‘Flintstones,’ Yogi Bear Creator Barbera dies

Joseph Barbera, the animator whose Valley studio created cartoon icons Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear and the cat and mouse team of Tom and Jerry, died Monday at his home in Studio City. He was 95. Barbera and partner William Hanna founded their eponymous animation studio Hanna-Barbera in 1957, one of the first independent animation houses in the business. The duo for years operated out of futuristic studio on Cahuenga Boulevard near Universal City, which opened in spring of 1963. The studio was eventually acquired by Warner Bros. “Joe Barbera was an animation and television legend,” said Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Barry Meyer, in a statement. “The characters he created with [Hanna] are not only animated superstars, but also a very beloved part of American pop culture.” Born in New York City, Barbera worked as a banker until the 1930s when Collier’s magazine published some of his hand-drawn comics. He honed his skills at the Van Beuren animations studios and was hired by MGM in 1937 where he met Hanna, a director and story editor. The pair’s first collaboration at MGM was “Puss Gets the Boot,” which led to the creation of Tom and Jerry. After founding their studio, Hanna and Barbera collaborated on “The Huckleberry Hound Show,” “Quick Draw McGraw,” and “The Flintstones,” the first animated show to air in primetime. Hanna died in 2001. Barbera’s legacy will be his memorable characters and original story ideas, said Sander Schwartz, president of Warner Bros. Animation, in a statement. “Joe’s contributions to both the animation and television industries are without parallel,” Schwartz said. “His influences upon generations of animation professionals have been extraordinary.”