Robert Clampett

One of the most prominent figures in the golden era of Warner Bros. animation, Bob Clampett made innumerable contributions to the landscape of the American cartoon. Raised in Hollywood, Clampett's love of art and film soon led him to WB, where he began as an in-betweener on the studio's "Merrie Melodies" series under producer Leon Schlesinger in 1931. During his tenure, he quickly rose in the ranks, due in part to such creations as Porky Pig and key contributions to iconic characters like Daffy Duck. The significance of such Clampett masterpieces as the shorts "Porky in Wackyland" (1938), "The Hep Cat" (1942) and "A Tale of Two Kitties" (1942) - the latter of which introduced the character of Tweety Bird - were undeniable. After leaving Warner Bros. in 1946, Clampett went on to create his own signature property with the massively popular televised puppet show "Time for Beany" (PTN, 1950-55), which was later turned into a cartoon series "Beany and Cecil" (ABC, 1962). The foremost purveyor of the surreal and hyper-kinetic style with which Warner Bros. animation became so closely identified, Clampett's contributions - while possibly exaggerated to a degree by the man himself - would remain timeless.