American animator, renowned for his distinctive, angular style and effortless, fluid character movements. A charismatic individual with a quick wit and warm humor, Washam made substantial contributions to Warner Brothers cartoons under the guidance of Chuck Jones between 1941 and 1963. Two of his signature elements were the noticeably wider cheeks and pointier teeth he gave Bugs Bunny, as well as the iconic fist-spinning animation that preceded a fight. Additionally, his characters were often depicted nodding while speaking. One of the most memorable scenes Washam animated features Bugs shaving Elmer Fudd's head before crafting a salad on it in the 1950 cartoon, Rabbit of Seville.
Washam briefly collaborated with Jones at MGM in the 1960s, directing several episodes of the beloved 'Tom & Jerry' series. Later, he worked on commercials for 'Rocky & Bullwinkle' creator Jay Ward. Notably, Washam was a gifted educator who generously offered free weekly tutorials to animation students at his home in Laurel Canyon for several years, starting in 1967. Earlier, he served two terms as president of the Screen Animators Guild (1948-1949),an experience that led him to remark caustically that any meeting that did not conclude "with at least one fistfight in the parking lot was a dud!"
