David Hudson DePatie (born 26 May 1935 in Shiprock, New Mexico, U.S.), worked with Friz Freleng to create the animated character known as The Pink Panther, originally created for the opening titles of the 1963 live-action film The Pink Panther, starring Peter Sellers. Like Freleng, he has worked on the Warner Bros. cartoon series. With the success of The Pink Panther, DePatie and Freleng formed DFE Films producing additional animated cartoons including a series of Pink Panther shorts for theatrical (and later television) release in the late 1960s and 1970s which were distributed by United Artists in addition to an updated series of Looney Tunes featuring Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner for Warner Bros..
After the success of the animated television special How The Grinch Stole Christmas produced in 1966 by Chuck Jones for MGM, DePatie and Freleng produced a series of animated specials based on many of the other Dr. Seuss' stories for CBS including The Lorax and The Cat in the Hat. DFE also produced several Saturday morning animated programs including Super 6, Super President, Here Comes The Grump, and The Pink Panther Show featuring supporting characters The Inspector (based on the Peter Sellers character), The Ant and the Aardvark and Misterjaw among others.
His last project was The Pink Panther in: Pink at First Sight for ABC and Marvel Productions without Friz Freleng.
Teamed up with Friz Freleng after Warner Bros. closed its cartoon studios in 1963.
Father of David H. DePatie Jr. and Steve DePatie.
