SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) - The animator who gave movement to Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and the other Peanuts characters has died. Bill Melendez was 91. He died of natural causes. Melendez started his career in 1938 at Walt Disney Studios, working on Mickey Mouse cartoons and classic animated features like "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia." He went on to animate TV specials such as "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and was the voice of Snoopy, who never spoke intelligible words but issued expressive howls, sighs and sobs. Melendez met "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz in 1959 while working on TV commercials for Ford that featured Peanuts characters. The two became friends and Melendez became the only person Schulz authorized to animate his characters. Melendez and his producing partner went on to produce, direct or animate about 70 "Peanuts" TV specials, four movies and hundreds of commercials.