Biography: Dick Bickenbach

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Birth/Death

Birth: August 9, 1907
Death: June 28, 1994, San Bernardino, CA

Occupation/Title

Animator, Layout Artist, Comic Book Pencilist, Character Designer, Actor, Director

Bio Summary

Richard Bickenbach was born in Indiana August 9 1907. He moved to Los Angeles California during the 1930’s where he became a longtime animator for Hanna-Barbara. Spending the first years of his animation career (the 1930s, 1940s) working as a layout artist and animator for Iwerks and Warner Bros, he joined Hanna-Barbara in 1957, and worked at the animation department until 1975. He was credited for creating the first official Yogi Bear model sheets. In 1984, Bick won the Golden Award, Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Awards.

Early Life/Family

Education/Training

Dick was an animator before he became a layout artist so he knew how to make his poses functional for the animators.

Career Outline

Richard Bickenbach was longtime animator for Hanna-Barbara. Spending the first years of his animation career (the 1930s, 1940s) working as a layout artist and animator for Iwerks and Warner Bros, he joined Hanna-Barbara in 1957, and worked at the animation department until 1975. He is credited for the design of the first official ‘Yogi Bear’ model sheets, and worked as layout artist on shows like ‘Yogi Bear’ and ‘The Flintstones’. Between 1977 and 1979 he was the main artist for Marvel’s ‘Flintstones’ and ‘Yogi Bear’ comic book lines (inks by Lee Hooper)

Comments On Style

Dick, has all the main beliefs of first-rate cartoon drawings, they do the job they are supposed to. They don’t only work as individual drawings. They also work as workable layouts. Dick drew smooth proportions and was an outstanding designer, great compositions and fine-looking layouts. His drawings are not only purposeful but, he has a pleasing delicate style.

Influences

Hanna-Barbara, Iwerks

Personality

Bickenbach was a conservative cartoonist and animator and worked on traditional cartoons. Bickenback from the MGM days was soft spoken and always had a winning smile.

Anecdotes

“Ed Benedict made fun of Dick’s work sometimes, just on the grounds that it wasn’t very imaginative and that shocked me. To someone of my generation who worked in an environment where almost nobody had real drawing skill, or functionality, let alone style, Dick stood out as a giant cartoonist.”- John K.

Miscellaneous

Filmography

Night Life of the Bugs (1936) (animator)
Turkey Dinner (1936) (animator)
Hobo Gadget Band (1939) (animator)
Busy Bakers (1940) (animator)
Confederate Honey (1940) (animator) (uncredited)
Little Blabbermouse (1940) (animator)
Porky’s Hired Hand (1940) (animator)
The Trial of Mr. Wolf (1941) (animator)
Rookie Revue (1941) (animator)
The Wabbit Who Came to Supper (1942) (animator)
Foney Fables (1942) (animator)
Pigs in a Polka (1943) (animator) (uncredited)
Yankee Doodle Daffy (1943) (animator)
Duck Soup to Nuts (1944) (animator)
Stage Door Cartoon (1944) (animator) (uncredited)
Herr Meets Hare (1945) (animator) (uncredited)
A Tale of Two Mice (1945) (animator) (uncredited)
Nasty Quacks (1945) (animator)
Hare Remover (1946) (animator)
Daffy Doodles (1946) (animator)
Hollywood Canine Canteen (1946) (animator)
Acrobatty Bunny (1946) (animator)
Walky Talky Hawky (1946) (animator)
The Mouse-Merized Cat (1946) (animator)
Easter Yeggs (1947) (animator)
A Mouse in the House (1947) (animator)
The Invisible Mouse (1947) (animator)
Southbound Duckling (1955) (layout artist)
Tom and Chérie (1955) (layout artist)
Smarty Cat (1955) (layout artist)
That’s My Mommy (1955) (layout artist)
Good Will to Men (1955) (layout artist)
The Flying Sorceress (1956) (layout artist)
The Egg and Jerry (1956) (layout artist)
Busy Buddies (1956) (layout artist)
Muscle Beach Tom (1956) (layout artist)
Down Beat Bear (1956) (Layout artist)
Blue Cat Blues (1956) (layout artist)
Barbecue Brawl (1956) (Layout artist)
Tops with Pops (1957) (layout artist)
Give and Tyke (1957) (layout artist)
Timid Tabby (1957) (layout artist)
Feedin’ the Kiddie (1957) (layout artist)
Scat Cats (1957) (layout artist)
Mucho Mouse (1957) (layout artist)
Tom’s Photo Finish (1957) (layout artist)
Happy Go Ducky (1958) (layout artist)
Royal Cat Nap (1958) (layout artist)
Mutts About Racing (1958) (animator)
The Vanishing Duck (1958) (layout artist)
Robin Hoodwinked (1958) (layout artist)
Droopy Leprechaun (1958) (animator) (layout artist)
Tot Watchers (1958) (layout artist)
“Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks” (1958) TV series (layout artist)
“The Huckleberry Hound Show” (1958) TV series (layout artist)
“Quick Draw McGraw” (1959) TV series (layout artist)
Little Bo Bopped (1959) (layout artist)
The Do-Good Wolf (1960) (layout artist)
“The Yogi Bear Show” (1961) TV series (layout artist)
Happy Go Loopy (1961) (layout artist)
Two Faced Wolf (1961) (layout artist)
The Space Car (1962) TV episode (layout artist)
The Coming of Astro (1962) TV episode (layout artist)
The Little Man (1963) TV episode (layout artist
“The Jetsons” (layout artist) (3 episodes, 1962-1963)
“The Magilla Gorilla Show” (1964) TV series (layout artist)
The Curse of Anubis (1964) TV episode (layout artist)
Treasure of the Temple (1964) TV episode (layout artist)
A Small Matter of Pygmies (1964) TV episode (layout artist)
The Fraudulent Volcano (1964) TV episode (layout artist)
Terror Island (1965) TV episode (layout artist)
“Jonny Quest” (layout artist) (6 episodes, 1964-1965)
aka The Adventures of Jonny Quest
Crow’s Fete (1965) (layout artist)
Fred Flintstone: Before and After (1961) TV episode (layout artist)
Christmas Flintstone (1964) TV episode (layout artist)
Fred Meets Hercurock (1965) TV episode (layout artist)
No Biz Like Show Biz (1965) TV episode (layout artist)
Shinrock-A-Go-Go (1965) TV episode (layout artist)
“The Flintstones” (layout artist) (8 episodes, 1960-1965)
The Man Called Flintstone (1966) (layout artist)
Jack and the Beanstalk (1967) (layout artist)
“The Atom Ant Show” (1967) TV series (layout artist)
“The Herculoids” (1967) TV series (layout artist) (unknown episodes)
The Magic Shillelah (1968) TV episode (layout artist)
The Curse of Thut (1968) TV episode (layout artist)
“The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (layout artist)
“The Adventures of Gulliver” (1968) TV series (layout artist)
“Scooby Doo, Where Are You!” (1969) TV series (layout artist)
“Cattanooga Cats” (1969) TV series (layout artist)
“Harlem Globe Trotters” (1970) TV series (layout artist)
aka The Go-Go Globetrotters (USA: rerun title)
“The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show” (1971) TV series (layout artist)
Yogi’s Ark Lark (1972) TV episode (layout artist
“The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie” (layout artist) (1 episode, 1972)
aka The New Saturday Superstar Movie
“The Flintstones Comedy Hour” (1972) TV series (layout artist) (1972) (as Dick Bickenbach)
aka The Flintstone Comedy Show (USA: repeat compilations title)
aka The Flintstones Show (USA: new title)
Mr. Bigot (1973) TV episode (layout artist) (as Dick Bickenbach)
Mr. Hothead (1973) TV episode (layout artist) (as Dick Bickenbach)
“Yogi’s Gang” (layout artist) (2 episodes, 1973)
“Partridge Family 2200 AD” (1974) TV series (character designer)
aka The Partridge Family in Outer Space (USA)
“Scooby’s All Star Laff-A-Lympics” (1977) TV series (layout artist) (1977) (as Dick Bickenbach)
aka Laff-A Lympics (USA: segment title)
aka Scooby’s All Stars (USA: new title)
aka Scooby’s Laff-A Lympics (USA: new title)
RV Fever/Birthday Boy/Clownfoot/Fred Goes Ape/Flying Mouse/Ghost-sitters (1980) TV episode (character designer)
“The Flintstone Comedy Show” (character designer) (1 episode, 1980) (layout artist) (1 episode, 1980)
aka Bedrock Cops (USA: segment title)
aka Captain Caveman (USA: segment title)
aka Dino and Cavemouse (USA: segment title)
aka Flinstones Funnies (USA: rerun title)
aka Pebbles, Dino and Bamm Bamm (USA: segment title)
aka The Flintstone Family Adventures (USA: segment title)
aka The Frankenstones (USA: segment title)
Bunnicula, the Vampire Rabbit (1982) TV episode (layout artist)
“ABC Weekend Specials” (layout artist) (1 episode, 1982)