Bill Melendez's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) A Charlie Brown Christmas Snoopy A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Snoopy Woodstock A Boy Named Charlie Brown Snoopy A Charlie Brown Valentine Snoopy A Charlie Brown Celebration Snoopy Woodstock The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show Snoopy Woodstock Spike Charlie Brown's All-Stars Snoopy It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Snoopy It's Magic, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock Why, Charlie Brown, Why? Snoopy Woodstock I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown Snoopy You're in Love, Charlie Brown Snoopy You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock This Is America Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock Spike Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales Snoopy Woodstock He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown Snoopy Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock Good Grief, Charlie Brown: A Tribute to Charles Schulz Snoopy Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! Snoopy Woodstock It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown Snoopy It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown Woodstock Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown Snoopy You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock Happy Birthday, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown Snoopy You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown Snoopy He's a Bully, Charlie Brown Snoopy Life Is a Circus, Charlie Brown Snoopy She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown Snoopy Snoopy's Reunion Snoopy Snoopy's Br… What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? Snoopy Woodstock Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown? Snoopy It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock Play It Again, Charlie Brown Snoopy It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown! Snoopy It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! Snoopy It Was My Best Birthday Ever, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown Snoopy Woodstock You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown! Snoopy Woodstock It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown Spike Snoopy: The Musical Woodstock

Main Movie Roles

BIOGRAPHY:

Date of Death
2 September 2008, Santa Monica, California, USA (natural causes)


Birth Name
José Cuauhtémoc Melendez


Spouse
Helen Huhn (1940 - 2 September 2008) (his death) 2 children


José Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Meléndez (November 15, 1916 – September 2, 2008) was a Mexican-American character animator, film director, voice artist and producer, known for his cartoons for Warner Brothers, UPA and the Peanuts series. Melendez provided the voices of Snoopy and Woodstock in the latter as well.

Early life
A native of the Mexican city of Hermosillo, Sonora, Melendez was educated in U.S. public schools in Douglas, Arizona. At 12 years old, he was put into a kindergarten class because of his lack of skills in math, reading, and English. Later in Los Angeles at the Chouinard Art Institute (which would later become California Institute of the Arts).

UPA and commercial animation work
When the number of animation units at Warner Bros. was reduced from four to three in 1948, Melendez, after being moved to Robert McKimson's unit for a time, moved over to United Productions of America (UPA) where he animated on cartoons such as Gerald McBoing-Boing. Melendez also produced and directed thousands of television commercials, first at UPA, then Playhouse Pictures and John Sutherland Productions. In 1963, Melendez founded his own studio in the basement of his Hollywood home. Bill Melendez Productions is still active and is currently run by his son Steven Melendez. In addition to animation, Melendez was once a faculty member at the University of Southern California's Cinema Arts Department.

He is parodied in the online cartoon Homestar Runner.

Mr. Melendez passed away from natural causes on Sept. 2, 2008, two and a half months before his 92nd birthday, in Santa Monica. He was survived by his wife of 68 years, Helen, his two sons Steven Melendez and Rodrigo Melendez (a retired US Navy Rear Admiral), his six grandchildren and his 11 great-grandchildren.

Other work
In addition to producing Peanuts specials, Bill Melendez, as well as Lee Mendelson, has also produced specials for the comic strip Garfield.

Here Comes Garfield (producer)
Garfield on the Town (producer)

Related companies
Melendez Films – Animation division : United Kingdom, video and interactive entertainment



TRIVIA:

• He met "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz in 1959 when he was making Ford Motor TV commercials featuring the Peanuts characters. Melendez became the only artist Schulz authorized to animate the characters.
• After working at Disney, he joined Warner Brothers in the 1940s, where he worked on Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig cartoons.
• With Lee Mendelson, Melendez produced, directed, or animated about 70 "Peanuts" TV specials, four movies, and hundreds of commercials. He was also the "voice" of Snoopy.
• His family moved from Mexico to Arizona in 1928, and then to Los Angeles, where Melendez attended the Chouinard Art Institute.
• A professional animator for almost seven decades, his career began in 1938 when he was hired by Walt Disney Studios. He worked on classic feature films such as "Fantasia" and "Pinocchio", as well as Mickey Mouse cartoons.