[[Image:Cliffroberts.jpg|frame|Cliff Roberts, ca. 1950s]]
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[[File:Cliffroberts.jpg|thumb|300px|Cliff Roberts, ca. 1950s]]
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'''Cliff Roberts'''(1929-1999)wasa cartoonist and animator who worked on inserts for ''[[Sesame Street]]'' as well as the [[Sesame Street (comic strip)|spin-off comic strip]] and ''[[Sesame Street Magazine]]''.Robertsspent much of his early career in [[New York City]] as a freelance commercial artist and director. He also worked as a photographer, with work displayed at the 1964 World's Fair, and contributed cartoons to ''[[Playboy]]'' and ''[[The New Yorker]]''. He soon became a popular designer for animation, creating character model sheets for Terrytoons and UPA projects. Roberts' style, reflecting his commercial illustration background, involved flat but appealing forms and a minimal color palette; most of his characters were white blobs with occasional splashes of color.
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[[File:Cliff Roberts strip SSmag June73.png|thumb|300px|''[[Sesame Street Magazine]]'' June 1973.]]
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'''Cliff Roberts''' (1929-1999) was a cartoonist and animator who worked on inserts for ''[[Sesame Street]]'' as well as the [[Sesame Street (comic strip)|spin-off comic strip]] and ''[[Sesame Street Magazine]]''.
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Roberts spent much of his early career in [[New York City]] as a freelance commercial artist and director. He also worked as a photographer, with work displayed at the 1964 World's Fair, and contributed cartoons to ''[[Playboy]]'' and ''[[The New Yorker]]''. He soon became a popular designer for animation, creating character model sheets for Terrytoons and UPA projects. Roberts' style, reflecting his commercial illustration background, involved flat but appealing forms and a minimal color palette; most of his characters were white blobs with occasional splashes of color.
For ''Sesame Street'', Roberts created [[Jasper and Julius]], two characters who would engage in debates over body parts, as well as [[Christopher Clumsy]]. These characters were brought over to Roberts' ''Sesame Street'' strip, alongside [[Big Bird]], [[Oscar the Grouch]] and [[Cookie Monster]].
For ''Sesame Street'', Roberts created [[Jasper and Julius]], two characters who would engage in debates over body parts, as well as [[Christopher Clumsy]]. These characters were brought over to Roberts' ''Sesame Street'' strip, alongside [[Big Bird]], [[Oscar the Grouch]] and [[Cookie Monster]].
Roberts later worked on the Saturday morning cartoons ''[[The Smurfs]]'', ''[[Scooby-Doo]]'' and ''[[The Pink Panther]]'', and illustrated the [[Langston Hughes]] book ''The First Book of Jazz''. He retired in 1993.
Roberts later worked on the Saturday morning cartoons ''[[The Smurfs]]'', ''[[Scooby-Doo]]'' and ''[[The Pink Panther]]'', and illustrated the [[Langston Hughes]] book ''The First Book of Jazz''. He retired in 1993.
Roberts spent much of his early career in New York City as a freelance commercial artist and director. He also worked as a photographer, with work displayed at the 1964 World's Fair, and contributed cartoons to Playboy and The New Yorker. He soon became a popular designer for animation, creating character model sheets for Terrytoons and UPA projects. Roberts' style, reflecting his commercial illustration background, involved flat but appealing forms and a minimal color palette; most of his characters were white blobs with occasional splashes of color.
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