Animated Views Celebrity Obituary Thread

[SupremeBlisseyFan]

Peter Boyle, known for his roles as the tap-dancing Frankenstein's monster in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" and Frank Barone on the TV series "Everybody Loves Raymond," has died at age 71 from multiple myeloma and heart disease.

Boyle played roles in all three of Disney's "Santa Clause" films ("Mr. Whittle" in SC1 and "Father Time" in SCs 2 and 3), the voice of "Muta" in the English version of Studio Ghibli's "The Cat Returns" and "Old Man Wickles" in 2004's "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed."

Here are some news links:

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_347113739.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061213/ap_en_tv/obit_boyle

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/1 ... index.html

[Meg]

I wonder why that's why they cancelled ELR?

Anyway, this is very sad news. He never failed to make me laugh.

[Ben]

He was great in The Dream Team, too.

"Puttin' On The Ritz" never fails to simply crack. Me. Up. Every. Single. Time.


RIP PB.

[GeorgeC]

http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/ah3161.shtml


Joe Barbera, co-founder of Hanna-Barbera Productions and LAST surviving member of the team that co-directed the great MGM Tom & Jerry shorts passed away today.

*********************

I met Mr. Barbera around 10 years ago in Chicago. Seemed like a nice fellow, but you could tell he was getting on in his years. (I've met other guys around his age since who seemed much more vital to me, but that's off-topic.)

Don't grieve so much for his loss. I'd feel sympathy for the friends and family he leaves behind.

Barbera lived to be 95. He had a GOOD, long life...

[droosan]

I got to meet both Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera at a panel discussion held in their honor at the World Animation Celebration in Pasadena, also about 10 years ago. They were both extremely gracious, and chatted with pretty much everyone who crowded around them after the event.

I live about a mile away from their old studio facility in the Cahuenga pass. It's been sad to watch the building slowly 'deteriorate' over the years .. though, lately its parking lot has undergone some re-construction and landscaping; not sure what's happening there. The H-B studio itself was 'folded into' Cartoon Network Studios when they opened their current building in downtown Burbank.

I never got the chance to work there myself, but I've worked with plenty of people who have. I can honestly say I know of no-one who is as universally respected by their former workers, as were Hanna and Barbera.

Today truly marks the end of an era.

[Ben]

Yes, this is a biggie. I read Bill's book recently and these guys seemed really fun to work for.

I just think it's great that Joe continued to live and WORK for so long.

The end of an era indeed and with only a handful of the classic masters left.

It had to happen sometime, but it's a sad day.

[ShyViolet]

You guys MET him?!

Wow.

I know he was a consultant on the live-action Scooby Doo movies--he must have been like 92 or 93 at the time.

The H-B studio itself was 'folded into' Cartoon Network Studios when they opened their current building in downtown Burbank.

And just look at what CN has become....

There's barely any H-B stuff on it anymore.

[Randall]

Well, it had to happen sometime, I guess. At 95, he did indeed have a long and productive life. I grew up on H-B cartoons, and will always be thankful for the joy they brought to me.

[Daniel]

This is indeed sad

What makes this even more sad, is its before Christmas Well, at least he lived a good long life. And if you think about it, at least he's with his old friend again.

RIP Joe, we'll miss you!!

[GeorgeC]

You guys MET him?!

Yeah, he's one of the few famous people I've gotten to meet.

And really only about the 1 of 4 "relatively big" animation directors/pioneers.

Like I said, even back in '96/'97 when I met him at the old Water Tower Place (downtown Chicago mall) Warner Bros. Studio Store, he seemed a bit frail. He was still there mentally, but he was slow and a bit weak.

He autographed a copy of "The Art of Hanna-Barbera" for me in gold metallic ink. I still have the book in my animation art collection. Sorry that I don't have a scan of the page he signed to show you, but it's around the homestead somewhere...

As much as I appreciate the jobs he gave to a lot of people in TV animation -- he and William Hanna kept a LOT of people employed and active in animation after the major Hollywood studios shuttered their animated shorts divisions in the 1950s and 1960s -- the fact is that I like the Tom & Jerry shorts they did at MGM in the 1940s better than the vast bulk of their TV output.

There's really only a couple of great (IMHO) H-B TV series. Among these, I'd rank the original Flintstones (not the awful spin-offs that creeped up in the 1970s and beyond), Top Cat, and the original 1960s Jonny Quest.

There were also a lot of "could-have-been-great" shows that had worthy concepts like Space Ghost, Birdman, The Herculoids, and Jetsons but the execution was off in those series. It's sad to think that for a whole generation of people they have more fun seeing these characters MADE FUN of in the likes of Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast and Harvey Birdman than they do seeing the ORIGINAL cartoons that showcased these characters!

[ShyViolet]

Yeah, he's one of the few famous people I've gotten to meet.

And really only about the 1 of 4 "relatively big" animation directors/pioneers.

Like I said, even back in '96/'97 when I met him at the old Water Tower Place (downtown Chicago mall) Warner Bros. Studio Store, he seemed a bit frail. He was still there mentally, but he was slow and a bit weak.

Wow that's incredible.

I loved the Flintstones for a long time, as well as the Smurfs. (they were also H-B weren't they?)

Tom and Jerry had some wonderful cartoons (I loved the one with the duckling who thought Tom was his mother. ). I thought some of them were a bit too violent, but that's just me. I like some cartoon violence (I though the Simpsons trailer was hysterical) but I've always been a little sensitive over it. Mostly when it's done for humor and the character's pain is emphasized.

I wonder what Joe thought of the live-action Scooby Doo films?

It's sad to think that for a whole generation of people they have more fun seeing these characters MADE FUN of in the likes of Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast and Harvey Birdman than they do seeing the ORIGINAL cartoons that showcased these characters!

Yeah, that is sad. Unfortunatly everything nowadays is in that ironic, mocking vein. Mostly I HATE that kind of humor.

I thought SpaceGhost was pretty funny because of how strange and bizarre it was, but that was the first time they did that whole mocking old cartoons thing until it became a regular feature on Cartoon Network, all the old stuff was pulled off and almost eveything on that channel was either Anime or ironic self-indulgent Generation X posturing! (Three words: Adult Swim captions.)

[Ben]

the fact is that I like the Tom & Jerry shorts they did at MGM in the 1940s better than the vast bulk of their TV output.

Barbera started out with Bill way back in the 1930s, creating the legendary cat ‘n’ mouse team of Tom & Jerry, who will, for me, be their lasting achievement, with no less than seven Academy Awards for the series - a record for character based shorts.

With ya there.

[Daniel]

Has anyone else seen the tributes CN and Boomerang have been doing for Joe? Its just a plain white screen, and then they draw him. And the caption reads: Joseph Barbara --We'll miss you!



I remember they did the same thing, when Hanna and Chuck Jones died.

(Now if only they give a tribute marathon )

[Randall]

I have posted the first of a three-part tribute to Hanna-Barbera at Animated Views, in recognition of the passing of Mr. Barbera. With both gentlemen now gone, it's certainly the end of an era. I hope you all enjoy reading about these industry titans.

http://animated-views.com/2006/hanna-an ... on-part-1/

(I'll also be posting some H-B DVD reviews which I have stockpiled, so watch for those.)

[Mitch]

Rest in peace, Mr. Barbara. You were an inspiration to us all.