Passing of Jo Barbera, of Hanna-Barbera
I heard on the news this morning that Jo Barbera, of the Hanna-Barbera team, passed away Monday morning at the age of 95. Together, he and Bill Hanna (who died in 2001) were responsible for such great cartoons like “Tom and Jerry”, “The Flinstones”, “Yogi Bear”, “The Jetsons”, “Scooby Doo”, as well as many others. A Warner Bros. spokesman said he died of natural causes in his home with his wife by his side.
With his passing, a trifecta of great cartoon creators has come to an end. Bill Hanna passed away in 2001, and Chuck Jones, who brought us so many wonderful Warner Bros. cartoons, died in 2002. With all of todays computer animated and produced cartoons, I will be sure that my son knows what real cartoons are all about. Don’t get me wrong, I like some of today’s cartoons (Spongebob), and find some to be very educational (anything on Sprout and the Disney Channel). But I grew up with Looney Tunes and Hanna Barbera. I remember when I first realized that cartoons weren’t really just meant for kids, but more for adults. Were they sometimes violent? Yes, but in a slapstick way, which made them even funnier.
Cartoons were a big part of my life, and I think I turned out OK (even though some think might sense of humor is a bit strange). Cartoons made me laugh (and still do) , and in my opinion laughter is a necessary emotion for a healthy childhood and development. Even though many “experts” warn about the “dangers of watching too much TV”, Jack watches cartoons and will continue to watch cartoons (unless he tells me otherwise). Yes, we limit it so he’s not constantly watching the “tube”. At the same time, I want him to experience what I experienced, and share the laughter that I enojoyed as a kid. So whether it’s “Spongebob Squarepants” or “Tom and Jerry”, if I think it’s funny, and Jack seems to be enjoying it, Ill point out to him “that’s funny” and encourage him to laugh.
So to the Barbera family (and all those associated with him) I’d like to pass along my condolences.
Finally, for the enjoyment that I received as a child watching your cartoons, and on behalf of my son’s future enjoyment of those cartoons, Mr. Barbera, and belatedly Mr. Jones and Mr. Hanna, I say
Thank you!