Cliff MacGillivray
Writer/Producer Cliff MacGillivray’s credits include television, film, books, comic books, computer games and toys. Along with writing partner Kelly Ward, he was the 2005 Humanitas Prize Winner for Children’s Animation.
For children’s television, MacGillivray has worked on such diverse shows as Stuart Little, Liberty’s Kids, The Busy World of Richard Scarry, Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, Adventures in Odyssey, Dragon Ball, Finley the Fire Engine, Firehouse Tales, Trollz, Bratz, The Adventures of Hyperman, Stunt Dawgs, Mutant League, Dog City, DuckTales, Gummi Bears, Fantastic Max, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, The Pink Panther Show, Rotten Ralph, League of Super Evil, PB&J, Captain Planet, and Tutenstein.
With Kelly Ward, he was the co-writer for the United Cinemagic Pictures production of The Neverending Story, a one-hour, primetime adventure/drama series.
Comic book titles that MacGillivray story-edited or wrote include Gumby, Star Wars, GI Joe, Bullwinkle, Dick Tracy, Flintstones, Uncle Scrooge, Rescue Rangers and Roger Rabbit.
Kelly Ward
Kelly Ward’s career includes extensive experience as an actor, writer, director, producer, voice director and studio executive. He is perhaps best known for his starring role as T-Bird, Putzie in the musical feature, Grease. His additional film credits include Samuel Fuller’s acclaimed The Big Red One and Luis Valdez’s Zoot Suit. He has also performed on Broadway and in many regional theatre productions.
As writer/producer and voice director, Ward’s credits include over forty animated series, among them Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Talking Friends, Watchmen: The Motion Comic, Shaggy and Scooby Doo Get a Clue, and Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, for which he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing. Ward’s feature film credits include co-writing Once Upon a Forest for Hanna-Barbera Productions, and co-writing & producing All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He shares the 2005 Humanitas Prize for Children’s Animation with writing partner, Cliff MacGillivray.
In addition to serving as a vice president for Universal Cartoon Studios and MGM Animation, Ward has been an adjunct professor at the University Of Southern California School of Theatre, where, in 2006 he was honored as the John Houseman Visiting Artist.
Phil Mendez
Phil Mendez is perhaps best known as the best-selling author of The Black Snowman. The revered coming-of-age story has sold over two million copies and won numerous honors, including the coveted Martin Luther King “Living the Dream” award.
A multi-talented storyteller, Mendez has been writing, drawing, designing, directing and entertaining millions of people for over 40 years. For Hanna-Barbera Productions, he was the lead character designer and layout artist on Scooby Doo, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, Hong Kong Phooey, Magilla Gorilla, and Charlotte’s Web. For MGM Animation, Mendez provided character design for Secret of NIMH II; character design and direction Tom Sawyer. He also left his mark at Walt Disney Studios on two enduring classics, Robin Hood, and The Rescuers.
Mendez’s additional work with Disney includes five years as concept and development designer for various shows and rides in Epcot’s World Showcase. His poster introducing the Dumbo ride at Disneyland, is one of the most popular lithographs in Disney history. He has two works on display in Paris’ renowned Louvre, which are part of the Mickey Bear Les Micquets exhibition.
In commercials Mendez was the art director responsible for character development and storyboarding of Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample’s Cheerios, Trix, Kixs, Lucky Charms and Cocoa Puffs accounts.
Phil Mendez is the 2006 honoree of the Action on Film Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2010 honoree of the Ollies Animation Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.
