Joseph Barbera, the man who helped create some of the world's
best-loved cartoon characters including Tom and Jerry, Fred
Flintstone and Yogi Bear, has died aged 95, friends and family
said.
Barbera, who with William Hanna formed the legendary Hanna-Barbera
animation company that became synonymous with cartoons throughout
the 20th century, passed away Monday at his home in Los Angeles,
representatives said.
"Joe Barbera truly was an animation and television legend," said
Barry Meyer, chairman and chief executive officer of Warner
Bros.
"From the Stone Age to the Space Age and from primetime to Saturday
mornings, syndication and cable, the characters he created with his
late partner, William Hanna, are not only animated superstars, but
also a very beloved part of American pop culture.
"While he will be missed by his family and friends, Joe will live
on through his work," Meyer said.
Barbera's death comes five years after Hanna passed away in 2001,
aged 90.
The two men first collaborated in 1937 at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
where they created the cat and mouse best of enemies, Tom and
Jerry.
Hanna directed and Barbera drew, going on to win seven Academy
Awards for short films involving the protagonists.
Hanna-Barbera was founded in 1957, fuelled by the advent of
television. The company produced more than 300 cartoons,
Among the titles the company produced were "Huckleberry Hound",
"The Flintstones", first aired in 1960, and "Yogi Bear" the
following year.
"Johnny Quest", "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?", "The Banana Splits,"
"The Harlem Globetrotters," "The Jetsons" and "The Smurfs" were
later hits.
"Scooby Doo," which ran for an astonishing 17 consecutive years, is
television's longest-running animated series.
The pair produced more than 3,000 animated half-hour shows during
their more than 60 years together.
Born in New York in 1911, Barbera started out as a banker but found
work as an artist when Collier's magazine published some of his
hand-drawn comics. He studied art before moving to the Van Beuren
animation studios in New York.
Sander Schwartz, the president of Warner Bros Animation said,
Barbera and Hanna had pioneered the world of animation.
"Bill created a landmark television production model and Joe filled
it with funny, original show ideas and memorable characters that
will stand for all time as his ultimate legacy," Schwartz
said.
"Joe's contributions to both the animation and television
industries are without parallel," Schwartz said. "He has been
personally responsible for entertaining countless millions of
viewers across the globe."
Hanna and Barbera were honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk
of Fame in 1976. Barbera's wife, Sheila, was at his side when he
died. He is also survived by three children from a previous
marriage -- Jayne, Neal and Lynn.
(goodbye Joe 
)
