Joseph Barbera : Died the ripe old age of 95 on the 18th December 2006.
When I was young I never understood why my parents got upset when famous people died. It seemed absurd that someone they didn't know would have an effect on their life. As I got older I understood all too well - it's not so much about the real person - but the mythical person. They either age gracefully with you changing roles to meet your needs or they allow you to stay the same age you really are inside :-)
As a Kid I watched many cartoons on TV - they seemed to be keyed in with my world view at that time and they were in colour too! But a small sub-set stuck out that I have been able to enjoyed though out my life and they were made by the same people. Hanna and Barbera.
This lens is about Joseph Barbera - someone who along with Bill Hanna has touched countless generations with amazing stories and wacky characters.
Its amazing to think that we are not talking about a single cartoon but so many - Tom and Jerry, the Flintstones, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo and who can forget Mutley were all created by this mans genis mind.
Hanna took care of the technical side and Barbera was in charge of the artistic side - sketching and storyboarding.
After losing his job in the Depression, in 1937 he joined the newly-formed cartoon department of MGM with which he was to make his name.
1940 saw the release of their first film about a cat and mouse. The caper was entitled "Puss Gets the Boot". What was meant to be a one-off evolved into Tom and Jerry, and their appeal still never seems dated even with the new generation of toon around.
By 1957 producion costs of these cartoons had spiralled out of control and the studio had to close.
From those ashes a new idea was born and a new duo came forth 'Yabba dabba doo!' with thier first series.
This new production studio had to be careful with costs so this time using less detail and movement, intersperst with stock footage, and where possible fewer drawings massive costs were saved.
At the time the style was criticised by animation-purists. But people still loved the characters and the stories told. I wonder what they would say today about the way toon are stitched togeather!
The Hanna-Barbera studio enjoyed almost instant success, making their fortune with the adult-friendly cartoon The Huckleberry Hound Show in 1958.
By 1960, a second series of The Flintstones made history and became the first cartoon to occupy a prime-time slot on American television. Something the The Simpsons would also do 20 years later.
In 1962 "The Jetsons" a space-age version of The Flintstones was released. While succesful in it own right it was a new combination of four school children and their canine companion in the series, "Scooby-Doo", that proved to be the duo's final enduring success.
In 1966, at the peak of the studio's popularity, with Hanna-Barbera cartoons attracting global audiences of more than 300 million, the two men sold their company to Taft Productions for a then staggering $25 million.
Despite selling the studio Barbera remained active in the entertainment industry well into the 1990s. In 1993 Barbera ( Man driving Mersandes) made his acting debut in the live action Flintstones feature film! A year later he published his autobiography, My Life in Toons.
For me I'm proud to have found that the cartoons have not lost their magic on a new generation and my little girl also loves Scooby-Doo and I have been introducing her to the other cartoons from this wacky wacky world.
I have set up one of those plexo thingies and would love to know what you think is their best 'toon.
If you want to know more about some of their 'toons I have made a lens for each one - please note this is a work in progress and so it may take some time for me to get info in all of them and I plan to keep updating them. Do check out the trivia sections for useless info and facts that you really need to know.
Direct links to the sub lens:-
My tribute to Joesph Barbera.
Directed The following
2. "Cartoon Alley" (2004) TV Series (original material)
3. Cartoon Crack-ups (2001) (V)
4. Tom and Jerry's Greatest Chases (2000) (V)
5. Jetsons: The Movie (1990)
6. The Baby Smurf (1984) (TV)
7. Here Are the Smurfs (1984) (TV)
8. Dalton en cavale, Les (1983)
... aka Dalton en balade, Les
... aka Lucky Luke - Das große Abenteuer (West Germany)
9. Gulliver's Travels (1979) (TV) (uncredited)
10. "Fred Flintstone and Friends" (1977) TV Series
11. "The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie" (7 episodes, 1972-1973)
... aka The New Saturday Superstar Movie (USA: second season title)
- Lost in Space (1973) TV Episode
- Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family (1972) TV Episode
- The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park (1972) TV Episode
- The Adventures of Robin Hoodnik (1972) TV Episode
- Oliver and the Artful Dodger: Part 2 (1972) TV Episode
(2 more)
12. "The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan" (1 episode, 1972)
- To Catch a Pitcher (1972) TV Episode
13. "Josie and the Pussy Cats in Outer Space" (1972) TV Series
14. "The Roman Holidays" (1972) TV Series
15. "Sealab 2020" (1972) TV Series
16. "The New Scooby-Doo Movies" (1972) TV Series
... aka Scooby-Doo Meets the Harlem Globetrotters (USA: video title)
... aka Scooby-Doo's New Comedy Movie Pictures (USA)
17. "Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!" (1971) TV Series
18. "The Funky Phantom" (1971) TV Series
19. "The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show" (1971) TV Series
20. "Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har" (1971) TV Series (uncredited)
21. "Josie and the Pussycats" (1970) TV Series
22. "Harlem Globe Trotters" (1970) TV Series
... aka The Go-Go Globetrotters (USA: rerun title)
23. "Where's Huddles?" (1970) TV Series
24. "Love, American Style" (1969) TV Series
25. "The Perils of Penelope Pitstop" (1969) TV Series
26. "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" (1969) TV Series
27. "Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines" (1969) TV Series
28. "Cattanooga Cats" (1969) TV Series
29. "Motormouse and Autocat" (1969) TV Series
30. "Loopy de Loop" (1969) TV Series
31. "The Adventures of Gulliver" (1968) TV Series
32. "Wacky Races" (1968) TV Series
33. "Arabian Knights" (1968) TV Series
34. "Shazzan" (1967) TV Series
35. "Fantastic 4" (5 episodes)
- Danger in the Depths (????) TV Episode
- Demon in the Deep (????) TV Episode
- Invasion of the Super Skrulls (????) TV Episode
- It Started on Y
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Feel free to comment
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- Jim10 Jim10 Jun 24, 2008 @ 6:22 pm
- Great lens. These were some of my favorite cartoons. I loved Boomerang because I was able to see all of these again on TV. But had to change to Comcast when I moved and they don't carry Boomerang. So I am pretty sad.
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- poddys poddys Feb 27, 2008 @ 10:56 am
- Didn't they also do Pixie & Dixie & Mr Jinks, and Snagglepuss? I grew up with Hanna and Barbera - as I got older I never ceased to be amazed at their talents. This is a great tribute lens. 5 *****
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- s96designs s96designs Aug 28, 2007 @ 5:29 pm
- I'm sorry, I forgot to rate...gave 5 stars
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- s96designs s96designs Aug 28, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
- Oh I remember watching so many of those cartoons. It's quite sad when you hear of someone like this pass away...they did so much. Like Einsteinium, I felt the same way when we lost Gene Roddenberry,Audrey Hepburn, Christopher Reeve and John Ritter.
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- trying trying Mar 20, 2007 @ 6:05 pm
- This is an excellent tribute. Though Barbera is gone, his legacy is very much alive and will be for a long long time.
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- Margaret_Schaut Margaret_Schaut Jan 11, 2007 @ 9:34 pm
- I, too, was upset when he died, and I was delighted to see such a beautiful and thoughtful lens about an American Great. Excellent work, great tribute!
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- KCStargazer KCStargazer Jan 5, 2007 @ 2:23 am
- Nice triubute to an American Pop Culture Icon.
Welcome to the Kaleidoscope Group!
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- tmdblogger tmdblogger Jan 2, 2007 @ 7:08 pm
- Gene and Jim - another two great! I have changed the title as you suggested - great idea :-)
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- Einsteinium Einsteinium Dec 27, 2006 @ 9:59 am
- I felt the exact same way when Gene Roddenberry and Jim Henson died right after each other.
Btw, your lens name is a little confusing. Changing the name to "Tribute to Joseph Barbera (of Hanna Barbera Fame)" or something might make it easier for people to know what the lens is about.










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