[American] [animator] (1912-2002). Full name: Charles Martin Jones.

He was born in [Spokane, Washington|Spokane], but his family moved to [Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles] when he was just six months old. He credited some of his artistic success to the fact that his father was a frequently [unsuccessful] [businessman] who, every time he started a new business, bought new [stationery] and [pencil]s. When the business failed, he gave the paper and pencils to his kids and told them to use them all up as fast as they could. So he and his siblings drew all the time, and their [artwork] rapidly got better and better.

After graduating from the [Chouinard Art Institute], Jones was hired by the [Ub Iwerks] studio, where he worked at almost every job in an [animation] studio, from [cel] washing to [in-betweener|in-betweening] to cel painting.

In 1933, Jones joined [Leon Schlessinger Productions], the studio that produced [Looney Tunes] and [Merrie Melodies] [cartoon]s for [Warner Bros.] As an animator, he worked under director Tex Avery and moved up to becoming a director himself after a few years.

Jones took a while to get his animation legs. He initially wanted to make high-quality [Walt Disney Company|Disney]-style cartoons, but what was expected of him was to make funny cartoons. His cartoons did get better, but Schlessinger still planned to fire him -- except that there was a [labor] shortage from World War II, and they couldn't find anyone to replace him. Jones was also a [union organizer] during this period, even though, as a director and hence supervisor, he wasn't allowed to join the [union].

Jones ended up working for Schlessinger and Warner's for decades, helping refine the designs and personalities for [Bugs Bunny], [Porky Pig], and [Daffy Duck], and creating characters like [Wile E. Coyote], [the Road Runner], [Pepe Le Pew], [Marvin the Martian], [Michigan J. Frog], [Marc Antony and Pussyfoot], [Gossamer], and more.

After Jones was fired from Warners in the early '60s, he and his team moved on the [MGM Animation], to work on [Tom and Jerry] cartoons.

He won an [Academy Award] in 1965 for [Best Animated Short Film] for directing "[The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics]" and produced and directed the classic "[How the Grinch Stole Christmas!]"

Among Jones' best-known cartoons are: "[Elmer's Candid Camera]," "[Wackiki Wabbit]," "[Bugs Bunny and the 3 Bears]," "[Odor-able Kitty]," "[Hare Tonic]," "[Rabbit Punch]," "[Long-Haired Hare]," "[Fast and Furry-ous]," "[Rabbit Hood]," "[The Scarlet Pumpernickel]," "[Rabbit of Seville]," "[Rabbit Fire]," "[Drip-Along Daffy]," "[Feed the Kitty]," "[Going! Going! Gosh!]", "[Rabbit Seasoning]," "[Duck Amuck]," "[Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century]," "[Bully for Bugs]," "[Duck! Rabbit! Duck!]", "[Claws for Alarm]," "[Bewitched Bunny]," "[One Froggy Evening]," "[Ali Baba Bunny]," "[What's Opera, Doc?]", "[Robin Hood Daffy]," "[To Itch His Own]," and many, many more.

If you ever get a chance to read Jones' [autobiography], "[Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist]," you really should do so. It's [charming]ly written and very [funny], with insights into animation and [storytelling] and plenty of excellent tales about the people he worked with at Warner Bros.

Chuck Jones (person)