It's the end of an era. The creator of the popular "Clifford" children's books, Norman Bridwell, has passed away at age 86 in Martha's Vineyard.
Bridwell first sketched the giant red dog for a story in 1963, and Clifford went on to sell more than 120 million copies in a franchise that included more than 40 books, "cartoons, a feature film, a musical, stuffed animals, key chains, posters, and stickers."
Everyone, it seems, had a tender spot for the loveable, oversized dog, who kept screwing up yet kept trying to make things better.
But here are a few Clifford facts you probably didn't know:
Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins was a script writer for the Clifford movie.
There are pictures of Clifford in museums and even in the White House.
Clifford was a bloodhound because that was the breed Bridwell had wanted as a child.
He got his name from the imaginary friend Norma, Bridwell's wife, had growing up.
Bridwell regarded the first Clifford book as something of a fluke, and didn't expect to create any more.
Norma considered Clifford to be based on her husband's own character.
In the television cartoon series, the voice of Clifford the Big Red Dog was the late John Ritter.
“He’s never been able to recognize that,” she once said. “Clifford tries to do the right thing, Norman tries to do right the thing, and he makes a mess of it. But he’s the most lovable grown-up man. He’s just a nice guy.”
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