Having the last laugh.

Norman Bridwell wasn’t good at too many things. As a teenager, the Indiana native struggled at sports, and was so inept in shop class that after only a few days,  his teacher took away his tools and gave him a pad of paper, instead. “You seem to like to draw, stick to that,” he was told.  Only there was always someone better than him. A better artist, better at writing. Just better.

After high school, Norman studied art at the John Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis, and then at Cooper Union in New York. He worked as a commercial artist, and while freelancing as a filmstrip and slide illustrator drawing mostly cartoons, he got the idea to assemble a portfolio and make the rounds of publishers of children’s books. Poor Norman. He was rejected by over fifteen publishers, and was told repeatedly that he would never make it as an illustrator. His illustrations were just too boring.

At Harper & Row, one editor told Norman that she didn’t think anybody would ever ask him to illustrate a book for them. She did, however, suggest that he create a story to go with one of his pictures. She picked out his drawing of a little girl riding a dog the size of a pony.

He took her advice. He made the dog even bigger, and more of the “all-around” dog he had always wanted as a boy. Some have suggested that Clifford is a giant Vizsla, but the very first prototype was a Bloodhound.

The rest is history.

Scholastic Books agreed to publish Norma’s Clifford the Big Red Dog less than a month later.

If Norman had has his way, the story’s name would have been, “Tiny the Big Red Dog,” but Norman’s wise wife said “Tiny” was too boring (that word again) and suggested ‘Clifford’ after her childhood imaginary friend. Clifford’s young friend’s name was easier. “Emily Elizabeth” was named after Norman’s daughter.

Children everywhere love Clifford. Although the stories are based on ordinary events, like going to the circus, the beach, or camping, things happen when the Big Red Dog shows up. “Clifford always tries to do the right thing,” Bridwell once explained, “but he does make mistakes.” Clifford’s behavior was inspired by dogs Bridwell watched over the years, including his own. One Scholastic editor, however, has suggested that Clifford is actually like Norman: Kind and gentle.

“Clifford” helped Scholastic rise to fame, and the publishing house adopted the dog as their mascot. As for Norman, he and his family lived in Martha’s Vineyard until his death at the age of 86 in 2014.

Watch Norman talk about Clifford on his 50th Anniversary: