Image: The original, 1963 cover of Clifford the Big Red Dog. (Scholastic)
More than 50 years after he came up with a story about Clifford the Big Red Dog, artist and author Norman Bridwell has died.
In 2012, Bridwell told NPR’s Scott Simon that he “was shocked when [Clifford] was accepted for publication, because I’d never written anything before." When his wife suggested he follow up by writing another story about Clifford – and maybe even two or three – the author answered, "Oh, no. This is just a fluke.”
The gigantic dog went on to anchor a series of books that has spread into TV and beyond. More than 129 million copies of his Clifford books have sold since then, and an animated series based on the books is aired in 65 countries.
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