Chuck Jones - Academy of Achievement

<!doctype html> <html lang="en-US" prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns#"> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://www.achievement.org:80/achiever/chuck-jones/","20170822000537","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1503360337"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="x-ua-compatible" content="ie=edge"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="57x57" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/apple-touch-icon-57x57.png"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="114x114" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/apple-touch-icon-114x114.png"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/apple-touch-icon-72x72.png"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/apple-touch-icon-144x144.png"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="60x60" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/apple-touch-icon-60x60.png"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="120x120" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/apple-touch-icon-120x120.png"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="76x76" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/apple-touch-icon-76x76.png"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="152x152" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/apple-touch-icon-152x152.png"/> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/favicon-196x196.png" sizes="196x196"/> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/favicon-96x96.png" sizes="96x96"/> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/favicon-32x32.png" sizes="32x32"/> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/favicon-16x16.png" sizes="16x16"/> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/favicon-128.png" sizes="128x128"/> <meta name="application-name" content="Academy of Achievement"/> <meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#000000"/> <meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/mstile-144x144.png"/> <meta name="msapplication-square70x70logo" content="http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/mstile-70x70.png"/> <meta name="msapplication-square150x150logo" content="http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/mstile-150x150.png"/> <meta name="msapplication-wide310x150logo" content="http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/mstile-310x150.png"/> <meta name="msapplication-square310x310logo" content="http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/favicon/mstile-310x310.png"/> <link href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537cs_/https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Source+Sans+Pro:400,600,400italic,600italic,700,700italic" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <title>Chuck Jones - Academy of Achievement</title>  <meta name="description" content=""I'm still astonished that somebody would offer me a job and pay me to do what I wanted to do." From the early 1930s, films studios found it well worthwhile to pay Chuck Jones to do what he loved, and millions around the world have laughed themselves sore at Jones's work with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Pepé Le Pew, the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. In 1931, Chuck Jones was a penniless art school graduate, struggling to hang on to the lowest rung in the fledgling animation industry. He worked at first as a cel washer, diligently scrubbing transparencies clean of the art that collectors pay thousands of dollars for today. Jones bounced from studio to studio, until at last he found a niche working on the Merrie Melodies series of cartoons for Warner Brothers. At Warner Brothers, he advanced from "in-between" artist to animator and director, creating some of the most memorable cartoons and characters of all time, and collecting an armload of Academy Awards in the process. Through his diligence, superb draftsmanship, brilliant comic timing and resolute dedication to the highest standards of excellence, Chuck Jones became a legend in the field of animated cartoons, a medium he raised to the level of delirious, side-splitting, fine art."/> <meta name="robots" content="noodp"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/chuck-jones/"/> <meta property="og:locale" content="en_US"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Chuck Jones - Academy of Achievement"/> <meta property="og:description" content="<p class="inputTextFirst">"I'm still astonished that somebody would offer me a job and pay me to do what I wanted to do."</p> <p class="inputText">From the early 1930s, films studios found it well worthwhile to pay Chuck Jones to do what he loved, and millions around the world have laughed themselves sore at Jones's work with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Pepé Le Pew, the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote.</p> <p class="inputText">In 1931, Chuck Jones was a penniless art school graduate, struggling to hang on to the lowest rung in the fledgling animation industry. He worked at first as a cel washer, diligently scrubbing transparencies clean of the art that collectors pay thousands of dollars for today. Jones bounced from studio to studio, until at last he found a niche working on the Merrie Melodies series of cartoons for Warner Brothers. At Warner Brothers, he advanced from "in-between" artist to animator and director, creating some of the most memorable cartoons and characters of all time, and collecting an armload of Academy Awards in the process.</p> <p class="inputText">Through his diligence, superb draftsmanship, brilliant comic timing and resolute dedication to the highest standards of excellence, Chuck Jones became a legend in the field of animated cartoons, a medium he raised to the level of delirious, side-splitting, fine art.</p>"/> <meta property="og:url" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/chuck-jones/"/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Academy of Achievement"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/jones-Feature-Image-2800x1120.jpg"/> <meta property="og:image:width" content="2800"/> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1120"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="<p class="inputTextFirst">"I'm still astonished that somebody would offer me a job and pay me to do what I wanted to do."</p> <p class="inputText">From the early 1930s, films studios found it well worthwhile to pay Chuck Jones to do what he loved, and millions around the world have laughed themselves sore at Jones's work with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Pepé Le Pew, the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote.</p> <p class="inputText">In 1931, Chuck Jones was a penniless art school graduate, struggling to hang on to the lowest rung in the fledgling animation industry. He worked at first as a cel washer, diligently scrubbing transparencies clean of the art that collectors pay thousands of dollars for today. Jones bounced from studio to studio, until at last he found a niche working on the Merrie Melodies series of cartoons for Warner Brothers. At Warner Brothers, he advanced from "in-between" artist to animator and director, creating some of the most memorable cartoons and characters of all time, and collecting an armload of Academy Awards in the process.</p> <p class="inputText">Through his diligence, superb draftsmanship, brilliant comic timing and resolute dedication to the highest standards of excellence, Chuck Jones became a legend in the field of animated cartoons, a medium he raised to the level of delirious, side-splitting, fine art.</p>"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Chuck Jones - Academy of Achievement"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/jones-Feature-Image-2800x1120.jpg"/>  <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://s.w.org/"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/web/20170822000537cs_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/dist/styles/main-2a51bc91cb.css"> </head> <body 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class="feature-area__text-inner text-white"> <h2 class="serif-8 feature-area__text-subhead back"><a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever">All achievers</a></h2> <h1 class="serif-1 entry-title feature-area__text-headline">Chuck Jones</h1> <h5 class="sans-6 feature-area__blurb">Animation Pioneer</h5> </div> </figcaption> </div> </div> </figure> </header> </div>  <nav class="in-page-nav row fixedsticky"> <ul class="nav text-xs-center clearfix" role="tablist"> <li class="nav-item col-xs-3"> <a class="nav-link active" data-toggle="tab" href="#biography" role="tab" data-gtm-category="tab" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever Biography">Biography</a> </li> <li class="nav-item col-xs-3"> <a class="nav-link" data-toggle="tab" href="#profile" role="tab" data-gtm-category="tab" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever Profile">Profile</a> </li> <li class="nav-item col-xs-3"> <a class="nav-link" data-toggle="tab" href="#interview" role="tab" data-gtm-category="tab" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever Interview">Interview</a> </li> <li class="nav-item col-xs-3"> <a class="nav-link" data-toggle="tab" href="#gallery" role="tab" data-gtm-category="tab" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever Gallery">Gallery</a> </li> </ul> </nav> <article class="post-2575 achiever type-achiever status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry careers-animator"> <div class="entry-content container clearfix">  <div class="tab-content"> <div class="tab-pane fade in active" id="biography" role="tabpanel"> <section class="achiever--biography"> <div class="banner clearfix"> <div class="banner--single clearfix"> <div class="col-lg-8 col-lg-offset-2"> <div class="banner__image__container"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/what-it-takes/id1025864075?mt=2" target="_blank"> <figure class="ratio-container ratio-container--square bg-black"> <img class="lazyload banner__image" data-src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/WhatItTakes_jones-chuck-256-190x190.jpg" alt=""/> </figure> </a> </div> <div class="banner__text__container"> <h3 class="serif-3 banner__headline"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/what-it-takes/id1025864075?mt=2" target="_blank"> Listen to this achiever on <i>What It Takes</i> </a> </h3> <p class="sans-6 banner__text m-b-0"><i>What It Takes</i> is an audio podcast on iTunes produced by the American Academy of Achievement featuring intimate, revealing conversations with influential leaders in the diverse fields of endeavor: music, science and exploration, sports, film, technology, literature, the military and social justice.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <header class="editorial-article__header col-md-8 col-md-offset-2 text-xs-center"> <i class="icon-icon_bio text-brand-primary"></i> <h3 class="serif-3 quote-marks">I'm still astonished that somebody would offer me a job and pay me to do what I wanted to do. And to this day, that's been the astonishment of my life, and the wonder of my life...I like to work with the tools of my trade. The tools of my trade is a lot of paper and a pencil, and that's all it is.</h3> </header> </div> <div class="row"> <aside class="col-md-4 sidebar clearfix"> <h2 class="serif-3 p-b-1">Oscar for Lifetime Achievement</h2> <div class="col-xs-12 sidebar--chunk p-b-2"> <dt class="serif-7">Date of Birth</dt> <dd class="sans-2"> September 21, 1912 </dd> </div> <div class="col-xs-12 sidebar--chunk p-b-2"> <dt class="serif-7">Date of Death</dt> <dd class="sans-2"> February 22, 2002 </dd> </div> </aside> <article class="editorial-article col-md-8"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body><p>Chuck Jones was born in Spokane, Washington. He moved with his family to Southern California when he was only six months old. The family moved often, living at various times in Hollywood and Newport Beach. In Hollywood, the young boy was able to observe the still-young film industry. He remembers peering over the studio fence to watch Charlie Chaplin at work on his silent comedies.</p> <p>Mr. and Mrs. Jones encouraged the artistic leanings of their children, all of whom grew up to be professional artists. At age 15, Chuck dropped out of high school, at his father’s suggestion, to attend Chouinard Art Institute (now known as California Institute of the Arts).</p> <figure id="attachment_27981" style="width: 1433px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-27981 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Chuck-by-WEC-1960s-6-x-4-300-dpi.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-27981 size-full lazyload" alt="The popular cartoon series Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner were created by Warner Brothers' animation director Chuck Jones and first appeared on September 17, 1949. (Cartoon Art Museum)" width="1433" height="1800" data-sizes="(max-width: 1433px) 100vw, 1433px" data-srcset="/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Chuck-by-WEC-1960s-6-x-4-300-dpi.jpg 1433w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Chuck-by-WEC-1960s-6-x-4-300-dpi-303x380.jpg 303w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Chuck-by-WEC-1960s-6-x-4-300-dpi-605x760.jpg 605w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Chuck-by-WEC-1960s-6-x-4-300-dpi.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">The popular cartoon series Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner were created by Warner Brothers’ animation director Chuck Jones — the father of contemporary animation — and first appeared on September 17, 1949.</figcaption></figure><p>Emerging from school in the depths of the Depression, the young artist found work in the fledgling animation industry, working in succession with Ub Iwerks (Walt Disney’s original partner), Charles Mintz and Walter Lantz (creator of Woody Woodpecker). He advanced from washing cells to in-betweening, finally landing a job at Leon Schlesinger Productions, the supplier of cartoons to Warner Bothers. Chuck Jones was to continue this association for the next 30 years. In this company he worked for the great animation directors Friz Freleng, Frank Tashlin and Tex Avery, men he credits with teaching him the comic timing, vivid characterization and jubilant anarchy for which Warner Brothers cartoons were famous. He advanced to animator, working on Bugs Bunny and some of the earliest Daffy Duck cartoons. At last, he was promoted to animation director. His trademarks include highly stylized backgrounds and a slew of hilarious characters. His own creations include Pepé Le Pew and, most famously, Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote.</p> <figure id="attachment_27979" style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><noscript><img class="wp-image-27979 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/90a0343b051e938e322cc3e25b872146.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-27979 size-full lazyload" alt="During the Golden Age of animation, Chuck Jones helped bring to life many of Warner Brothers' most famous characters—Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig. The list of characters he created himself includes Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin Martian, Pepe le Pew, Michigan J. Frog and many others." width="800" height="1056" data-sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-srcset="/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/90a0343b051e938e322cc3e25b872146.jpg 800w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/90a0343b051e938e322cc3e25b872146-288x380.jpg 288w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/90a0343b051e938e322cc3e25b872146-576x760.jpg 576w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/90a0343b051e938e322cc3e25b872146.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">During the Golden Age of animation, Chuck Jones helped bring to life many of Warner Brothers’ most famous characters — Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig. The list of popular cartoon characters he created himself includes Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin Martian, Pepé Le Pew, Michigan J. Frog, and many others.</figcaption></figure><p>The first Road Runner cartoon was conceived as a parody of the mindless chase cartoons popular at the time, but audiences around the world embraced the series. In the 1940s and ’50s he directed some of the most durable and hilarious animated shorts, including<em> What’s Opera, Doc?</em> and <em>Duck Dodgers in the 24-1/2th Century.</em> In 1950, two cartoons produced by Chuck Jones’s unit won Academy Awards, “For Scent-imental Reasons” (with Pepé Le Pew) and an animated short (“So Much for So Little”), which won in the documentary category, the only cartoon film ever to do so.</p> <figure id="attachment_27983" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-27983 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ea_ptoll_poster_unfMOdHC7ppeZ9WkuNpRq8ENiMV.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-27983 size-full lazyload" alt="1970: "The Phantom Tollbooth," also known as "The Adventures of Milo in the Phantom Tollbooth," is a 1970 live-action/animated film based on Norton Juster's 1961 children's book "The Phantom Tollbooth." This film was produced and directed by Chuck Jones at MGM Animation/Visual Arts." width="1000" height="1500" data-sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-srcset="/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ea_ptoll_poster_unfMOdHC7ppeZ9WkuNpRq8ENiMV.jpg 1000w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ea_ptoll_poster_unfMOdHC7ppeZ9WkuNpRq8ENiMV-253x380.jpg 253w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ea_ptoll_poster_unfMOdHC7ppeZ9WkuNpRq8ENiMV-507x760.jpg 507w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ea_ptoll_poster_unfMOdHC7ppeZ9WkuNpRq8ENiMV.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">1970: <em>The Adventures of Milo in the Phantom Tollbooth</em>, is a live-action/animated film based on Norton Juster’s 1961 children’s book <em>The Phantom Tollbooth</em>. The film was produced and directed by Chuck Jones at MGM Animation.</figcaption></figure><p>In the 1960s, Jones produced Tom ‘n’ Jerry cartoons for MGM, and <em>The Pogo Family Birthday Special</em> for television. In 1962, in the waning days of the theatrical cartoon business, Jones loosened his ties to Warner Brothers and wrote an original screenplay for a UPA animated feature, <em>Gay Purr-ee</em>, which featured the voices of Judy Garland, Robert Goulet and other stars of the day. Jones collaborated with Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. “Dr. Seuss”) on a pair of cartoon specials for television, <em>Horton Hears a Who</em> and <em>The Grinch Stole Christmas.</em> The latter has become a holiday classic. Both won Peabody Awards for Television Programming Excellence. Chuck Jones won another Academy Award in 1965 for the animated short <em>The Dot and the Line,</em> based on a book by Norton Juster. He also produced, co-wrote and co-directed a feature film based on Juster’s children’s classic, <em>The Phantom Tollbooth</em>.</p> <figure id="attachment_27988" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-27988 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/o-CHUCK-900.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-27988 size-full lazyload" alt="Portrait of Chuck Jones, circa 1990s. (Courtesy of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity/SITES)" width="900" height="1158" data-sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" data-srcset="/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/o-CHUCK-900.jpg 900w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/o-CHUCK-900-295x380.jpg 295w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/o-CHUCK-900-591x760.jpg 591w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/o-CHUCK-900.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">During his artistic education, Chuck Jones worked part-time as a janitor. After graduating from Chouinard Art Institute, he was hired by the Ub Iwerks studio. He worked his way up in the animation industry starting as a cell washer. In 1933, Jones joined Leon Schlesinger Productions, an independent studio that produced <em>Looney Tunes</em>.</figcaption></figure><p>Under the banner of his own production company, Chuck Jones Enterprises, he produced, wrote and directed nine half-hour primetime television specials: <em>The Cricket in Times Square, A Very Merry Cricket, Yankee Doodle Cricket, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Mowgli’s Brothers, The White Seal, Carnival of the Animals, A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur’s Court, The Great Santa Claus Caper</em> and <em>The Pumpkin Who Couldn’t Smile. </em></p> <p><span style="font-size: 1rem;">His books include his autobiography,<em> </em><em>Chuck Amuck;</em> a children’s book, <em>William, the Backwards Skunk;</em> and <em>How to Draw from the Fun Side of Your Brain.</em></span></p> <figure id="attachment_27984" style="width: 2162px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-27984 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-156129331_master.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-27984 size-full lazyload" alt="Cartoonist Chuck Jones attends the 68th Annual Academy Awards on March 25, 1996 at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)" width="2162" height="3000" data-sizes="(max-width: 2162px) 100vw, 2162px" data-srcset="/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-156129331_master.jpg 2162w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-156129331_master-274x380.jpg 274w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-156129331_master-548x760.jpg 548w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-156129331_master.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">1996: Chuck Jones created the characters of Wile E. Coyote, Pepé Le Pew, and the Road Runner, among others. Three of his animated films won Academy Awards: <em>For Scent-imental Reasons</em>, <em>So Much for So Little</em> (both 1949), and <em>The Dot and the Line</em> (1965). His TV specials <em>How the Grinch Stole Christmas</em> (1966) and <em>Horton Hears a Who</em> (1971) both won Peabody Awards. Jones won a fourth Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 1996. (Ron Galella)</figcaption></figure><p><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Chuck Jones made more than 300 animated films in a career that spanned over 60 years. In 1996, he received an Honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement for his work in the animation industry. In February 2002, he died at the age of 89, leaving behind a legacy of comic brilliance that will live on forever.</span></p></body></html> <div class="clearfix"> </div> </article> </div> </section> </div> <div class="tab-pane fade" id="profile" role="tabpanel"> <section class="clearfix"> <header class="editorial-article__header"> <figure class="text-xs-center"> <img class="inductee-badge" src="/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/themes/aoa/assets/images/inducted-badge@2x.png" alt="Inducted Badge" width="120" height="120"/> <figcaption class="serif-3 text-brand-primary"> Inducted in 1990 </figcaption> </figure> </header> <div class="row"> <aside class="col-md-4 sidebar"> <dl class="clearfix m-b-0"> <div class="col-xs-12 sidebar--chunk p-b-2"> <dt class="serif-7">Career</dt> <dd class="sans-2"> <div><a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/#filter=.animator">Animator</a></div> </dd> </div> <div class="col-xs-12 sidebar--chunk p-b-2"> <dt class="serif-7">Date of Birth</dt> <dd class="sans-2"> September 21, 1912 </dd> </div> <div class="col-xs-12 sidebar--chunk p-b-2"> <dt class="serif-7">Date of Death</dt> <dd class="sans-2"> February 22, 2002 </dd> </div> </dl> </aside> <article class="col-md-8 editorial-article clearfix"> <p class="inputTextFirst">“I’m still astonished that somebody would offer me a job and pay me to do what I wanted to do.”</p> <p class="inputText">From the early 1930s, films studios found it well worthwhile to pay Chuck Jones to do what he loved, and millions around the world have laughed themselves sore at Jones’s work with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Pepé Le Pew, the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote.</p> <p class="inputText">In 1931, Chuck Jones was a penniless art school graduate, struggling to hang on to the lowest rung in the fledgling animation industry. He worked at first as a cel washer, diligently scrubbing transparencies clean of the art that collectors pay thousands of dollars for today. Jones bounced from studio to studio, until at last he found a niche working on the Merrie Melodies series of cartoons for Warner Brothers. At Warner Brothers, he advanced from “in-between” artist to animator and director, creating some of the most memorable cartoons and characters of all time, and collecting an armload of Academy Awards in the process.</p> <p class="inputText">Through his diligence, superb draftsmanship, brilliant comic timing and resolute dedication to the highest standards of excellence, Chuck Jones became a legend in the field of animated cartoons, a medium he raised to the level of delirious, side-splitting, fine art.</p> </article> </div> </section> </div> <div class="tab-pane fade" id="interview" role="tabpanel"> <section class="clearfix"> <div class="col-md-12 interview-feature-video"> <figure> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/Be9Mi1t2oKY?feature=oembed&autohide=1&hd=1&color=white&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_28_07_23.Still014-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_28_07_23.Still014-760x428.jpg"></div> <div class="video-tag sans-4"> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> <div class="video-tag__text">Watch full interview</div> </div> </div> </figure> </div> <header class="col-md-12 text-xs-center m-b-2"> <i class="icon-icon_bio text-brand-primary"></i> </header> <aside class="col-md-4 sidebar"> <h2 class="serif-3 achiever--biography-subtitle">Oscar for Lifetime Achievement</h2> <div class="sans-2">Glacier Park, Montana</div> <div class="sans-2">June 25, 1993</div> </aside> <article class="editorial-article col-md-8">   <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <p><strong>What got you started on this career path? Were you a good student?</strong></p> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/etMow3MY0bU?feature=oembed&autohide=1&hd=1&color=white&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_33_52_03.Still011-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_33_52_03.Still011-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> <figcaption class="achiever__interview-video-terms"> <span>Keys to success —</span> <a class="comma-item" href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/keys-to-success/preparation/">Preparation</a> </figcaption> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p>I got good grades in things that I liked, and the people that I encountered, the characters I encountered, as with books. But I didn’t get along with the things that I didn’t. Finally, when I was about to enter my junior year, my father took me out and put me in art school. He figured that I’d probably had enough general education, but I needed to learn how to do something, he didn’t know what. There was a fine arts school there called the Chouinard Art Institute, which is now called the California Institute of the Arts. They have a fine animation division there now, probably the best in the world, which is a curious thing because, a lot of the young people that went to Chouinard Art Institute became the backbone of the animators that made the pictures which followed in due time. So in that sense, and really in only that sense, did my father lead me. He didn’t lead me into cartoons, he led me into learning how to draw in a practical way and not just drawing anything you wanted to.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body><figure id="attachment_27982" style="width: 1762px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-27982 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ChuckJones-Museum-of-Moving-Image.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-27982 size-full lazyload" alt="Chuck Jones working in his office in Hollywood." width="1762" height="946" data-sizes="(max-width: 1762px) 100vw, 1762px" data-srcset="/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ChuckJones-Museum-of-Moving-Image.jpg 1762w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ChuckJones-Museum-of-Moving-Image-380x204.jpg 380w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ChuckJones-Museum-of-Moving-Image-760x408.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ChuckJones-Museum-of-Moving-Image.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer and director Chuck Jones working in his office in Hollywood.</figcaption></figure><p>I would say my mother had more to do with my education as an artist, if you want to call me that, than anything else. All of us drew, and all of us went into different fields of graphics. My sister is a fine sculptress, and my other sister taught painting. My brother is still a very fine painter, and a photographer. All of us went into it. Why? Because we weren’t afraid to go into it.</p></body></html> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/bnE1DeIl0vc?feature=oembed&autohide=1&hd=1&color=white&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_28_06_15.Still013-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_28_06_15.Still013-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> <figcaption class="achiever__interview-video-terms"> <span>Keys to success —</span> <a class="comma-item" href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/keys-to-success/vision/">Vision</a> </figcaption> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p>My mother said — and I didn’t realize how well it works — when I’d bring a drawing to her, she said, “I don’t look at the drawing. I looked at the child, and if the child was excited, I got excited.” And then we could discuss it. Because we were bringing something that meant something to me as a child. And so she would join in my lassitude, or my excitement, or my frustration. She wasn’t a psychologist, but she did understand this simple matter. Also, it accomplishes the only thing that has any meaning to a little child. The only thing an adult can give a child is time. That’s all, there isn’t anything else. That’s the only thing they need, really, is time. If you give them time, you’ll have to be understanding of them and give them time.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <p><strong>How did you get started in the animation business?</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: I went through art school and I came out of there. This was in 1931, and it was right in the Depression — the Depression hit in ’29 — two years before Franklin Roosevelt came in. The whole United States was flat. To expect to get a job when probably three out of every ten people were unemployed was ridiculous. Particularly a kid coming out without experience in anything. To a certain extent I worked my way through art school by being a janitor.</p> <p>When I came out, one of my friends who had been at Chouinard with me had gone to work with Walt Disney’s ex-partner, a man by the peculiar name of Ub Iwerks. He was the one who animated most of the Disney stuff. Disney was not a good animator. He didn’t draw well at all, but he was a great idea man — always was — and a good writer. Iwerks was a great artist and a great animator. Somebody convinced him that he was the brains in the outfit, and the talent, so he left. Anyway, he was hiring people, and he hired this friend of mine named Fred Kopietz. Fred called me up and asked me if I wanted to go to work. So to my extreme astonishment — which has held for 63 years…</p> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/6-xb2_ZdCpc?feature=oembed&autohide=1&hd=1&color=white&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_17_54_02.Still004-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_17_54_02.Still004-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> <figcaption class="achiever__interview-video-terms"> <span>Keys to success —</span> <a class="comma-item" href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/keys-to-success/passion/">Passion</a> </figcaption> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p>I’m still astonished that somebody would offer me a job and pay me to do what I wanted to do. And to this day, that’s been the astonishment of my life, and delight of my life, and the wonder of my life, and the puzzlement that anybody would be so stupid as to be willing to do that. I hear all these success stories of people, these captains of industry, these forgers of the world, and empire builders and so on. And they talk about all the money they’ve made and become presidents and all that, and I thought, jeez, but look at me. When I was offered a chance to be head of studios I wouldn’t take it. I like to work with the tools of my trade. The tools of my trade is a lot of paper and a pencil, and that’s all it is.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body><figure id="attachment_27985" style="width: 1280px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-27985 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grinch.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-27985 size-full lazyload" alt="1966: Character model board, trimmed photostat, collage on art board, from original drawings by Chuck Jones for the animated television special “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” Jones produced, directed and wrote the screenplays for the television classic." width="1280" height="1835" data-sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px" data-srcset="/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grinch.jpg 1280w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grinch-265x380.jpg 265w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grinch-530x760.jpg 530w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grinch.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">1966: During World War II, Chuck Jones worked closely with Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, to create the <em>Private Snafu</em> series of educational cartoons. Jones later collaborated with Seuss on animated adaptions of Seuss’ books. Character model board, trimmed photostat, collage on art board, from original drawings by Chuck Jones for the animated television special, <em>Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! </em>This is the beloved children’s tale about the reclusive green Grinch who attempts to ruin Christmas for all of the cheery citizens of Whoville. Chuck Jones produced, directed and wrote the screenplays for the TV classic. The film earned the Peabody Award.</figcaption></figure><p><strong>What was your first job in the animated cartoon business?</strong></p></body></html> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/bAPvOwv0lMo?feature=oembed&autohide=1&hd=1&color=white&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_26_33_26.Still010-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_26_33_26.Still010-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p>Chuck Jones: I started out as what they call a cel washer. The celluloids that the paintings eventually end up — that go into the camera in animated cartoons — which is simply the character inked in black, and then the opposing side of the celluloid you put the color. So the ink lines are on one side and the color is on the other. So, in those days — of course there wasn’t color, these were black and white — but they were made the same way. But those cels — and they were really celluloid in those days — they cost seven cents a piece. And so it seemed foolish… After you finished a picture and you used these 3- or 4,000 drawings that were used in those simple days in a seven- or eight-minute cartoon, afterward you washed them off and used them again. If you had a couple of those — two of those — particularly Mickey Mouse! One of those black and white Mickey Mouses recently sold at auction in New York for $175,000. And they were washing <em>them</em> off too! It’s ridiculous. But it’s just a question of nobody thought to save any of them. And why should they? They weren’t worth anything. So that was my first job, was washing them off. And then I moved up to become a painter — black and white, some color. And then I went up to become an inker, which is when you take an animator’s drawings and traced them on to the celluloid. And then I became what they call an in-betweener, which is the guy that does the drawing between the drawings the animator makes.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body><p><strong>You bounced around a good deal in the early years, from one place to another.</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: Yeah, for about a year. I worked for Charles Mintz Studio, and then I worked for Walt Lantz, who later on did Woody Woodpecker.</p> <figure id="attachment_27990" style="width: 2280px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-27990 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WB-GROUP-PHOTO-EARLY-1930S.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-27990 size-full lazyload" alt="1935: Employees of Leon Schlesinger Studios. Chuck Jones joined Leon Schlesinger Productions, the independent studio that produced "Looney Tunes" and "Merrie Melodies" for Warner Bros., in 1933 as an assistant animator. In 1935, he was promoted to animator, and assigned to work with new Schlesinger director Tex Avery." width="2280" height="1481" data-sizes="(max-width: 2280px) 100vw, 2280px" data-srcset="/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WB-GROUP-PHOTO-EARLY-1930S.jpg 2280w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WB-GROUP-PHOTO-EARLY-1930S-380x247.jpg 380w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WB-GROUP-PHOTO-EARLY-1930S-760x494.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WB-GROUP-PHOTO-EARLY-1930S.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">1935: Employees of Leon Schlesinger Studios. Chuck Jones joined Leon Schlesinger Productions, the independent studio that produced “Looney Tunes” and “Merrie Melodies” for Warner Bros., in 1933 as an assistant animator. In 1935, he was promoted to animator, and assigned to work with new Schlesinger director and cartoonist Tex Avery.</figcaption></figure><p><strong>When did you go to work for Leon Schlesinger and Warner Brothers?</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: In 1933 I went to work for Leon Schlesinger and that’s where I stayed for 38 years. Leon had formed a company called Pacific Art and Title. To this day that company exists. It does a lot of the title work for various studios and independent producers. Leon looked very much like an old-fashioned song-and-dance man, but he was a little old for that kind of thing. He was the kind of guy that wore pointy toes — pointies. Unfortunately, he was very lazy. All he knew was he made pictures that Warner Brothers bought. I think he was married to one of Warner’s sisters or something; there was a familial relationship of some kind there. He made pictures and sold them to Warner Brothers. And he didn’t care. As long as they bought them, that was fine.</p> <p><strong>Tell us a little bit about how Leon Schlesinger became one of the prime inspirations for Daffy Duck.</strong></p></body></html> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/mlsa4bDBzBA?feature=oembed&autohide=1&hd=1&color=white&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_08_38_22.Still002-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_08_38_22.Still002-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p>Chuck Jones: Well, Leon Schlesinger was very lazy, and that stood to our advantage because he didn’t hang over us or anything. He spent as little time in the studio as he could. He’d come back and ask us what we were working on, and we knew he wasn’t going to listen, no matter what we said. So we would say something like, “Well, I’m working on this picture with Daffy Duck, and it turns out that Daffy isn’t a duck at all, he’s a transvestite chicken.” And he would say, “That’s it, boys. Put in lots of jokes.” He had a little lisp. He said, “I’m off to the ratheth.” And so he’d go charging out. And if you don’t know what a “rathe” is, it’s where “horthes” run. So one day, when he went out, Tex (Avery) was directing and I was animating at that time, Bob Clampett was animating too, and Cal Howard, one of our writers, said, “Tex,” he said, “You know that voice of Leon’s would make a good voice for Daffy Duck.”</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <p>So he called in Mel Blanc and said, “Can you do Leon Schlesinger’s voice?” And Mel said, “Sure, it’s very simple.” And he said, “How much do you want me to do?” Okay, so they recorded all the voices and everything. The one thing we forgot was that Leon was going to have to see that picture, and hear his own voice coming out of that duck.</p> <p><strong>Did you think you’d be fired?</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: Oh yes. I expected to be fired. In fact, we all wrote our resignations, all of us that worked on the film. We figured we’d resign before we got fired. Fortunately, we didn’t send them in. Leon came crashing in that day, as he usually did, and we assembled all the troops to watch the picture.</p> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/40WrSdASUsc?feature=oembed&autohide=1&hd=1&color=white&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_24_39_04.Still007-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_24_39_04.Still007-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p>Leon jumped up on his platform and said, “Roll the garbage.” That’s what he always said. It made you feel like he really cared. So we rolled the garbage, and of course everybody in the studio knew the drama of the situation, so nobody laughed. He didn’t care, he didn’t pay attention to what anybody else did anyway. It was only his opinion that counted. So at the end of the picture there was this deathly silence. You could hear crickets, and a horse neighing, like they do in westerns. Way out in the distance, a dog would be wailing. But old Leon jumped up and glared around, and we thought, “Here comes the old axe.” And he said, “Jesus Christ, that’s a funny voice! Where’d you get that voice?” So that was what it was, and he went to his unjust desserts, doubtless taking his money with him. But the voice lives on. As long as Daffy Duck is alive, Leon Schlesinger is there, in his corner of heaven.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body><figure id="attachment_27989" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><noscript><img class="wp-image-27989 size-full " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/slide_356452_3923665_free.jpg"></noscript><img class="wp-image-27989 size-full lazyload" alt="During the Golden Age of animation, Jones helped bring to life many of Warner Brothers' most famous characters — Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig. The list of characters he created himself includes Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin Martian, Pepe le Pew, Michigan J. Frog and many others. (Chuck Jones Center for Creativity)" width="1200" height="900" data-sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" data-srcset="/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/slide_356452_3923665_free.jpg 1200w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/slide_356452_3923665_free-380x285.jpg 380w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/slide_356452_3923665_free-760x570.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/slide_356452_3923665_free.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Chuck Jones was the creative genius behind Elmer J. Fudd and Bugs Bunny. Elmer Fudd is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters and the archenemy of Bugs Bunny. His aim is to hunt Bugs but he usually ends up seriously injuring himself. The best known Elmer Fudd cartoons include Chuck Jones’ masterpiece <em>What’s Opera, Doc?</em> and the Rossini parody <em>Rabbit of Seville</em>. (Jones Center for Creativity)</figcaption></figure><p><strong>We often ask people that we interview: “What person inspired you the most?” But in your case, we’ve heard there was a cat.</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: Well, there was a cat by the unlikely name of Johnson, the only cat I’ve ever known who had a last name for a first. I don’t know whether it was his first name or his last name. We were living in Newport Beach, California. This was around 1918; I was 6 years old. And my brother and I saw this cat… he came to visit us…take up residence, rather, as cats do. It was early in the morning, and my brother and I saw this cat come strolling over the sand dunes. He had scar tissue on his chest, and one ear was slightly bent. He had a piece of string tied around his neck, and an old tongue depressor, and in lavender ink it said “Johnson,” with crude lettering. We didn’t know whether that was his blood type, or his name, or his former owner’s name, or anything. So we called him Johnson. He answered to that as well as anything else. Like most cats, he answered to food, that’s what he answered to. It’s important to me, because it established once and for all in my mind that every cat is different than other cats. Anyway, he came to live with us, and he turned out to be a rather spectacularly different cat.</p></body></html> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/6gSao0pEdM0?feature=oembed&autohide=1&hd=1&color=white&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_20_22_09.Still005-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_20_22_09.Still005-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p>He came up to my mother while she was finishing breakfast and she figured he wanted something to eat. We’d already explained that he probably was going to stay with us a while. So she offered him a piece of bacon, and piece of egg white, and a piece of toast, all of which he spurned. He obviously had nothing like that in mind. Finally, in a little spurt of whimsy, which was typical of my mother, she gave him a half a grapefruit, and it electrified him. It was like he’d taken a hypodermic. Suddenly, there was this flash of tortoise shell cat whirling around with this thing. Then he came sliding out of it and the thing slowly came to a stop. The whole thing was completely cleaned out and we looked at him in astonishment. There must have been some juice that goes through cats that was lacking in old Johnson, because he loved grapefruit more than anything else in the whole world.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <p>He’d eat it until all the inside was gone. Sometimes he’d eat it in such a way that he ended up wearing a little space helmet, which is really the whole grapefruit, with a flap hanging down on one side like a batter’s helmet. But when he had it on, he seemed to like it, and that was long before anybody ever heard of space helmets. And sometimes he’d walk out on the beach with this thing on his head. If it really bothered him, then he’d kick it off. He liked to be with people, particularly young people. He was very fond of children. We’d all learned to swim early, and…</p> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/7pQBQL4oq7s?feature=oembed&autohide=1&hd=1&color=white&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_32_41_12.Still016-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_32_41_12.Still016-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p>One day we were swimming and we looked around and here was Johnson out there swimming with us. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a cat swim or not. They can swim very well, but most of them don’t seem to like it. He really did, but only his eyes would show above the water. He looked like a pug-nosed alligator with hair. For some reason they grimace like this, and his teeth were hanging down, and most of him was under water. All the oil comes off the fur and trails behind them, along with a few sea gull feathers and other stuff. When he got tired out there, he would come and put his arms up on our shoulders and sort of hang there for a while. It was all right as long as it was only people in the family. But unfortunately, it wasn’t always, because if he couldn’t find one of us, he’d approach a stranger. People would come out of the surf with their face going… and you knew they’d had a social encounter with old Johnson out there. They always looked pretty disturbed.</p> </div> </div>      <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body><figure id="attachment_27987" style="width: 2268px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><noscript><img class="size-full wp-image-27987 " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537im_/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NG_26ANIMATION_27536061.jpg"></noscript><img class="size-full wp-image-27987 lazyload" alt="Chuck Jones with conductor George Daugherty. Animation director and artist Charles Martin “Chuck” Jones (1912–2002) brought to life some of the most iconic cartoon characters in animation history. He perfected the wisecracking Bugs Bunny and the exasperated Daffy Duck and created a host of other characters, including Pepé Le Pew, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner." width="2268" height="1527" data-sizes="(max-width: 2268px) 100vw, 2268px" data-srcset="/web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NG_26ANIMATION_27536061.jpg 2268w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NG_26ANIMATION_27536061-380x256.jpg 380w, /web/20170822000537im_/http://www.achievement.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NG_26ANIMATION_27536061-760x512.jpg 760w" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537/http://162.243.3.155/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NG_26ANIMATION_27536061.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Animation pioneer Chuck Jones with conductor George Daugherty. Jones brought to life some of the most iconic cartoon characters in animation history. He perfected the wisecracking Bugs Bunny and exasperated Daffy Duck.</figcaption></figure></body></html> </div>     <div class="achiever__video-block"> <figure class="achiever__interview-video"> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"> <iframe class="embed-responsive-item embed-responsive--has-thumbnail" width="200" height="150" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170822000537if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/8YY33lE8VJY?feature=oembed&autohide=1&hd=1&color=white&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&theme=light" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="embed-responsive__thumbnail ratio-container__image lazyload" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_29_21_09.Still015-380x214.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Jones-Chuck-1993-MasterEdit.00_29_21_09.Still015-760x428.jpg"></div> <i class="embed-responsive__play icon-icon_play-full text-brand-primary"></i> </div> </figure>  <div class="achiever__interview-video__copy"> <p>At any rate, the great moment for Johnson came one time when he had eaten his grapefruit and it was stuck on his head, and he came out and strolled down the beach. We were up on the porch of our house, a two-story house, looking down at the sand. And he started off toward the pier, and as it happened, the Young Women’s Christian Association were having a picnic there. Well, not only did he have his helmet on, but somewhere along the line he had found parts of a dead sea gull and it had left a few feathers on his shoulders. So he was quite a sight. He strolled down to where these girls were having a picnic. And they took one look at this thing with the feathers, and the whole business, so they screamed, and jumped up and ran into the ocean. Well, that was a technical mistake, because of course, Johnson, being a gregarious sort, decided that he wanted to join the group. I don’t know, maybe he was going to appeal to the Supreme Court that male cats weren’t allowed in the Girl Scouts, or whatever it was. So he went in after them and they left in various states of undress — not undress, I mean their minds were boggled. And I never saw so many girls that were so boggled. And they never came back to Balboa, or Newport Beach.</p> </div> </div>     <aside class="collapse" id="full-interview">    <div class="achiever__interview-copy"> <p><strong>In your book you make it clear that Johnson provided a lesson for you about human nature.</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: The basic thing about Johnson was — they say you cannot take anything for granted — the fact that he was different than other cats. When you see cats, you do not necessarily see all cats. He was not every cat, in other words, any more than any of us are really every man, or every woman. And we do take that for granted, too. Of course it laid the groundwork, so when I got to doing Daffy Duck, or Bugs Bunny, or Coyote — that’s not all coyotes, that is the particular coyote. “Wile E. Coyote, Genius.” That’s what he calls himself. He’s different. He has an overweening ego, which isn’t necessarily true of all coyotes.</p> <p><strong>The cat made a great impression on you. What about books? Was reading a big part of your childhood?</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: I started reading when I was about three, a little over three. My father felt it was best if we did our own reading. He said he had too many things he wanted to read himself to waste his time reading to us. He said, “You want to read? Learn to read.” He said, “Hell, you learn to walk at two years. You can certainly learn to read at three.” And so we all did. We all learned to read very early. And he helped us by seeing to it that we had plenty of things to read. In those days people moved a lot. And very often people left their whole libraries. You must understand — anybody living today, or the day of television or radio and stuff — that in those days there wasn’t any such thing. Reading was what you did, that’s how you found out things.</p> <p>That was the way you learned anything. In 1918, when I was 6 or 7 years old, radio was just coming into use in the Great War. Nobody had a radio. It wasn’t until the 1920s people began to have that. Even a phonograph, or something like that, was pretty expensive. They were marvelous, but we didn’t have one until the 1920s.</p> <p>Although my childhood was stringent, we were hardly living in abject poverty at any time. But we were able to move to houses that were loaded with books. There were four children and two adults. We’d move into that house like a pack of locusts and go through all the books there. Then my father would go out and rent another one of what he called, a furnished house. It didn’t matter whether there was any furniture in it, but it did matter if there were books in it.</p> <p><strong>Are there any books in particular that stand out in your memory or had a big influence?</strong></p> <p>Mark Twain’s <em>Roughing It</em> is a book that many people don’t know about, but I highly recommend to anybody at any age. He and his brother crossed the United States in a stagecoach, how romantic can you get? They went from Kansas City and Independence, Missouri and out across the Great Plains, with four horses, pulling them across the plains.</p> <p>Mark Twain went on to start telling the first time he met a coyote. And his expression — when I was six years old I read this — and he said that the coyote is so meager, and so thin, and so scrawny, and so unappetizing that, he said, “A flea would leave a coyote to get on a velocipede, (or a bicycle).” There’s more food on a bicycle than there is on a coyote. And he said how the coyote always looked like he was kind of ashamed of himself. And no matter what the rest of his face was doing, his mouth was always looking kind of crawly. And there are some wonderful expressions about how the coyote exists in that terrible environment, but how fast it is. And he said, “If you ever want to teach a dog lessons about what an inferior subject it is, let him loose when there’s a coyote out there.”</p> <p>Mark Twain’s <em>Roughing It.</em> I’ve read it over and over again, and I recommend to anybody. You can still get it. It’s two volumes. He goes on to when he lived in San Francisco and Silver City. It’s great history, and charmingly told.</p> <p><strong>You’ve said we laugh at ourselves when we laugh at Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny, and that laughter can be therapeutic because it makes people feel less alone. Do you have a sense of doing that for people?</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: It’s a marvelous thing when it happens. I’ve never gotten used to the idea that I can do anything that way. When people laugh, and they respond, it’s a gift. There’s one rule that I feel is vital. It was set down by G.K. Chesterton, who said, “I don’t take myself seriously, but I take my work deadly seriously.” Comedy is a very, very, very stringent business. Jackie Gleason said it’s probably the most difficult and demanding of any form of drama. Because you have an instant critic: laughter. You don’t know if people are suffering enough or not in tragedy, but in comedy you know. If you’re making it for films, you don’t know until you’ve taken it to an audience. I never had the courage to take any of mine to an audience.</p> <p>The first picture I ever made, I thought that it wouldn’t even move when it got out of there. And they had to lure me out — I was in a terrible funk — to go out and see it in front of an audience. It scared the hell out of me. And I pretended like I wasn’t there, you know. And so, we were sitting in the balcony in Warner’s theater in Hollywood, 1938, and the cartoon came on and there was a little hesitation. And the little girl sitting in front of me said to her mother, she said, “Mommy, I knew we should have come here.” You know, “I knew we should have come here.” The tenses get all mixed up. But I wanted to adopt her and take her home, because she was laughing. At six or eight years old. She was past that terrible age. If she had been five she would have destroyed me.</p> <p>The remarkable thing, I think, about all creative endeavor, whether it be music, or art, or writing, or anything else is that it is not competitive, except with yourself. And all business, and all manufacturing, and everything that’s presented to the public is competitive. They are trying to present the same object perhaps under a different name to supersede the other person and it’s competitive, it’s a foot race. But art can’t be. One thing is, you don’t know what the other guy is doing. I’m talking about good writing and good art. It can’t be competitive.</p> <p><strong>You said that you actually have this fear that you might wake up and not be funny?</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: Yeah, or that you might make a picture and you’ve lost the whole skill. Arthur Rubinstein said that when he walks out on a stage and he looks up and sees there are 10,000 people — or 2,000, or whatever the number might be — who have paid money to see him perform, and they listen to him, he said, “I could not give them less than the best that I have.” And that’s what I feel.</p> <p>You have no right to diminish an audience’s expectations. You have to give them everything that you have. And with children, with anything that’s supposedly being done for children, the requirement becomes much more stringent. You’ve got to do the best you can. You have no right to pull back. You have no right to “write for children.” You do the best thing that you can do. And the audiences — for children — all the more so, because you’re building a child’s expectation of what is good and what is bad. And all this stuff — the word “kidvid,” which is used so freely, is one of the ugliest words in the English language. It means you’re writing down to children. How are you going to build children up by writing down to them?</p> <p>Again, I’ll come back to that idea that there’s one proof always as to what makes a great children’s book, or a great children’s film. And that is this: If it can be read or viewed with pleasure by adults, then it has the chance to be a great children’s film, or a great children’s book. If it doesn’t, it has no chance. Every one of them should be — every film should be — pursued in that way.</p> <p>I’ve always felt that the very best I can is the very least I can do. I don’t think about the audience, I think about me. And I think about how grateful I am that I blundered into that group of whimsical, wild, otterish-type people that are in there, all of them nutty and all of them intense. Because don’t forget, we talked a lot about how free times were then, but every one of us had to turn out ten pictures a year, in order to get the 30 that Warner Brothers needed. So it was frivolous to be sure, plenty of frivolity and plenty of laughter, but for every bit of laughter there has to be 90 percent of work.</p> <p>I do three- to 400 drawings on every picture — the three- to 400 pictures that I used. But sometimes I might draw 50 drawings trying to get one expression, so that it will look right for Bugs, or Daffy. Or something like this. Sometimes it came quickly, like writing. Sometimes you come to a dead stop. And I’d have to haul off. I’d have to go and do something, because I couldn’t break through, couldn’t find what the guy was supposed to be doing, and that’s all. You don’t have to worry about drawing. After a while it’s as easy to draw Daffy, or Bugs, or anything as just movement. I know how to do that, but what’s he thinking about? And I have to get that expression to indicate what he’s thinking about.</p> <p><strong>You’ve said of your work directing animation that there’s a sense in which you’re almost married to the character. Could you talk about that?</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: You have to trust one another, yes. And a lot of marriages don’t, and that results in bad pictures and bad marriages. Yes, you depend on them. Often, when I’m halfway through a picture, I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do? How am I going to end it? And then I have to think more carefully, “What would Bugs Bunny do in a situation like this?” In other words, I can’t think of what I would do, or what I think Bugs Bunny should do. I have to think <em>as</em> Bugs Bunny, not <em>of</em> Bugs Bunny. And drawing them, as I say, is not difficult. Just like an actor dressed like Hamlet can walk across and look like Hamlet. But boy, when he gets into the action, he has to be thinking <em>as</em> Hamlet.</p> <p><strong>Tell us that little anecdote about the writer who wrote to his grandmother that he was writing scripts for Bugs Bunny.</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: Yeah. Bill Scott, he later did most of the work on Rocky and Bullwinkle. He was the voice of the moose, and other voices. He was the lead writer. He was bright. After the war, he came to work for us as a writer. And he was very proud he was there and he wrote a letter to his grandmother in Denver and told her he was writing scripts for Bugs Bunny. And she wrote back a rather peckish letter that indicated she wasn’t very happy about that. She said, “I don’t see why you have to write scripts for Bugs Bunny. He’s funny enough just the way he is.” He was delighted with that; we were delighted with it too.</p> <p>If you want to know what a triumph is, it’s the feeling that people really believe these characters live, just like we do. But if we don’t, there’s no chance anybody else is going to.</p> <p><strong>What is directing animation?</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: Well, directing is doing the key drawings, not the key animation, mind you. If the coyote is falling, and he looks at the audience and holds up a sign saying, “Please end this picture before I hit.” Well that’s his way of expressing himself, since he can’t talk. He does in a couple of pictures, but mostly he does not. I have to make that particular drawing to show the attitude I want on the drawing. Plus the action of getting in there, the action of running, if he’s going to fly like Batman, or falling over the cliff. Also, I have timed the entire scene.</p> <p>It scares cameramen and anybody that works behind the camera to find out that in animation in Warner Brothers we weren’t allowed to edit. You couldn’t over-shoot, it was too expensive. So all of us as directors had to learn to time the entire picture on music, on bar sheets, just like you were writing a symphony. That’s carrying it on a bit, but anyway — so by the time it came out to 540 feet, that’s six minutes. Leon Schlesinger wouldn’t let us make them any longer than six minutes, and the exhibitor wouldn’t let us make them any shorter than six minutes, so they had to be six minutes. So we had to learn to do that, and it drives people like George Lucas or Spielberg crazy. “How can you make a picture without editing?”</p> <p>Well, it is edited, but it’s edited before it goes into work. There are a few live action directors, like Hitchcock that shot a meager amount, but not the way we did it. At Disney’s, they always have enough money so they could over-shoot. They could do entire sequences and take them out. It was heartbreaking, of course, for the animator. Because where an actor might have a 15-second, or 20-second scene, even if they did it three or four times, it would take less than 20 minutes. But with the animator, if he’s animated a scene that runs 20 seconds, it might be two week’s work that’s been thrown out.</p> <p><strong>Music is such a key element in those Warner Brothers cartoons. You must have a musical bent.</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: I know something about it, but mainly through experience working with people like Carl Stalling and Milt Feindel. These were two incredible people with great memories. Stalling was particularly useful because he had been a silent-movie organist in Kansas City. In the Road Runner, for instance, people think of that as just helter-skelter, but it wasn’t. A big percentage of the music was Smetana’s <em>Bartered Bride</em> music. And whenever I had undersea stuff or so on, I always used Mendelssohn’s Overture to <em>Fingal’s Cave</em>. Later, when we did <em>How the Grinch Stole Christmas</em>, we used original music, but curiously enough, the Christmas music was done to a square dance call. We used it, because the rhythm sounded right, it was very cheery.</p> <p><strong>Where do you see animation going now? How do you feel about the way it’s going?</strong></p> <p>Chuck Jones: Animation is going very well right now. And to a great extent because of these young people at Disney that are doing the films. We must understand, this is a whole new generation that’s starting with the <em>Great Mouse Detective</em>, and <em>Oliver</em>, and <em>The Little Mermaid</em>, and <em>Beauty and the Beast</em>, and <em>Aladdin</em>, and all done by people in their 30s and 20s. And that’s where we started. We were all young like that.</p> <p>When I went into animation I was like 17, and the old man of the business was Walt Disney, who was 29. Walt Disney was not 40 by the time he finished <em>Fantasia</em>, and <em>Snow White and the Seven Dwarves</em>, and <em>Pinocchio</em>. And the people that worked with him were younger than that. So it takes young people. And that’s what I’m — I think I’ve just about gotten to where I’ve finished to work out a deal with Warner Brothers to do some more films. But I want to be the old man that pulls together the young guys today if I can. I want to be a magnet, pulling in creative young people from the art schools, and get them started again, doing some of the old characters, but in new stories, and so on. But new characters too, and hopefully a Warner Brothers feature. That’s what I’d like to do. And I’ve written a couple of scripts that are not too bad, I think.</p> <p><strong>Thanks for talking with us. And thanks for all the great cartoons.</strong></p> </div>  </aside>  <div class="read-more__toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#full-interview"><a href="#" class="sans-4 btn">Read full interview</a></div> </article> </section> </div> <div class="tab-pane fade" id="gallery" role="tabpanel"> <section class="isotope-wrapper">  <header class="toolbar toolbar--gallery bg-white clearfix"> <div class="col-md-6"> <div class="serif-4">Chuck Jones Gallery</div> </div> <div class="col-md-6 text-md-right isotope-toolbar"> <ul class="list-unstyled list-inline m-b-0 text-brand-primary sans-4"> <li class="list-inline-item" data-filter=".photo"><i class="icon-icon_camera"></i>14 photos</li> </ul> </div> </header> <div class="isotope-gallery isotope-box single-achiever__gallery clearfix"> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.3194444444444" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/90a0343b051e938e322cc3e25b872146.jpg" data-image-caption="During the Golden Age of animation, Chuck Jones helped bring to life many of Warner Brothers' most famous characters—Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig. The list of characters he created himself includes Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin Martian, Pepe le Pew, Michigan J. Frog and many others." data-image-copyright="90a0343b051e938e322cc3e25b872146" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/90a0343b051e938e322cc3e25b872146-288x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/90a0343b051e938e322cc3e25b872146-576x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.67894736842105" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/4970894733_93b45dde91_b.jpg" data-image-caption="Late 1970s: Chuck Jones with Alan Light in his office located on the 12th floor of the Sunset Tower, sometimes also called the Sunset Vine Tower, in Los Angeles. In a career spanning over 60 years, Jones made more than 300 animated films, winning three Oscars as director, and in 1996, an honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement. Among the many awards and recognitions, one of those most valued was the honorary life membership from the Directors Guild of America. (Alan Light)" data-image-copyright="4970894733_93b45dde91_b" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/4970894733_93b45dde91_b-380x258.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/4970894733_93b45dde91_b-760x516.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.2561983471074" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Chuck-by-WEC-1960s-6-x-4-300-dpi.jpg" data-image-caption="The popular cartoon series Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner were created by Warner Brothers' animation director Chuck Jones and first appeared on September 17, 1949. (Cartoon Art Museum)" data-image-copyright="chuck-by-wec-1960s-6-x-4-300-dpi" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Chuck-by-WEC-1960s-6-x-4-300-dpi-303x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Chuck-by-WEC-1960s-6-x-4-300-dpi-605x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.53684210526316" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ChuckJones-Museum-of-Moving-Image.jpg" data-image-caption="Chuck Jones working in his office in Hollywood." data-image-copyright="Chuck Jones working in his office in Hollywood." data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ChuckJones-Museum-of-Moving-Image-380x204.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ChuckJones-Museum-of-Moving-Image-760x408.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.4990138067061" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ea_ptoll_poster_unfMOdHC7ppeZ9WkuNpRq8ENiMV.jpg" data-image-caption="1970: "The Phantom Tollbooth," also known as "The Adventures of Milo in the Phantom Tollbooth," is a 1970 live-action/animated film based on Norton Juster's 1961 children's book "The Phantom Tollbooth." This film was produced and directed by Chuck Jones at MGM Animation/Visual Arts." data-image-copyright="ea_ptoll_poster_unfmodhc7ppez9wkunprq8enimv" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ea_ptoll_poster_unfMOdHC7ppeZ9WkuNpRq8ENiMV-253x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ea_ptoll_poster_unfMOdHC7ppeZ9WkuNpRq8ENiMV-507x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.3868613138686" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-156129331_master.jpg" data-image-caption="Cartoonist Chuck Jones attends the 68th Annual Academy Awards on March 25, 1996 at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, where he received an Honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)" data-image-copyright="Ron Galella Archive - File Photos" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-156129331_master-274x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-156129331_master-548x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.4339622641509" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grinch.jpg" data-image-caption="1966: Character model board, trimmed photostat, collage on art board, from original drawings by Chuck Jones for the animated television special “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” Jones produced, directed and wrote the screenplays for the television classic." data-image-copyright="grinch" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grinch-265x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/grinch-530x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.80263157894737" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/la-et-cm-academy-museum-motion-pictures-bugs-bunny-chuck-jones-smithsonian-oscars-20140529.jpg" data-image-caption="Over a career spanning six decades, his fertile imagination helped give life to such classic celluloid personalities as Daffy Duck and Wile E. Coyote. (Don Perdue/Handout)" data-image-copyright="la-et-cm-academy-museum-motion-pictures-bugs-bunny-chuck-jones-smithsonian-oscars-20140529" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/la-et-cm-academy-museum-motion-pictures-bugs-bunny-chuck-jones-smithsonian-oscars-20140529-380x305.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/la-et-cm-academy-museum-motion-pictures-bugs-bunny-chuck-jones-smithsonian-oscars-20140529-760x610.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.67368421052632" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NG_26ANIMATION_27536061.jpg" data-image-caption="Chuck Jones with conductor George Daugherty. Animation director and artist Charles Martin “Chuck” Jones (1912–2002) brought to life some of the most iconic cartoon characters in animation history. He perfected the wisecracking Bugs Bunny and the exasperated Daffy Duck and created a host of other characters, including Pepé Le Pew, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner." data-image-copyright="GUIDE_NG" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NG_26ANIMATION_27536061-380x256.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NG_26ANIMATION_27536061-760x512.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.2859560067682" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/o-CHUCK-900.jpg" data-image-caption="Portrait of Chuck Jones, circa 1990s. (Courtesy of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity/SITES)" data-image-copyright="o-chuck-900" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/o-CHUCK-900-295x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/o-CHUCK-900-591x760.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.75" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/slide_356452_3923665_free.jpg" data-image-caption="During the Golden Age of animation, Jones helped bring to life many of Warner Brothers' most famous characters — Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig. The list of characters he created himself includes Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin Martian, Pepe le Pew, Michigan J. Frog and many others. (Chuck Jones Center for Creativity)" data-image-copyright="slide_356452_3923665_free" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/slide_356452_3923665_free-380x285.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/slide_356452_3923665_free-760x570.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="0.65" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WB-GROUP-PHOTO-EARLY-1930S.jpg" data-image-caption="1935: Employees of Leon Schlesinger Studios. Chuck Jones joined Leon Schlesinger Productions, the independent studio that produced "Looney Tunes" and "Merrie Melodies" for Warner Bros., in 1933 as an assistant animator. In 1935, he was promoted to animator, and assigned to work with new Schlesinger director Tex Avery." data-image-copyright="wb-group-photo-early-1930s" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WB-GROUP-PHOTO-EARLY-1930S-380x247.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WB-GROUP-PHOTO-EARLY-1930S-760x494.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/jones-chuck0-006a.jpg" data-image-caption="Chuck Jones" data-image-copyright="jones-chuck0-006a" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/jones-chuck0-006a-380x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/jones-chuck0-006a.jpg"></div>  </figure> <figure class="isotope-item ratio-container--gallery photo" data-category="photo" data-ratio="1.2561983471074" title="" data-gtm-category="photo" data-gtm-action="click" data-gtm-label="Achiever - ">   <div class="lazyload ratio-container__image" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#imageModal" data-image-src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WP-chuckjonesheadshotimg074.jpg" data-image-caption="" data-image-copyright="wp-chuckjonesheadshotimg074" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WP-chuckjonesheadshotimg074-302x380.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/10/WP-chuckjonesheadshotimg074-605x760.jpg"></div>  </figure>    </div> </section> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <footer class="editorial-article__footer col-md-8 col-md-offset-4"> <div class="editorial-article__next-link sans-3"> <a href="#"><strong>What's next:</strong> <span class="editorial-article__next-link-title">profile</span></a> </div> <ul class="social list-unstyled list-inline ssk-group m-b-0"> <li 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text-xs-center"> <h3 class="m-b-3 serif-3">If you are inspired by this achiever’s story, you might also enjoy:</h3> <div class="centered-blocks"> <div class="isotope-achiever the-arts the-arts the-arts poverty ambitious shy-introverted be-a-performer " data-year-inducted="2014" data-achiever-name="Burnett"> <div class="achiever-block view-grid"> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/carol-burnett/"> <figure class="ratio-container ratio-container--square bg-black"> <div class="lazyload box achiever-block__image" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/bur0-001a_190x190_acf_cropped.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | /wp-content/uploads/2016/02/bur0-001a_190x190_acf_cropped.jpg"></div> <div class="achiever-block__overlay"></div> <figcaption class="text-xs-center achiever-block__text"> <div class="display--table"> <div class="display--table-cell"> <div class="achiever-block__text--center"> <div class="achiever-block__name text-brand-primary">Carol 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<div class="display--table"> <div class="display--table-cell"> <div class="achiever-block__text--center"> <div class="achiever-block__name text-brand-primary">Ron Howard</div> <div class="achiever-block__known-as text-white sans-6">Oscar for Best Director</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="text-white achiever-block__text--bottom"> <div class="achiever-block__year sans-4">Inducted in <span class="year-inducted">1997</span></div> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="centered-blocks"> <div class="isotope-achiever the-arts ambitious curious make-films " data-year-inducted="2006" data-achiever-name="Jackson"> <div class="achiever-block view-grid"> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/sir-peter-jackson/"> <figure class="ratio-container ratio-container--square bg-black"> <div class="lazyload box achiever-block__image" data-sizes="auto" data-bgset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/jackson_760_ac-190x190.jpg [(max-width:576px)] | 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Gaines</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/william-h-gates-iii/"><span class="achiever-list-name">William H. Gates III</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/frank-gehry/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Frank O. Gehry</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/murray-gell-mann-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Murray Gell-Mann, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/carlos-ghosn/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Carlos Ghosn</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/vince-gill/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Vince Gill</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/ruth-bader-ginsburg/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ruth Bader Ginsburg</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/louise-gluck/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Louise Glück</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/whoopi-goldberg/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Whoopi Goldberg</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/jane-goodall/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Dame Jane Goodall</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/doris-kearns-goodwin/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Doris Kearns Goodwin, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/mikhail-s-gorbachev/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Mikhail S. Gorbachev</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/nadine-gordimer/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Nadine Gordimer</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/stephen-jay-gould/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Stephen Jay Gould, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/carol-greider-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Carol Greider, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/john-grisham/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John Grisham</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/dorothy-hamill/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Dorothy Hamill</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/lauryn-hill/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lauryn Hill</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/sir-edmund-hillary/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sir Edmund Hillary</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/reid-hoffman/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Reid Hoffman</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/khaled-hosseini/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Khaled Hosseini, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/ron-howard/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ron Howard</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/john-hume/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John Hume</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/louis-ignarro-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Louis Ignarro, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/daniel-inouye/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Daniel K. Inouye</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/jeremy-irons/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Jeremy Irons</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/john-irving/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John Irving</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/sir-peter-jackson/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sir Peter Jackson</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/donald-c-johanson/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Donald C. Johanson, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/frank-m-johnson/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Frank M. Johnson, Jr.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/philip-johnson/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Philip C. Johnson</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/chuck-jones/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Chuck Jones</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/james-earl-jones/"><span class="achiever-list-name">James Earl Jones</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/quincy-jones/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Quincy Jones</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/thomas-keller-2/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Thomas Keller</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/anthony-m-kennedy/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Anthony M. Kennedy</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/b-b-king/"><span class="achiever-list-name">B.B. King</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/carole-king/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Carole King</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/coretta-scott-king/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Coretta Scott King</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/henry-kissinger-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Henry A. Kissinger, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/willem-j-kolff/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Willem J. Kolff, M.D., Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/wendy-kopp/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Wendy Kopp</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/henry-r-kravis/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Henry R. Kravis</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/nicholas-d-kristof/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Nicholas D. Kristof</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/mike-krzyzewski/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Mike Krzyzewski</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/ray-kurzwell/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ray Kurzweil</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/eric-lander-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Eric S. Lander, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/robert-s-langer-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Robert S. Langer, Sc.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/richard-leakey/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Richard E. Leakey</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/robert-lefkowitz-m-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Robert J. Lefkowitz, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/congressman-john-r-lewis/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Congressman John R. Lewis</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/maya-lin/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Maya Lin</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/george-lucas/"><span class="achiever-list-name">George Lucas</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/norman-mailer/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Norman Mailer</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/peyton-manning/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Peyton Manning</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/wynton-marsalis/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Wynton Marsalis</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/john-c-mather-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John C. Mather, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/johnny-mathis/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Johnny Mathis</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/ernst-mayr-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ernst Mayr, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/willie-mays/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Willie Mays</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/frank-mccourt/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Frank McCourt</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/david-mccullough/"><span class="achiever-list-name">David McCullough</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/audra-mcdonald/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Audra McDonald</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/admiral-william-h-mcraven/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Admiral William H. McRaven, USN</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/w-s-merwin/"><span class="achiever-list-name">W. S. Merwin</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/james-a-michener/"><span class="achiever-list-name">James A. Michener</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/marvin-minsky-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Marvin Minsky, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/mario-j-molina-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Mario J. Molina, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/n-scott-momaday-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">N. Scott Momaday, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/story-musgrave/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Story Musgrave, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/ralph-nader/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ralph Nader</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/peggy-noonan/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Peggy Noonan</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/jessye-norman/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Jessye Norman</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/tommy-norris/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lt. Thomas R. Norris, USN</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/joyce-carol-oates/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Joyce Carol Oates</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/pierre-omidyar/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Pierre Omidyar</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/larry-page/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Larry Page</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/arnold-palmer/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Arnold Palmer</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/rosa-parks/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Rosa Parks</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/suzan-lori-parks/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Suzan-Lori Parks</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/linus-pauling/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Linus C. Pauling, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/shimon-peres/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Shimon Peres</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/general-david-petraeus/"><span class="achiever-list-name">General David H. Petraeus, USA</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/sidney-poitier/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sidney Poitier</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/general-colin-l-powell/"><span class="achiever-list-name">General Colin L. Powell, USA</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/harold-prince/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Harold Prince</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/lloyd-richards/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lloyd Richards</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/sally-ride-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sally K. Ride, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/sonny-rollins/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sonny Rollins</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/anthony-romero/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Anthony Romero</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/james-rosenquist/"><span class="achiever-list-name">James Rosenquist</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/pete-rozelle/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Pete Rozelle</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/bill-russell/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Bill Russell</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/albie-sachs/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Albie Sachs</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/oliver-sacks-m-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Oliver Sacks, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/jonas-salk-m-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Jonas Salk, M.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/frederick-sanger-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Frederick Sanger, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/barry-scheck/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Barry Scheck</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/richard-evans-schultes-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Richard Evans Schultes, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/general-h-norman-schwarzkopf/"><span class="achiever-list-name">General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, USA</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/stephen-schwarzman/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Stephen A. Schwarzman</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/glenn-t-seaborg-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Glenn T. Seaborg, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/neil-sheehan/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Neil Sheehan</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/admiral-alan-shepard-jr/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Admiral Alan B. Shepard, Jr., USN</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/ellen-johnson-sirleaf/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Ellen Johnson Sirleaf</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/carlos-slim/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Carlos Slim Helú</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/frederick-w-smith/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Frederick W. Smith</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/stephen-sondheim/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Stephen Sondheim</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/sonia-sotomayor/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Sonia Sotomayor</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/wole-soyinka/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Wole Soyinka</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/esperanza-spalding/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Esperanza Spalding</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/martha-stewart/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Martha Stewart</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/admiral-james-b-stockdale/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Admiral James B. Stockdale, USN</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/hilary-swank/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Hilary Swank</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/amy-tan/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Amy Tan</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/dame-kiri-te-kanawa/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Dame Kiri Te Kanawa</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/edward-teller-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Edward Teller, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/twyla-tharp/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Twyla Tharp</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/wayne-thiebaud/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Wayne Thiebaud</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/lt-michael-e-thornton-usn/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lt. Michael E. Thornton, USN</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/charles-h-townes-ph-d/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Charles H. Townes, Ph.D.</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/david-trimble/"><span class="achiever-list-name">David Trimble</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/ted-turner/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Robert Edward (Ted) Turner</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/desmond-tutu/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Archbishop Desmond Tutu</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/john-updike/"><span class="achiever-list-name">John Updike</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/gore-vidal/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Gore Vidal</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/antonio-villaraigosa/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Antonio Villaraigosa</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/lech-walesa/"><span class="achiever-list-name">Lech Walesa</span></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20170822000537/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/james-d-watson/"><span class="achiever-list-name">James D. 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