Chuck JONES

Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter,producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio. He directed many of the classic short animated cartoons starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, Sylvester, Pepé Le Pew and a slew of other Warner characters. Three of these shorts (Duck Amuck, One Froggy Evening and What's Opera, Doc?) were later inducted into the National Film Registry. Chief among Jones' other works was the famous "Hunting Trilogy" of Rabbit Fire, Rabbit Seasoning, and Duck! Rabbit, Duck! (1951–1953).

After his extraordinary career at Warner Bros. ended in 1962, Jones started Sib Tower 12 Productions and began producing memorable cartoons for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, including a new series of Tom and Jerry shorts and the television adaptation of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! He later started his own studio, Chuck Jones Productions, which created several one-shot specials, and periodically worked on Looney Tunes related works.

Film historian Leonard Maltin has praised Jones' work at Warner Bros., MGM and Chuck Jones Productions. He also noted that the "feud" that there may have been between Jones and colleague Bob Clampett was mainly because they were so different from each other. Chuck Jones' character styles were more controlled and calmed down, while Bob Clampett's were crazy, wacky and insane.