Bill Melendez Productions

Background

This is the production company of Bill Melendez, a former Warner Bros. veteran who is well-known for successfully adapting the Peanuts into animation and making them staples of pop culture. Outside of the Peanuts specials and series, they have also produced other specials and films including adapting other books and newspaper cartoons like Babar, Fred Basset, The Perishers or Cathy either as specials or a series of cartoon shorts, or doing miscellaneous specials and films including Molly and the Skywalkerz and Frosty Returns.

Today, the studio is run by Bill's son Steven C. Melendez, currently producing commercials for many different clients around the world. The final non-Peanuts special from the studio was Jasper: The Story of a Mule, while their final Peanuts special was He's a Bully, Charlie Brown.

1st Logo (1976-May 4, 1979)

Visuals: This superimposed in-credit logo features the letters "B" above and "M" below. The "B" looks like a vitamin, and the "M" looks like a cat. The company byline appears as the phrase "A BILL MELENDEZ PRODUCTION", with a copyright stamp underneath the text. Above the text we see the words "THE END". On Fred Basset cartoons, copyright information for company appears below.

Technique: A still cel sheet.

Audio: The closing theme of the show.

Availability: Seen on Fred Basset and Perishers cartoons.

2nd Logo (December 1, 1992)

Visuals: Over a sky blue background is the dark blue words "Bill Melendez" written in script, with "productions, inc." underneath, in the Eurostile font. The words "in association with" appears underneath the logo.

Technique: A still, hand drawn graphic.

Audio: The end theme of the special.

Availability: Only seen on Frosty Returns.