10 1/2 x 12 1/2". Graphite and colored pencil on animation paper of a smiling Grinch preparing to slide down a chimney. Provenance: Acquired Profiles in History, 29 June 2016, lot 1783.

INSCRIBED BY TOM RAY, "...as he climed [sic]/to the roof."

Tom Ray began his career in 1937 under the tutelage of legendary animator Tex Avery at Warner Bros. Cartoons; it was here that he met up-and-coming animator Chuck Jones. Over a career spanning seven decades Ray worked on hundreds of Merrie Melodies, Looney Tunes, and Tom and Jerry shorts, as well as Walt Disney's Bambi and The Incredible Mr. Limpet. After convincing Theodore Geisel ("Dr. Seuss") to allow him to make a television film based on How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Chuck Jones set to putting together a team of his best animators to work on the project, with Tom Ray being one of his first recruits. The cartoon special was a great success, with special praise heaped upon the work of the animation team.