Bill Melendez

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Bill Melendez, the animator who gave life to Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other Peanuts characters on scores of movies and television specials, died Tuesday. He was 91. Melendez died at St. John's Hospital, according to publicist Amy Goldsmith. 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 Peanuts 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 was born in 1916 in Hermosillo in the Mexican state of Sonora. He moved with his family to Arizona in 1928 and attended the Chouinard Art Institute. Melendez met Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz in 1959 while creating Ford Motor Co. TV commercials featuring Peanuts characters. The two became friends and Melendez became the only person Schulz authorized to animate his characters. In all, his productions earned some 19 Emmy nominations, including six awards.