Toon Zone Talkback - Peanuts Animator Bill Melendez Dies at 91

[Ed Liu]

This is the talkback thread for Peanuts Animator Bill Melendez Dies at 91 (http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=25780).

http://news.toonzone.net/images/2008-09/splash-billmelendez-lg.jpg

When I saw the start of the headline in our News Forum, I was really hoping it wasn't about what I was afraid it would be.

Even though the Peanuts specials slipped in quality from their high water mark, that high water mark (A Charlie Brown Christmas) still stands as one of the finest cartoons ever made, and is still the best Christmas special anywhere ever IMO.

He also showed up a year or two ago at the NY International Children's Film Festival, and I passed up the chance to interview him at the time, mostly because I was intimidated as hell at the prospect. With a career like his and the body of work, I just couldn't think I could do the man justice with the amount of time I'd have had to prepare for it. I should have just said, "To hell with it" and done it anyway, if nothing else for the chance to express how much I appreciated his work over the years.

R.I.P. Bill Melendez. You will be missed.

-- Ed

[PC!]

He was the voice of Snoopy, huh? Man, you just couldn't help but smile after hearing that adorable little laugh. My condolences to his family.

[tb4000]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=48458

RIP, indeed. The voice of Snoopy is what most know him from, but his art direction was just as acclaimed.

[Jave]

Oh, man. Well, he was 91 years old so it was sort of expected, at least he died peacefully.

RIP Bill Melendez. Vaya con Dios.

[chdr]

There's another thread going on for this.

http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?p=2975244

RIP
Bill Melendez
:crying:

[Peter Paltridge]

*insert sound bite of Snoopy going "AWRRRGGHHHHH!" here*

I'm glad ABC got a few more Peanuts specials out of him before he left. I was wondering why there hadn't been one this year, and thought "I hope it's not because he's ailing." Darn it.

Now the question is if they're going to make any more. Hopefully not.

[DarkKnight]

R.I.P. Mr. Melendez. All of the peanuts specials remain some of my favorite cartoons of all time.

[J. B. Warner]

Man, that's depressing. First Guaraldi, then Schulz, now Melendez - If Lee Mendelson dies, this'll be the end of "Peanuts" animation for sure. Rest in peace, Bill.

What's worse is that he was also one of the last remaining Warner Bros. animation veterans (I just listened to his DVD commentary on "The Big Snooze" from the second Looney Tunes Golden Collection a few days ago and he was still full of life and laughter, even at 87). Aside from Art Leonardi and Martha Sigall, who else is left?

[Classic Speedy]

Aside from Art Leonardi and Martha Sigall, who else is left? Rudy Larriva, Tom Ray, June Foray, Stan Freberg, Larry Storch, and Gene Deitch are still with us. But the number is sadly growing slimmer each year.

This came as quite a surprise, since I too thought he seemed in good health and spirits in his late 80s/early 90s. RIP Bill. I'll watch some of your animation from Looney Tunes in your memory (such as material from "Baby Bottleneck").

[Craig Crumpton]

Ed, I took the liberty of adding the note regarding Melendez's contributions as the voices of Snoopy, Woodstock, and Spike to MonkeyFunk's article just before it was published. I hope that wasn't out of line, but a lot of people aren't aware it was his voice that gave Snoopy that unique and unmistakable laugh.

We've lost yet another legend. I have some very specific memories from my childhood spending time with my family that are directly associated with several Peanuts specials. And as a kid, I named my very first dog "Peanuts"...appropriate, since he was a beagle. I wanted to call him "Snoopy" but that's what some kid up the street had already named his dog. I love many of the Peanuts holiday specials and they've been required viewing as an annual tradition in my family since I was almost too young to remember.

So I feel like I just lost a little piece of my childhood. Granted, Bill was 91 and lived a long and full life, but that doesn't mean his loss to the animation community and his family and friends has any less impact.

And here are some quick samples of classic Snoopy moments...appropriate considering this tribute thread:

A collection of Snoopy's "Bleah!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD2UyHq06kE

And I dare anyone to watch this clip and not smile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzoq-MiM8h0
(Well, except for that bit of animal "cruelty" at the end.)

[Elven Moon]

Oh, no. How sad :( He was so great as Snoopy, and I'll definitely miss him!

[Frank]

Wow another legend in animation goes. He was a great artist and his voicing of Snoopy and Woodstock was funny. Aside from his work on the Peanuts specials, he also did great animation at Warner's. I can't judge his Disney and UPA work because I have never seen it.

RIP Bill Melendez (1916-2008):crying:

[Light Lucario]

A collection of Snoopy's "Bleah!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD2UyHq06kE

And I dare anyone to watch this clip and not smile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzoq-MiM8h0
(Well, except for that bit of animal "cruelty" at the end.)

I couldn't help but smile at both of those clips, except the kid hitting poor Snoopy at the end of the second one.

This is so sad. I know that Bill Melendez was 91 years old, had a good long life and can finally rest, but it is still so sad to hear of his passing. I knew that he did the voice of Snoopy and did some wonderful artwork with the Peanuts specials, but I didn't know that he also did the voices for Woodstock and Spike too. I agree that the recent specials haven't been as good as the older ones, but I still watched them since it was Peanuts. I'm glad that he was involved for at least those.

I loved Peanuts, especially Snoopy. Peanuts was a huge part of my childhood. I remember watching all of the movies, specials and that television show that they had. And I loved it. I went down to the Charles Schulz Museum and Galley when I was little. I even met Mr. Schulz and took a picture with him, despite how nervous I was to even speak to him, which I still have and treasure to this day. Bill did such a great job with Snoopy's voice and now I feel so sad, just like on the day poor Mr. Schulz passed away. Now I want to hug all of the Snoopy and other Peanuts character plushes that I have in my room, which is a lot actually. Rest in peace Bill Melendez. I send positive thoughts for his family and for him to rest with happiness and that his work, in both voicing Snoopy, Woodstock and Spike and his wonderful art work on the specials and Looney Tunes, will not be forgotten.

[Knightmare]

Wow, I'm shocked. My thoughts are little scatter brained right now. I'm very sad to hear that he passed away, but at least he lived a long full life.

I can't begin to tell how much of an impact Mr Melendez's work had on my life as a child and how much it still means to me as an adult. Especially at this time of year, I mean who doesn't love the Peanuts Holiday Trilogy. I always watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown on both the 1st day of October as well as on Halloween, a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving has become part of my Thanksgiving day tradition over the last few years and of course the one that Started it all A Charlie Brown Christmas, and let's face no matter how many times we watch it's still as magical as the first time oh so many years ago.


Thank you for all the great memories Mr Melendez, and your legacy will live forever.

[Space Lion]

He was one of the greats, and will definitely be missed. RIP, good sir.

[Nexonius]

No matter how simple the animation looked on Peanuts, you can't help but to love his work, even if the recent Peanuts specials felt watered down a bit.


Thankfully, he lived a long life. Rest in peace Bill.



"Snickers like Snoopy, then cries"

[Zen Man]

Its sad that we're losing so many legends. :(

RIP Mr. Melendez

[Blackstar]

Hey, 91 years is a good run, and he at least died peacefully.

The Charlie Brown specials were never the same after Charles Schultz's passing anyway.

R.I.P. Bill Melendez.

[Classic Speedy]

BTW, Thad has a video tribute to Bill which contains many of his scenes of animation for WB cartoons: http://thadkomorowski.com/2008/09/03/bill-melendez-remembered/ . Dang, I love Bill's work. So full of energy.

[AarHan3]

José Cuauhtemoc "Bill" Meléndez is not for this world any longer, Charlie Brown.

To absent friends... :sad: :( :crying:

[dth1971]

So, no more new Peanuts animated specials despite the Peanuts comic strip ceasing new episodes after the death of Charles Schulz in 2000?

[Light Lucario]

So, no more new Peanuts animated specials despite the Peanuts comic strip ceasing new episodes after the death of Charles Schulz in 2000?

I think that there were a couple of new Peanuts animated specials after Charles Schulz passed away. One was about Rerun wanting a dog like Snoopy and the other one had to do with Charlie Brown facing off the camp bully in a game of marbles, or something like that. I do agree though that they didn't have that same Peanuts spark with Mr. Schulz there, but I did watch them for fun.

[J. B. Warner]

I think that there were a couple of new Peanuts animated specials after Charles Schulz passed away. One was about Rerun wanting a dog like Snoopy and the other one had to do with Charlie Brown facing off the camp bully in a game of marbles, or something like that. I do agree though that they didn't have that same Peanuts spark with Mr. Schulz there, but I did watch them for fun.

One thing I will commend those later specials for: they didn't try to think up their own material. Everything was based either on an idea that Sparky had in development or on pre-existing "Peanuts" strips. From what I understand, "He's A Bully, Charlie Brown" was the last original one that Schulz had begun outlining before his passing. Now, without any remaining storylines and without the principal director, I honestly doubt we'll see any more new "Peanuts" specials.

[Light Lucario]

One thing I will commend those later specials for: they didn't try to think up their own material. Everything was based either on an idea that Sparky had in development or on pre-existing "Peanuts" strips. From what I understand, "He's A Bully, Charlie Brown" was the last original one that Schulz had begun outlining before his passing. Now, without any remaining storylines and without the principal director, I honestly doubt we'll see any more new "Peanuts" specials.

I didn't know that those later specials were based on ideas from Sparky or on some of the old strips. That does give the specials more of an honorable touch since they didn't try to do something new with Peanuts that Mr. Schulz may not have go for. It is kind of sad that they probably won't have new Peanuts specials but since Charles Schulz and Bill Melendez, two of the leading people in charge of the specials, have passed on, I think that it wouldn't be the same to make new ones without them or without any ideas that they worked on before their passings. Besides that, we can still enjoy the magic of their work in other specials and the television series.

[DarthGonzo]

I didn't know that those later specials were based on ideas from Sparky or on some of the old strips. That does give the specials more of an honorable touch since they didn't try to do something new with Peanuts that Mr. Schulz may not have go for. It is kind of sad that they probably won't have new Peanuts specials but since Charles Schulz and Bill Melendez, two of the leading people in charge of the specials, have passed on, I think that it wouldn't be the same to make new ones without them or without any ideas that they worked on before their passings. Besides that, we can still enjoy the magic of their work in other specials and the television series.

Well the least they can do it make sure all the specials (all of them) end up on DVD eventually. Even minor ones like Snoopy's Getting Married, Life Is a Circus, Is This Goodbye? or Flashbeagle. I adore the older specials, but I grew up with those '80s specials.

[TimL]

Earlier in his career, Bill Melendez produced/directed Ford Motor Company animated commercials featuring the Peanuts gang, as well as openings for The Ford Show starring Tennessee Ernie Ford on NBC Thursday Night..I hav e a classic TV Blog. Cleveland (Ohio) Classic Media. In April 2008, I featured one of these Ford Show openings on my blog. The "deep" Charlie Brown Voice is that of Paul Frees:


http://clevelandclassicmedia.blogspot.com/2008/04/peanuts-characters-on-ford-show.html