NEWS: Cartoon Pioneer Joseph Barbera Passes Away

CULTURE: Cartoon Pioneer Joseph Barbera Passes Away

Joseph Barbera, the man who helped create some of the world's best-loved cartoon characters including Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones and Yogi Bear, passed away Monday at the age of 95.

Barbera, along with Hanna, who died in 2001, first teamed up at MGM in the 1930's, made the cartoon short "Puss Gets the Boot," starring a cat named Jasper and an unnamed mouse who would soon evolve into Tom and Jerry.

They later left MGM, and created their own company, Hanna-Barbera, who would go on to create over 300 cartoons. The duo themselves produced more than 3,000 animated half-hour shows during their more than 60 years together.

Here is the short that started it all, "Puss Gets the Boot."

That stnks, I love Hanna-Barbera toons. Why my left ankle is inked with secret squirral, underdog, and hong kong phooey. May he rest in peace.

Sad.

hes a fucking genius

I don't mean to sound like a dick, but I don't fell that's sad at all. He lived a great life, contributed to American pop culture and humor. This guy accomplished way more than many even dream to accomplish. That's life.

::Goes to watch some Tom and Jerry::

He did leave a long, full life, but we can still mourn his passing as well as celebrate.

-TM

Agreed.

He was the last of the truely great old cartoon directors. Rest in Peace. Is it just me or has cartoons gone to shit lately?

I guess it would really depend on the kind of cartoon you're into. Overall, they aren't what they used to be (especially compared to the 80's) but there's some hidden gems out there. All a matter of taste.

-TM

Weren't Hanna-Barbera responsible for some of the shittiest animation of all time?

That's what I said in the other thread. I think some people are confusing nostalgia for genuine admiration. Rock Lords? Go-Bots? Scooby-Doo? Wacky Races? I didn't even like that crap when I was young and dumb enough to be supposed to.

Aww thats so sad. I agree some of the shows Hanna-Barbera created were kinda lame but they did have a few that I really enjoyed as a kid.
My thoughts are wth his family.

A true legend.

I loved his work.

The eighties?

Are you fucking kidding me?

What were cartoons in the eighties? While the seventies got us declawed Tom and Jerry and Bugs Bunny cartoons (and most of the racist stuff like this one's depiction of a stereotypical black housekeeper) on the networks to go with our Scooby Doo, the eighties with the deregulation of children's television got us a whole bunch of really awful shit that was generally a 30 minute cartoon for a toy.

Smurfs, G.I. Joe, Rainbow Brite, Jem, Dungeons and Dragons, etc.

Footnote: the violent and racist cartoons tended to pop up in local syndication during the 70s and 80s. Parents never complained effectively about the violence, though sometimes the racism would get some letter-writing campaigns flying. Stations probably bought old cartoons in bulk, as a great many of them had probably fallen into the public domain.

In the 90s with cable and stuff like Ren and Stimpy things started getting good again.

+1, ASSH0LE. With very few exceptions, the only consistently quality children's animated shows in the 80s were Disney's.

With exceptions like The Tick, Animaniacs, Spongebob and Ren & Stimpy, I would be willing to wager that you ask anyone who grew up in the 80's and 90's which decade had the better cartoons, @least 75% would say the 80's.

-TM

I would disagree wholeheartedly with your estimation of good nineties cartoons. What about Tiny Toon Adventures, Daria, Freakazoid, Batman, AAAH!!! Real Monsters, Gargoyles, Beast Wars, Darkwing Duck, Doug, Pinky & the Brain, Rocko's Modern Life, Rugrats, South Park, X-Men, and a bunch more that are debatable?

The eighties cartoons that were near as good as the above were, more or less, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ducktales, and Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers. And even that's a stretch. If there were any 80s cartoons as amazingly good as Anamaniacs, Rocko, or Gargoyles, please let me know about them.

obviously you've never heard of SilverHawks.

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

CocoabutteR said:
obviously you've never heard of SilverHawks.

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

Perfect example. The Silverhawks might be the quintessential 80s cartoon: a bad rip-off of an already mediocre show. Eh, maybe not SilverHawks. Maybe Go-Bots.