Joe Barbera's creations like Space Ghost live on in post-modern form on Adult Swim. © Cartoon Network.

I have so many fond memories of Joe Barbera -- what a guy! I was announcing many of the CBS-TV cartoon promos fro Joe & Bill and Fred Silverman. Then, about the time the great artist Alex Toth was sketching Space Ghost, something wonderful happened. They chose me to do the hero voice - and I did it from 1966 to 1994. It was great working with our marvelous cast - Tim Matheson, Ginny Tyler & Don Messick. With all the famous guest stars, it was like being part of Orson Welles' Mercury Theater! I was so lucky to do a number of HB cartoon series, Blue Falcon & Dynomutt, Perils of Penelope Pitstop, Scooby-Doo's All Stars, Yogi Bear's Space Race, Swat Cat!, etc. Incidentally, my long-time friend George Sidney, the famous movie director, put up some of the financing when Joe & Bill first began.

Gary Owens, Voice actor

Joe Barbera and Bill Hanna inspect a drawing of Fred Flintstone. Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Animation.

In 1982, the production staff arrived one Monday morning to find time clocks installed for punching in each morning and out at night. The animators were furious. Some threatened to quit. Before a day or so went by we got this memo:

"Joe and I do not know how it happened but over the weekend some sneaky guy climbed over the fence and installed a bunch of damn time clocks in our studio.

We want you to know that we have ordered them taken out which will be pretty darn quick because we were pretty emphatic about it. All of us here in management would much rather have your goodwill than all of the time clocks in the country.

We know that we have a group of conscientious and dedicated employees. We feel that we have always had a warm, friendly relationship with each of you. We appreciate having your good will and want to do everything we can to deserve it.

Sincerely,

Signed Joe Barbera and Bill Hanna

Jean Ann Wright, Author, Animation Writing and Development

I confess I didn't really know Joe Barbera all that well. It seems I was continually working one on one with Mr. Hanna, but I usually only saw Joe in meetings. He sure seemed like a nice enough guy and always said, "Hi" when you passed him in the hallway. Other than that I can't say I really knew him. What I did know was that he and Mr. Hanna made a great team. They were the last of the old studio guys who helped create this fantastic business. For that, they'll always have my admiration and respect.

Of course, being an old animation cartoonist, Joe Barbera along with Bill Hanna provided me with unlimited opportunities for gags. I must have drawn hundreds while working at Hanna-Barbera during the seventies and eighties. Many of these have been compiled in my gag book collections. Many industry veterans have told me how much they enjoyed my gags about these two fabulous gentlemen. Though I enjoyed "picking on" our bosses, it was all done in fun, and I've always had the greatest respect for Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera.

Floyd Norman, Animator

Joe Barbera drawing Tom and Jerry. Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Animation.

Two years ago I spent an afternoon with Joe Barbera in his Sherman Oaks office at Warner Bros. Animation. Our meeting was to discuss a book about Hanna-Barbera and to ask Joe for his thoughts, which he willingly shared with me. When I entered his office I was surprised to see him in a wheel chair. Joe was a vibrant, quick-witted man who delighted in drawing, especially sketches of Yogi Bear. Over the years I watched him sketch Yogi on napkins or on scraps of paper, whatever was handy. I always felt that bear was a spin off of Joe's personality.

Leaving Joe's office I recalled my first day working at Hanna-Barbera. It was a rainy morning when I arrived at the studio on Cahuenga Blvd. I had left MGM to become Hanna-Barbera's first director of publicity, a job I was to hold for the next 20 years. My years with Bill and Joe began on Dec. 15, 1966, which ironically was the day on which Walt Disney died. What a coincidence I thought as I quickly wrote my first official press release. Bill and Joe expressed their kind thoughts for this great man, acknowledging Mr. Disney's worldwide popularity and ability to entertain millions of people with his imagination. Hanna-Barbera was a young studio in those days as were many of its employees, myself included. The years passed and the studio prospered.

As the studio's PR person, I quickly learned Joe was shy when it came to press interviews. Indeed, I had to pressure him to take time from his daily schedule for interviews with the media. During the years I worked for him, Joe never pressured me to generate personal publicity. I was often made aware of news worthy developments if Joe passed me in the hall. There were no formal meetings. Joe's partner, Bill Hanna, avoided press interviews and would do them only if Joe's schedule was blocked. Prior to interviews, I prepared a press release covering the topic. This often saved the day, as often Bill was unaware of Joe's activities as was Joe of Bill's. The interviews often yielded wonderful articles as each partner added his personal touch to the story. Within a few months I was able to understand how they would respond to questions.

When I was hired, management told me it was critical that Joe and Bill become global celebrities. It appeared that, while the viewing public knew of Fred Flintstone or Yogi Bear, they never linked them to the cartoonists responsible for the creation of these popular cartoon characters.