11/19/01 Melendez Colleagues Celebrate His 85^th Birthday
By Sarah Baisley
Animation Magazine Editor-in-Chief

Longtime crew and close colleagues were on hand to congratulate Bill Melendez at a surprise 85^th birthday party Nov. 15 at Lucy’s El Adobe Restaurant in Los Angeles. More than a half-century ago, Melendez began his career at Walt Disney, a world away from the desert providence of Sonora, Mexico, where he was born in 1916. Melendez also worked at Warner Bros., UPA, John Sutherland Productions and Playhouse Pictures before starting his own company.

Bill Melendez Productions staffers gather to celebrate Bill's 85th. (from left) Carol Neal, vp; Joanna Coletta, office manager; the birthday boy himself; and Sandy Arnold, casting director.

His staff of 10 is finishing up a new Peanuts special for Valentines Day to air on ABC in February 2002. The first new production since the death of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz is fashioned from a compilation of Valentines Day-themed comic strips. Melendez is enthusiastic about the switch to ABC from CBS, the network that had been airing Peanuts programming since 1965.

Starting with A Charlie Brown Christmas, Melendez and "Sparky," as everyone called Schultz, created a library of Peanuts programming, including 63 half-hours specials, five one-hour specials and four feature films as well as 372 commercials. Melendez has also animated Garfield and Cathy specials, generated from the popular comic strips. Melendez is one of the few animators left in the business to head a studio, let alone one who draws on a daily basis.

Business partner Lee Mendelson, longtime executive producer of the Peanuts programs and films, was on hand as was Melendez’ lifetime partner, his wife Helen of 61 years who kissed and danced like newlyweds.

On turning 85, Melendez commented, "We animators have a lot of pep in our souls. We’re going to continue working at it. I’ll continue to do stories and projects and stories I’d like to do." Although he finds these stories limited in their appeal to big financiers, he'll try to pitch them to Europeans because it seems to be much easier than in the U.S.