Chuck Jones' "Merrie Melodies" and More

Our three-hour interview with Chuck Jones is now online! The legendary animator spoke in great detail about the animation process and the creation of many of his memorable characters, including the lovable "Bugs Bunny," "Daffy Duck," and "Wile E. Coyote." He shared tales of his boyhood - of growing up across the street from Charlie Chaplin's studio, and of how his childhood dog influenced the way in which he brought the character of "Max," the Grinch's dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, to life on the small screen. Jones also detailed the origins of the Merrie Melodies shorts, and shared how "Bugs Bunny" got his name.

Below, enjoy a few excerpts from the interview:

Chuck Jones on creating "Bugs Bunny:"

On animating World War II training films with Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel):

And on bringing How the Grinch Stole Christmas to television:

Watch Chuck Jones' full interview here.

About this interview:

Chuck Jones (1912-2002) was interviewed for three hours in Orange County, CA.  Jones fondly recalled creating notable Looney Tunes characters, including "Bugs Bunny," "Daffy Duck," "Pepe Le Pew," "Wile E. Coyote," and "Road-Runner." He spoke about attending art school, outlined the early days of Hollywood's animation industry in the 1930s, and recounted joining the Leon Schlesinger studio in 1933. He discussed Schelsinger's sale of the studio to Warner Brothers, commented on his brief tenure at Walt Disney's studio, and spoke of creating training films with Dr. Seuss during World War II. Jones described the basics of the animation process, the importance of story, and the challenges of directing a cartoon, and spoke in depth about directing the successful 1967 television special, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Tom Sito conducted the interview on June 17, 1998.