Monday, December 18, 2006

JOE BARBERA, 95

Bill Hanna died in 2001 at the age of 90. His partner in cartoon crime died Monday. Together, they created Tom and Jerry, Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo and the Flintstones. The Associated Press reports:
Barbera died of natural causes at his home with his wife, Sheila, at his side, Warner Bros. spokesman Gary Miereanu said.

With Hanna, Barbera first found success creating the highly successful Tom and Jerry cartoons.

The antics of the battling cat and mouse went on to win seven Academy Awards, more than any other series with the same characters.

The partners, who had first teamed up while working at MGM in the 1930s, then went on to a whole new realm of success in the 1950s and '60s with a witty series of animated TV comedies, including "The Flintstones," "The Jetsons," "Yogi Bear," "Scooby-Doo" and "Huckleberry Hound and Friends."
Hanna-Barbera won eight Emmys and entertained millions of us, as kids and adults. A pretty great legacy.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Headline: Yabba Dabba Dead

Anonymous said...

Barbera's brother-in-law was British 50's rockabilly wacko Vince Taylor, who took to wearing makeup, his hair dyed bright red and calling himself "the leper messiah." David Bowie based Ziggy Stardust on him.

Jeff Boggs