Emery Hawkins

Biography

Emery Hawkins was an American animator, best known for his work during the Golden Age of American animation, working in various studios in the industry. Hawkins began his career in the animation industry as a cel inker at the Charles Mintz studio, where he would later be promoted to animator. He would then work at MGM and then move to Walt Disney Productions in the late 30's but would leave in 1941 during the Disney animators' strike because his colleagues said they would never talk to him again if he did strike. Initially going back to Mintz' studio (now renamed Screen Gems), he would later move to Walter Lantz Productions, where he would co-redesign their flagship character Woody Woodpecker with Art Heinemann. Later in mid-1946 he would move to Warner Bros. Cartoons to animator for Arthur Davis, Robert McKimson, Chuck Jones, and Friz Freleng up until 1950. Hawkins later worked in John Sutherland Productions as well as working and directing the 1954 Mexican cartoon Manolin Torero with his former colleague Pat Matthews at Dibujos Animados. He briefly did commercials for different companies in the 1950s, including Playhouse Pictures, Storyboard Inc., Pelican Films, Quartet Films and Bill Melendez Productions.