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Mel Crawford
Child Waiting for Santa Mel Crawford
$49.95 – $54.99
Mel Crawford 1925-2015
Crawford, an award-winning Canadian artist, left an indelible mark in the world of art by providing illustrations for Dell Comics and working with Disney. His extensive portfolio includes painting iconic characters such as Howdy Doody, Rootie Kazootie, Yogi Bear, Twinkles The Elephant, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Tom & Jerry, and Gerald McBoing Boing. Notably, Crawford served as the cover artist for Golden Magazine and collaborated extensively with Jim Henson and Sesame Street.
Despite spending decades drawing the world's most beloved cartoon characters, Crawford's unique contribution was not within an animation studio. As a painter and illustrator, he created numerous comics and illustrated books, with a special emphasis on Little Golden Books. His artistic touch graced stories featuring characters like the Flintstones, Scrooge McDuck, Rocky & Bullwinkle, and Gerald McBoing Boing.
In the late-1940s he began working regularly on licensed projects for animation studios through Western Publishing, and its subsidiaries like Whitman Publishing. A versatile artist who was equally comfortable working in both cartoonish and realistic styles, Mel drew and painted not only cartoon characters, but pop culture icons as diverse as Rootie Kazootie, Buck Rogers, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Roy Rogers, Howdy Doody, Rin Tin Tin, Smokey Bear, and Tarzan.
The Canadian artist was born on September 10, 1925, in Toronto, Canada, and spent his childhood in various provinces of Canada, including Alberta, as well as in Oklahoma. Mel began drawing professionally at the age of 16 when he illustrated the feature “The Three T’s” in Bell Features Publications’ Joke Comics.
He served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II, and afterward attended Ontario College of Art. Following his schooling, he moved permanently to the United States.
Crawford, who lived in Connecticut, served in the Canadian Navy as fighter pilot in World War II. After a stint in animation at Disney Studios in the 1950s, Crawford found his talents better served as an illustrator for Disney, making record albums, posters and Western Publishing’s Little Golden Books. His association with Western led to drawing and painting hundreds of books and comics – representing almost every animation studio and pop culture icon of the 20th Century.
A strong influence on the current generation of animation artists working today, Crawford’s beloved work will be long remembered and cherished.