Warren Batchelder (April 18, 1917 – February 12, 2007) was an

animator An animator is an artist who creates images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games. Animat ...

on many

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

and DePatie-Freleng cartoons. He worked as

animation director An animation director is the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated or television film, or an animated segment for a live-action film or television show. Alternatively, the animation direct ...

on the ''

Dungeons and Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rule ...

'' cartoon show, and he did the animation for the Peanuts TV Special in 1976 ''

It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown ''It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown'' is the 15th prime-time animated television special based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip ''Peanuts''. The subject of the special is Arbor Day, a secular holiday devoted to planting trees. ''It's Arbor Day, C ...

''. He also did the animation for the Peanuts Movie in 1977 ''

Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown ''Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown'' is a 1977 American animated adventure comedy film produced by United Feature Syndicate for Paramount Pictures, directed by Bill Melendez and Phil Roman, and the third in a series of films based on the ''Pea ...

'', although he was uncredited.

Career

Batchelder began his animation career in 1936. At Warner Bros., his first known role was working as an assistant animator to

Virgil Ross Virgil Walter Ross (August 8, 1907 – May 15, 1996) was an American artist, cartoonist, and animator best known for his work on the Warner Bros. animated shorts including the shorts of legendary animator Friz Freleng. Biography Early year ...

in 1945, before being promoted to a full-fledge animator for

Robert McKimson Robert Porter McKimson Sr. (October 13, 1910 – September 29, 1977) was an American animator and illustrator, best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons from Warner Bros. Cartoons and later DePa ...

's unit in 1956, his first credit being the 1958-released

Foghorn Leghorn Foghorn Leghorn is an anthropomorphic rooster who appears in ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoons and films from Warner Bros. Animation. He was created by Robert McKimson, and starred in 29 cartoons from 1946 to 1964 in the gol ...

short '' Feather Bluster''. After Warner Bros. Cartoons closed in 1963, Batchelder along with other ex-Warner staff worked for the newly formed

DePatie–Freleng Enterprises DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, Inc. (also known as Mirisch-Geoffrey-DePatie-Freleng Productions when involved with the Mirisch brothers and Geoffrey Productions, and DFE Films) was an American animation studio founded by former Warner Bros. Car ...

. He additionally worked for

Bill Melendez Productions Melendez Films (formerly Bill Melendez Productions and Melendez Features, Inc.) is a film animation studio. It was founded in 1962 by Steven C. Melendez, the son of ''Peanuts'' animator Bill Melendez. The studio produced the ambitious animat ...

and Richard Williams' Studio around this time. Batchelder would continue to work with Friz Freleng and Dave DePatie when their studio was acquired by

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...

in 1980, as well as the newly opened

Warner Bros. Animation Warner Bros. Animation Inc. (abbreviated as WBA) is an American animation studio which is part of the Warner Bros. Television Group, a division of Warner Bros., which is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery and serves as the animation divis ...

studio that same year. In 1987 he received the Animation Guild Golden Award, and retired in 2002.

References

External links

* 1917 births 2007 deaths American animated film directors Animators from Los Angeles Warner Bros. Cartoons people {{US-animator-stub