Calvin Henry Howard[1] (24 March 1911 – 10 September 1993) was an American cartoon story artist, animator, and director. He is mostly remembered for his work at Walter Lantz and Warner Bros. He was also the voice actor of Gabby Goat in "Get Rich Quick Porky".
Career[]
Howard began his career in animation in 1930 when he went to serve as an in-betweener at Walt Disney’s studio. However due to to budget cuts, he was released from his contract in 1931 and moved over to Walter Lantz's studio where he met and befriended Tex Avery. In 1933, he left the studio to work for Ub Iwerks' studio before he briefly returned. After Tex Avery joined Warner Bros. in 1935, Howard assisted him on the storyboard for his first cartoon "Gold Diggers of '49" while he was still employed at Lantz. Howard would join the studio full time to serve as Avery's writer. He was credited for writing two of Tex's cartoons those being "Little Red Walking Hood" and "The Sneezing Weasel".[1] Howard also voiced Gabby Goat in "Get Rich Quick Porky" replacing Mel Blanc who previously voiced him in "Porky's Badtime Story". After Friz Freleng left Warner Bros. in 1937 to work for the MGM cartoon department, Howard alongside Cal Dalton inherited his animation unit. In 1938 after directing three cartoons, Howard left Warner Bros. with his friend Tedd Pierce to work for Max Fleischer's studio in Miami. Following his departure, Ben Hardaway assumed his position. In the 1940s, Howard moved to a different studio. He left Fleischer for MGM in 1942 where he worked as a writer on the Tom and Jerry cartoons, but was later fired by Fred Quimby during the Christmas holiday. He later moved to Screen Gems and eventually returned to Warner Bros. in 1949. During that same year, Howard moved from California to New York City, to work on NBC's Broadway Open House and Your Show of Shows. When Broadway Open House ended he was hired by Pat Weaver to be an associate producer and writer for the development of NBC's Today show. He left NBC early in 1952 to return to California and work with Ralph Edwards. In 1974, Howard went back to work for Disney as a story artist. In the 1980s, he returned to cartoon work, until his retirement. Cal Howard worked over seven animation studios in his lifetime and finally received the Annie Award in 1980 for lifetime achievement.
Looney Works[]
Writer[]
- Gold Diggers of '49 (1935) (uncredited)
- Little Red Walking Hood (1937)
- The Sneezing Weasel (1938)
- Canned Feud (1951) (with Warren Foster)
- The Music Mice-Tro (1967) (with Tom Dagenais)
- The Spy Swatter (1967) (with Tom Dagenais)
- Speedy Ghost to Town (1967)
- Rodent to Stardom (1967)
- Go Away Stowaway (1967)
- Merlin the Magic Mouse (1967)
- Fiesta Fiasco (1967)
- Hocus Pocus Powwow (1968)
- Big Game Haunt (1968)
- Skyscraper Caper (1968)
- Feud with a Dude (1968)
- See Ya Later Gladiator (1968)
- 3 Ring Wing-Ding (1968)
- Flying Circus (1968)
- Bunny and Claude (We Rob Carrot Patches) (1968)
- The Great Carrot-Train Robbery (1969)
- Fistic Mystic (1969)
- Rabbit Stew and Rabbits Too! (1969)
- Shamrock and Roll (1969)
- Bugged by a Bee (1969)
- Injun Trouble (1969)
Director[]
- Porky's Phoney Express (1938) (with Cal Dalton)
- Katnip Kollege (1938) (with Cal Dalton)
- A-Lad-In Bagdad (1938) (with Cal Dalton)