:Norman Bridwell

Bridwell was born on February 15, 1928,{{Cite web |last=Maccarone |first=Grace |date=2013-02-05 |title=The Man Behind Clifford: An interview with the Big Red Dog |url=https://www.slj.com/story/top-dog-after-50-years-clifford-and-his-kind-creator-norman-bridwell-are-bigger-than-ever |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=School Library Journal}} in Kokomo, Indiana, to Leona and Vern Bridwell (a homemaker and factory worker, respectively).{{cite web |url=http://www.howardcountymemory.net/default.aspx?id=9356 |title=Norman Bridwell - Never Give Up on Your Dreams |year=2009 |work=Howard County Memory Project |access-date=2011-12-25 |archive-date=2017-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923120948/http://www.howardcountymemory.net/default.aspx?id=9356 |url-status=dead }} Growing up, Bridwell was known to draw frequently, however, he never thought of himself as being any good at it.{{Cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Gail |date=2014-12-17 |title=The success story of a refreshingly ordinary man: Norman Birdwell, creator of ‘Clifford,’ dead at 86 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/12/17/the-success-story-of-a-refreshingly-ordinary-man-norman-birdwell-creator-of-clifford-dead-at-86/ |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=The Washington Post}} When he attended Kokomo High School in the 1940s he believed that there were always students better than him in his art and writing classes.{{cite web |year=2012 |title=Biography: Norman Bridwell |url=http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-bridwell-norman.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106030224/http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-bridwell-norman.asp |archive-date=2012-01-06 |access-date=2011-12-25 |work=KidsReads |publisher=The Book Report Network}} Nevertheless, after graduating high school in 1945, Bridwell went on to pursue art at the John Herron School of Art at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis and Cooper Union in New York City.

File:Norman Bridwell, Clifford the Big Red Dog, 2011.jpg book in 2011]]

Bridwell began his artistic career as a freelance commercial artist in New York, however, he still found himself struggling to pay the bills while supporting his wife and young daughter. In order to make some extra money, Bridwell organized a portfolio in 1962 and attempted to get a job as a children's book illustrator, but he was rejected by approximately fifteen publishing houses. While at Harper & Row, an editor, believing that Bridwell's art was not good enough to be sold on its own, suggested he turn one of his drawings into a story. The drawing that the editor picked out for this task was of a young girl and a horse-sized bloodhound, and the story became Clifford the Big Red Dog. The first Clifford book was published in 1963 and spawned over 75 Clifford titles (not all written by Bridwell),{{Cite web |date=2024-01-12 |title=6 Best Norman Bridwell Books That Adults And Children Will Love |url=https://becomeawritertoday.com/best-norman-bridwell-books/ |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=becomeawritertoday.com |language=en-GB}} three animated television series,{{Cite web |date=2023-09-07 |title=Clifford the Big Red Dog- TV Series |url=https://archive.org/details/CliffordTheBigRedDogTVSeries |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=Internet Archive}} merchandise, a live musical,{{cite web |url=http://www.scholastic.com/clifford/parentsteachers/liveshow.htm |title=Clifford The Big Red Dog Live Show |publisher=Scholastic |date=January 2012 |access-date=2011-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111072419/http://www.scholastic.com/clifford/parentsteachers/liveshow.htm |archive-date=2012-01-11 |url-status=dead }} and a live-action film.{{cite web|last1=Fleming|first1=Mike Jr.|title='Clifford The Big Red Dog' Movie Unleashed At Paramount With Scribe Justin Malen|url=https://deadline.com/2016/06/clifford-the-big-red-dog-movie-paramount-justin-malen-1201781593/|publisher=Deadline|accessdate=February 27, 2018|date=June 30, 2016}} Clifford serves as the official mascot of Scholastic, the publisher of the series.{{cite web |date=January 5, 2020 |title=First Look at Live Action Adaptation of CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwbooks/article/First-Look-at-Live-Action-Adaptation-of-CLIFFORD-THE-BIG-RED-DOG-20200105 |website=BroadwayWorld}}

The Witch Next Door, originally published in 1965,{{Cite book |last=Bridwell |first=Norman |url=https://archive.org/details/witchnextdoor00brid/page/n35/mode/2up |title=The witch next door |date=1965 |publisher=Scholastic |others=Internet Archive}} is yet another successful book written and illustrated by Bridwell. The author presented The Witch Next Door to his editor alongside a new copy of Clifford, only intending to bring along a little extra content to share. The new book concept and drawings had only been thrown together the night before the meeting. Despite this, The Witch Next Door went on to become one of Bridwell's most popular books, leading to a series of six total books built around the witch character.{{Cite web |title=Norman Bridwell {{!}} Reading Rockets |url=https://www.readingrockets.org/people-and-organizations/norman-bridwell |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=www.readingrockets.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=The Witch Next Door Series by Norman Bridwell |url=https://www.goodreads.com/series/293124-the-witch-next-door |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=www.goodreads.com}}

Other children's books by Bridwell include The Zany Zoo (1963),{{Cite web |title=Zany Zoo |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6377559-zany-zoo |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=Goodreads |language=en}} What Do They Do When It Rains (1969),{{Cite book |last=Bridwell |first=Norman |url=https://archive.org/details/whatdotheydowhen00brid/mode/2up |title=What do they do when it rains? |date=1969 |publisher=New York, Scholastic Book Services |others=Internet Archive}} How to Care for Your Monster (1970),{{Cite book |last=Bridwell |first=Norman |url=https://openlibrary.org/books/OL24957015M/How_to_care_for_your_monster |title=How to care for your monster |date=1970 |publisher=Scholastic Book Services |location=New York}} and A Tiny Family (1974).{{Cite book |last=Bridwell |first=Norman |url=https://archive.org/details/tinyfamily00brid/mode/2up |title=A tiny family |date=1974 |publisher=New York : Scholastic |others=Internet Archive}} There are over 126 million copies of his books in print in 13 languages.{{Cite web |last=Simon |first=Scott |date=2014-12-20 |title=Bridwell Created A Big Red Dog That Grew With Readers' Love |url=https://www.npr.org/2014/12/20/372070561/bridwell-created-a-big-red-dog-that-grew-with-readers-love |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=www.npr.org}}

On Friday, June 13, 1958, Norman Bridwell was married to his wife Norma Ellen Howard after having courted her for three years.{{cite news|last1=Langer|first1=Emily|title=Norman Bridwell, writer and illustrator who created Clifford the Big Red Dog, dies at 86|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/norman-bridwell-writer-and-illustrator-who-created-clifford-the-big-red-dog-dies-at-86/2014/12/17/03a91550-8604-11e4-b9b7-b8632ae73d25_story.html|accessdate=December 20, 2014|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 17, 2014}}{{Cite web |last=Lovewell |first=Mark Alan |date=2008-06-09 |title=Married (50 Years!) With Children and a Big Red Dog Named Clifford |url=https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2008/06/09/married-50-years-children-and-big-red-dog-named-clifford |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News |language=en}} They were originally introduced to each other by a mutual colleague who thought they would be perfect for each other after observing their many similarities: they were both commercial artists, they were both from Indiana, and their names were so similar. The newlyweds honeymooned at Martha's Vineyard, a trip that inspired them to vacation there several more times before eventually moving there years later. Norma and Norman Bridwell had a daughter they named Emily Elizabeth Merz and a son named Tim. At the time of Bridwell's death, they had three grandchildren.{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2000/09/08/living-dogs-life-norman-bridwell/ |title=Living A Dog's Life: Norman Bridwell |first=Bruce |last=Fretts |date=September 8, 2000 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-date=December 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217062933/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,277463,00.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/16/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/feat-obit-norman-bridwell-clifford-big-red-dog/index.html?hpt=hp_t2|title=Norman Bridwell, creator of 'Clifford the Big Red Dog,' dead at 86|first=Todd |last=Leopold|date=December 16, 2014|accessdate=December 18, 2014|work=CNN}}

The Bridwells resided in Edgartown, Massachusetts on Martha's Vineyard, from 1969 until Norman Bridwell's death in 2014.{{Cite web |last=Wells |first=Julia |date=2014-12-18 |title=Norman Bridwell, Creator of Clifford the Big Red Dog, Dies at 86 |url=https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2014/12/18/norman-bridwell-creator-clifford-big-red-dog-dies-86 |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News |language=en}}

Bridwell died at Martha's Vineyard Hospital on December 12, 2014, at the age of 86 from prostate cancer; Norman's wife Norma stated he had been in the hospital for three weeks before his death after a fall at his home.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/17/books/norman-bridwell-creator-of-clifford-the-big-red-dog-books-dies-at-86.html |title=My Favorite Things, Part II |last=Doe |first=John |date=December 17, 2014 |website=New York Times |access-date=March 10, 2023 |quote=Mr. Bridwell’s wife of 56 years, Norma, told The Associated Press that he had prostate cancer and that he had been in the hospital for three weeks after a fall at his Martha’s Vineyard home in Edgartown.}}{{cite news|url=http://www.mvtimes.com/2014/12/16/norman-ray-bridwell-beloved-author-clifford-big-red-dog-dead-86/|title=Norman Ray Bridwell, beloved author of Clifford the Big Red Dog, dead at 86|newspaper=Martha's Vineyard Times|date=December 16, 2014|accessdate=December 16, 2014}} His funeral was held at the Federated Church on South Summer street in Edgartown.{{Cite web|url=https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2015/07/16/celebration-life-norman-bridwell|title=Celebration of Life for Norman Bridwell|website=The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News|accessdate=Jul 13, 2019}} He was cremated, and his ashes were given to his son, Tim.{{Cite web|url=http://timbridwell.com/ash-ride-shotgun/|title="Making Spirits Rise"|date=Dec 23, 2014|accessdate=Jul 13, 2019}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Norman Bridwell}}

• {{IMDb name|id=1434696|name=Norman Bridwell}}
• {{LCAuth|n50040873|Norman Bridwell|151|}}
• [https://specialcollections.usm.edu/repositories/4/resources/518 Norman Bridwell Papers], Special Collections at the University of Southern Mississippi ([https://www.degrummond.org/ de Grummond Children's Literature Collection])

{{Clifford the Big Red Dog}}

{{Kokomo, Indiana}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridwell, Norman}}

Category:1928 births

Category:2014 deaths

Category:American children's writers

Category:American children's book illustrators

Category:Clifford the Big Red Dog

Category:Cooper Union alumni

Category:Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts

Category:Deaths from prostate cancer in the United States

Category:Herron School of Art and Design alumni

Category:People from Edgartown, Massachusetts

Category:People from Kokomo, Indiana

Category:Writers from Indiana

Category:Writers who illustrated their own writing