SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — Bill Melendez, the animator who gave life to Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other "Peanuts" characters in scores of movies and TV specials, has died. He was 91.
Melendez died of natural causes Tuesday at St. John's Health Center.
Melendez's nearly seven decades as a professional animator began in 1938 when he was hired by Walt Disney Studios and worked on Mickey Mouse cartoons and classic animated features such as "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia." 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 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.
Melendez 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.
However, the show was a ratings success and has gone on to become a Christmastime perennial.
Melendez created Emmy-winning specials based on the cartoon characters Cathy and Garfield, and was involved in animated versions of the Babar the elephant books and the C.S. Lewis book, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."
He also was co-nominee for an Academy Award in 1971 for the music for "A Boy Named Charlie Brown."
In all, his productions earned some 19 Emmy nominations, including six awards.
Melendez is survived by his wife Helen; sons Steven Melendez and (Ret.) Navy Rear Adm. Rodrigo Melendez, six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
