RIP Gerard Baldwin

An artist and animator whose career spanned nearly 70 years, Gerard Baldwin died in Houston Wednesday at age 89.

Baldwin worked on a number of iconic cartoon characters including Rocky and Bullwinkle, the Smurfs, Mr. Magoo and others. Two years ago the Emmy-winning artist published a book about his career titled "Mr. Magoo to Papa Smurf."

He had lived in Houston since moving here with his family in 1989.

Baldwin was born in New York in 1929 and grew up in Los Angeles. His first paying job as an artist was drawing Mr. Magoo as a cartoonist's apprentice in 1950.

"It seemed like an interim thing to do while the world found out I was a great painter," he told the Chronicle. "The world never did find that out. But it turned out I was perfectly suited for animation. The technical craft and art ability, the whole thing suited me just fine."

By 1959, Baldwin was doing more than animating, directing episodes of "Rocky & Bullwinkle." He worked for Hanna-Barbera. His work earned him three Emmys.

Baldwin planned to retire upon arriving in Houston. Instead he continued to draw and paint, while holding a teaching job at Kingwood College.

In 2010, he exhibited his work at Domy Bookstore, some of which put familiar characters from his past into surrealist settings.

"Sometimes I paint or draw in my sleep, but that doesn't mean when I wake up a drawing pops out," he said. "Sometimes I solve graphic problems in my sleep. Sometimes I dream I'm one of the characters. I dreamed I was Mr. Magoo, being chased by Army types, and I kept running away.
"I guess most of my dreams are normal. But once in a while, one will make me go, 'Oooh,' like that one."