A Versatile Visionary of Animation and Muralism
Paul Julian was a multifaceted American artist whose career spanned the realms of animation, muralism, and voice acting. Born in Illinois, he began his professional journey in Los Angeles, working as a layout and background artist at Leon Schlesinger's animation studio, often referred to as "Termite Terrace." His artistic contributions were deeply embedded in the golden era of Warner Bros. Cartoons, where he became highly regarded for his colorful, modernist city-scape paintings. These tightly cropped urban scenes were featured in various shorts, including those for Sylvester and Tweety Bird, as well as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.
Beyond the animation studio, Julian's hand was seen in the public sphere through New Deal mural projects across Southern California. In 1942, he created the mural Orange Picking for the Fullerton, California, post office, utilizing a technique called petrachrome that employed 24 different colors of marble. That same year, he completed a WPA mural for the Upland Elementary School in Upland, California.
From Background Art to Iconic Sounds
Julian's influence extended into the auditory landscape of animation. While working as a background artist, he provided the vocal effects for the Road Runner. The iconic "Beep-Beep!" sound originated from Julian imitating a car horn in the hallways of the Warner Bros. studio lot to signal people to move out of his way while he carried large paintings. This sound was later used in the 1949 short Fast and Furry-ous.
His diverse portfolio included:
