Paul Hull Husted (June 25, 1914 – September 5, 1995), better known as Paul Julian, was an American artist and animator, most noted for his work with Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes short films. He worked primarily on director Friz Freleng’s Sylvester and Tweety Bird shorts. His warm and tightly-cropped urban scenes were also featured early in his career in the 1946 Bugs Bunny film Baseball Bugs, and in the crime syndicate-themed Daffy Duck film Golden Yeggs. Paul Julian also worked extensively as a WPA mural artist. Born in Illinois, Mr. Julian did mural projects all around Southern California for the WPA prior to starting his career in Hollywood. In 1942, an oil and canvas mural (Orange Pickers) painted by Mr. Julian was added to the interior of the Fullerton, California post office. When completed, the Post Office and interior mural brought to the Fullerton community a symbol of government efficiency, services, and culture. Mr. Julian’s 1942 mural works are at also at the Upland Elementary School in Upland, California at the side of the school auditorium. Though faded, the murals are in decent shape. Mr. Julian used a technique called petrachrome for this fine mural that utilized 24 different colors of marble to complete the mural’s four panels. The mural inside the Fullerton Post Office is in excellent condition.

Later, while working at Warner Brothers as a background artist, Mr. Julian provided the Road Runner’s “Beep-Beep!” sound. Paul Julian first made the sound on the Warner Bros. studio lot. He imitated a car horn as a lighthearted way to get people out of his way when he was in a hurry. Editor Treg Brown recorded Julian’s noises and ultimately used them for the Road Runner films, which are still in use in modern Looney Tunes media. Julian directed the animated films Baby Boogie (1955), and The Hangman, which was produced by Les Goldman. The film garnered over 15 international film festival awards. He also produced (1964) and was a production designer for the 1978 anime fantasy Winds of Change, based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Julian also had long working relationship with Roger Corman providing artwork for many of his movies, including Dementia 13 and The Terror. Mr. Julian was still working as artist when he died in Van Nuys, California in 1995.