"A jar of red paint happened to be situated on his desk on the day he first drew a picture of a little girl and a big dog."

"He wanted to name the dog Tiny, though his wife, Norma, discouraged the obvious joke and named him Clifford, after an imaginary friend from her childhood. The little girl who owned him, Emily Elizabeth, was named for their infant daughter."

From the NYT obituary for Norman Bridwell.