Learn the story of the Mexican and the episode that became a Christmas classic
In these December dates it is almost a tradition to watch episodes of series or cartoons dedicated to Christmas or New Year, however, there is a classic that since 1965 has conquered young and old: A Charlie Brown Christmas.
The special episode of this famous character was born thanks to a Mexican known as Bill Meléndez and today we will tell you a little about him and this beautiful chapter that to date is one of the audience’s favorites.
Who is Bill Meléndez?
Bill Meléndez was born on November 15, 1916 and his real name was José Cuauhtémoc Meléndez. He is originally from Hermosillo, Sonora, and left with his family to Douglas, Arizona and then settled in Los Angeles, California, where he studied at the Chouinard Arts Institute.
At the age of 22, in 1938, he was hired by Walt Disney and worked on short films such as Pinocchio, Bambi, Fantasia and Dumbo; as well as in the animated series of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
Later, he went through the Warner Brothers studios, where he was an animator of shorts of Bugs Bunny, Porky and Daffy Duck.
However, the Mexican is recognized for having a place in the history of animation by directing the first Christmas special of Peanuts along with the original creator of the comic strip Charles M. Schulz.
In the episode, Charlie Brown is depressed by the Christmas season when he sees that most of his friends are surrounded by the phenomenon of consumerism and seeks to find the true meaning of this very special date around the world.
A Charlie Brown Christmas was broadcast on December 9, 1965 and was a big surprise because at first, the CBS network was not very happy with the production of the chapter, but after its broadcast, the episode was watched by at least 15.4 million people in the United States.
Also, something that very few people know is that in the episode Meléndez gave his voice to Snoopy, so the famous dog ended up having the voice of a Mexican.
This is how Bill managed to create a story that ended up becoming a Christmas classic, which is now treasured by Peanuts fans around the world.
Source: El Sol de Mexico
