Clifford (character)
Clifford is the title character and main protagonist of Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell, originally published in 1963. Clifford is also the star of the television series of the same name: Clifford the Big Red Dog, based on the book series, which ran on PBS Kids during the early 2000s and its reboot in 2019. He is the official mascot of Scholastic Corporation. Concept and creation Clifford is inspired by Norman Bridwell's childhood desire for a dog the size of a horse. In 1962, Bridwell included paintings of Clifford, (who was named ‘Tiny’ at the time) in a portfolio of children's book illustrations. In the process of showing this portfolio to publishing houses, Susan Hirschman at Harper & Row suggested to Bridwell that he turn his drawings into a children's story. Bridwell then developed a story around the dog and his owner, which he would eventually submit to Scholastic. His wife, Norma, suggested he name the dog "Clifford" after her imaginary friend from her childhood. Emily Elizabeth is named after Bridwell's daughter of the same name. Scholastic published the story the following year. Origins Clifford is a giant, friendly, red dog, owned by a young girl named