Robert Cannon

Robert 'Bobe' Cannon began his career at Leon Schlesinger Productions in 1934, assisting ace animators Robert Clampett and Chuck Jones. After a two-year apprenticeship he graduated to full animator. Cannon became an integral part of that anarchic Warner Brothers in-house cartoon outfit, known as 'Termite Terrace' (due to its cramped and austere quarters). In the process, he laboured on such iconic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters as Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and Elmer Fudd. He animated for Tex Avery, Clampett and Jones from 1936 to 1944, after which he became co-founder and a leading light in the innovative United Productions of America (UPA). He served as UPA's vice-president from 1949 to 1957. Unlike at Warners or MGM, his new studio permitted him to direct as well, especially cartoons featuring the famous character Mr. Magoo. Cannon later taught animation at San Fernando Valley State College and was awarded in 1976 with the International Film Society's Winsor McCay Award for Lifetime Achievement.