Laverne Harding | |
|---|---|
| Born | Emily La Verne Harding (1905-10-10)October 10, 1905 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | September 25, 1984(1984-09-25) (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | LaVerne Harding Verne Harding Emily Harding |
| Education | Chouinard Art Institute |
| Occupation(s) | Animator, cartoonist, writer, storyboard artist |
| Years active | 1932–1974 |
| Employer(s) | Walter Lantz Productions (1932–1960) Hanna-Barbera (1960–1964) DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (1964–1967) Warner Bros.–Seven Arts Animation (1967–1969) Filmation (1969–1974) |
| Notable work | Woody Woodpecker Cynical Susie |
| Awards | Winsor McCay Award, 1980 |
Emily Laverne Harding (October 10, 1905 – September 25, 1984) was an Americananimator andcartoonist.
Harding was born on October 10, 1905, toChristians John B. Harding and Pearle W. Harding inShreveport, Louisiana. Her family moved toLos Angeles in 1911.[1][2] Harding attended theChouinard Art Institute from 1930 to 1932. She was a member of the Delta Kappa Sorority and attended at social events.[1]
Harding, who worked for theWalter Lantz studio for much of her half-century career in animation, is among the earliest woman animators. She is also one of the few women to receive aWinsor McCay Award for lifetime achievement, one of the most prestigious awards in animation (only nine women have been recognized out of 161 awards given). She won this award in 1980.[3]
Working for the Lantz studio from 1932 until 1960, Harding was particularly noted for her work onWoody Woodpecker cartoons; she designed the version of the character that was in use from 1950 to 1998. WhenTex Avery offered her to go with him toWarner Bros. Cartoons, she refused. At first, she was an inker, but in 1934, she was ranked up to animator, and from 1940 to 1960, Harding was credited as such. From 1954 to 1955, Harding reunited with Avery to animate on his cartoons at Lantz.[2][4][5][6] While working for the Lantz studios, Harding also drew a humorous newspaper strip,Cynical Susie, forUnited Feature Syndicate from 1932 to 1934.Cynical Susie revolved around the exploits of the titular heroine (adwarf woman) and her pet cow, Lily Whey.[7][8] After leaving Lantz, she animated forHanna-Barbera cartoons such asYogi Bear. She later worked forDePatie-Freleng Enterprises onPink Panther cartoons, and was briefly employed atWarner Bros. andFilmation as well.[1]
Harding died in her home on September 25, 1984, in Los Angeles.[5]