Animation pioneer William Hanna - who helped create Yogi Bear, Tom and Jerry, Fred Flintstone and hundreds of other cartoons - died here Thursday, broadcast reports said. He was 90.
Hanna and partner Joseph Barbera founded Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1957 and produced more than 300 cartoons.
The two began working together at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where they created cat and mouse pals Tom and Jerry. The pair won seven Academy Awards for Tom and Jerry short films.
At MGM, they pioneered mixing live-action and animation, with Tom and Jerry appearing alongside Gene Kelly in "Anchors Aweigh."
"Huckleberry Hound" debuted in 1958 and won the first Emmy given for a cartoon. Dozens of other Saturday morning cartoons and cartoon characters followed, such as Augie Dogie, Snagglepuss and Magilla Gorilla.
"The Flintstones" first aired in 1960, and "Yogi Bear" debuted the next year. "Scooby Doo," "The Harlem Globetrotters" and "The Jetsons" were hits in the '70s. Yogi was revived several times, most recently in 1991 as "Yo Yogi."
Hanna and Barbera sold their company several years ago -- AFP
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
