfect, handcrafted feel of the PEANUTS cartoons are part of their charm.
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and you don't have to, really.Still. Bill Meléndez worked on many of those classic Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Foghorn Leghorn and Gerald McBoing-Boing theatrical cartoons in the '40s and '50s. He produced the Saturday morning Bugs Bunny Show starting in 1960 and many variations on the franchise throughout the '70s. He worked on Bambi, Fantasia, Pinnochio and Dumbo for Walt Disney. He worked on the single episode of the TV series Turn-On, the film Cool World, and the famous opening credits animation for "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World".In 1959 he met Charles Schulz while animating the Peanuts gang on a Ford commercial and they decided to get together and work on something some time. And in 1964 working on short notice and a low budget, he whipped up "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and won an Emmy and a Peabody Award for it. Since he had the common sense to stick with what worked he used a similar style for somewhere between 64 and 75 Peanuts specials and several theatrical films, plus hundreds of commercials. He gave the world of Peanuts animation a uniform and consistent look for over four decades.None of that means you have to like the style, but is a memorial tribute really the best place for you to express your criticism?
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Say hi to Sparky when you get there.
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The animation did look maddeningly cheap in some instances, but seemed to be kind of on par for the times. There was that time there in the 60's and 70's, I guess the Disney animatiors were dying off and/or no one wanted to pay for good animation any more, and you couldn't find good animation anywhere. Remember how the initial Don Bluth stuff was such a breath of fresh air?
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Not that long ago, PBS had a special on the life of Charles Schulz. The most interesting thing I got from that program was how he put his heart and soul into his work, and sacrificing family and friends in the process. The results were illustrations that are creative, memorable, and timeless. Just goes to show if you take a masterpiece and hand it over to someone like Melendez who will treat it with the same compassion and respect as its creator, the final product is something really special. Thank you, Bill Melendez, for all your hard work.
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Was my favorite cartoon as a kid, a great adaptation by Melendez.
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Sep 04, 2008 1:03:51 AM CDT
Don and now Bill. Enough with targeting the great voices, God!
by halberd
Don... now Bill. If Billy West goes, I don't know what I'd do. - GS
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I think Don LeFontaine, Jerry Reed and Bill Meléndez complete this trifecta.
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an adult on Peanuts? did he go, "waah waah waah wah wah waah" when he talked?
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Well, he had a good run - he only helped to make two or three of the biggest children's cartoon classics ever. Goodbye, Mr. Melendez, and thank you for The Great Pumpkin and A Charlie Brown Christmas, two shows I'll watch each Halloween and Christmas until the day *I* die. You were swell.
::sniff:: -
God, those cartoons bring back some wonderful times. RIP, Señor Melendez.
Vaya con Dios. -
Another great from my childhood. That Linus xmas speech still gets me everytime.
Yet Lucas the hutt's neckfat still lives... -
105 people would have said this sucks. When you get to this age. You dont have much time left. My gran was 94 when she died. six months after my mother died.
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and the first thing that came rushing to my mind was the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. There's never been anything like it, and there won't be again.
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I'm glad you put in Hey Ya. That's been favorited on my account for a long time. It blends so well.
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I don't see that credit. That movie was funny to me. Snoopy on a Harley is an image with music that will keep with me for life. Linus vs the #1 gang "Back!! Back!!!" snapping with his blanket like an Indy pro was also a great image.
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. . . the first 2 holiday specials are tops, but I have to show some serious love for the film, A Boy Named Charlie Brown (spelling bee) and the special, He's Your Dog Charlie Brown. Also have to give a HUGE shout out to Vince Gualardi. His music provided 60% of the heart of those specials. R.I.P. Bill.
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I heard he was murdered
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Cried.
Like. A. Bitch. -
WTF? I recall him making anguish noises here and there but "voice" is a little OTT.
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Composer/jazz-pianist Vince played an equally important role in making the early Peanuts specials work. A true genius.
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His Snoopy work alone was amazing - thanks for all the memories Bill!
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That sucks. He lived a good life though. I am an avid Charlie Brown fan and this news makes me very sad. RIP Mr. Melendez. Thank you for making my childhood so enjoyable.
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I will think of Bill Melendez as, this holiday season, I watch and enjoy the specials I grew up with both my young sons. Thanks Bill! RIP.
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but "A Charlie Brown Christmas" gets me every time.
I had no idea that Bill had a hand in almost every great animation house. He will be missed, but remembered very fondly. Think I 'll go grab my CBC DVD right now... -
Me, too. I cried and cried and cried when he left the gang to go live with the little girl. Why hasn't that been released on DVD?
And Vince's soundtrack to C.B.C is one of the albums that everyone should be issued at birth. I have one for my son in addition to my own copy. (Other LP's include Revolver/Rubber Soul, DSOTM, and Annunciation by the subdudes, among others).
RATS! -
Fundamental-friend-dependability!What great memories. When my niece was real little, I used to crack her up by saying, "Noooo Dogsss Allowwwwwed!"91 years! We should all be so lucky. Thank's Bill for all the great memories.
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I'll be humming that Peanuts piano theme all day. RIP sir.
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94 is a good run. It never dawned on me that Melendez from the WB toons was Melendez from Charlie Brown Specials. And he started at Disney?He gave Snoopy his iconic laugh. RIP amigo-----m
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smoke a shitload of weed in his honor.
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Yes, Bill did do the weird "barking" sounds that Snoopy made.
Also, Snoopy DID talk in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, but some other guy did his speaking voice in that one.
Also, I know Snoopy Come Home is on DVD because I rented it from Netflix a few months ago. -
Ahhh! Snoopy Come Home! Even the amazing holiday specials aside, Melendez did some great work. What a great life to have lived.
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Rats. Finally succumbed to an OD of Dolly Madison cupcakes, no doubt. All the greats of my childhood are dying off. I think I will need a corner of that security blanket.
Seriously, my condolences to the family. -
I disagree. The animation may not be the best due to the budget, but I like what was done anyway. You can't say that the world (an certainly the lives of children in the 60s and 70s) would have been better without the Charlie Brown specials! Instead be amazed and grateful at what they were able to pull off with the limited budges. They didn't have the best wood, but they built boats that sailed fine and rescued the minds and hearts of a lot kids stranded in a world without DVD player, video games, internet and 300 channel cable television with a variety of networks devoted to kid programing. That is honesty. I am glad I tried it here.
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