Joe Barbera with legendary voice actor Daws Butler. Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Animation.

My good memory of Mr. Barbera as an employee of H-B for more than 25 years. He was the most genuine man to have conversation with. He made you feel like you were the most important person at that moment. It was a great honor for me to know such a man. I miss you Mr. B.

Linda Moore, Hanna-Barbera, Production Library

I think his philosophy was to accomplish and to live life to the fullest, and I think he did just that. He accomplished everything he wanted. I don't think he ever confided in people what he wanted to do in life -- he just went ahead and did it. And we have to admire him for that.

June Foray

In the '80s and '90s, Hanna-Barbera was the Rick's Casablanca Cafe of animation: sooner or later, everyone came to H-B. Like Rick's, rumor and colorful characters abounded. We all knew Joe Barbera had a splendid fleet of cars, and an equally splendid wardrobe. But rumor went further: it was said that Joe always carefully matched the car he drove to the color of his shoes. Who among us was privileged to observe close and often, to know if it was true? But when legend becomes truth, print the legend.

Jack Enyart, Consultoont

Daryl-Rhys Taylor sketches this tribute to Mr. B. Courtesy of Daryl-Rhys Taylor.

I was so saddened to hear about the passing of Joe Barbera, the world has lost a treasure. I remember when I was little I used to watch Tom and Jerry cartoons with my grandpa. Fun times. I also recall when my family took a vacation to the south of France, all my brother and I did was watch the Scooby-Doo marathon on Cartoon Network. Joe's work has always been a big part of my life and has always been a reason why I wanted to be an animator. I mean I am studying animation right now. I so want to be like him, he dedicated his life to making the whole world smile. If I could even accomplish a fraction of what he managed to do, it will be a life worth lived. Anyway, I would just like to say

"Thanks for the laughs Joe, we'll miss you"

Daryl-Rhys Taylor

In June of 1994 I accompanied Joe Barbera to New York for the opening of the Flintstones movie. We traveled together on Delta to New York. During the course of the flight I got up to go to the bathroom. At that time I always carried my wallet in my right hand back pocket. As I got up the plane experienced some turbulence and I was thrown back into my seat. When I landed my back pocket where my wallet was got stuck on the metal stripping on the seat and it tore it wide open exposing my butt to all onboard. Joe turned to me and said that he was really good at sewing and if he could get a needle and thread he would fix it. He promptly stood up intending to go to the galley and get a sewing kit when the plane again hit some turbulence. Joe who carried his wallet in his left hand back pocket was thrown to his seat and he also caught his back pocket on the metal strip ripping his pants as well. About three hours later we both showed up at the Plaza Hotel with our jackets tied around our waists to keep from exposing our butts.

Richard Lewis

The joint efforts of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera have had a powerful and lasting impact on television animation. Hanna-Barbera programs have been a staple of television entertainment. Furthermore, a great many of the characters originally created by Hanna and Barbera for the small screen have crossed the boundaries into film, books, toys, and all manner of other media, becoming virtually ubiquitous as cultural icons.

Anthony Utley, Managing Director of Coagrove Hall

The Flintstone family drops by the offices to pay Joe and Bill a visit. Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Animation.

I actually left Hanna-Barbera because I found it depressing to argue with Joe Barbera. I grew up on the man's shows -- that is to say, shows produced by Hanna-Barbera. I don't want to suggest J.B. did those shows all by himself. They were an important part of my childhood and working at that studio meant a lot more to me than any other writing job for unspectacular money might have meant. I mean, come on. This was Joe Barbera.

Like many in my situation, I had a little trouble calling him "Joe," which is what he wanted and expected. We didn't like the idea of bringing him down to our level. We wanted to keep him on a Joe Barbera level. So we called him "J.B." or just "Mr. B."

By either name, he was a gusher of energy, a stream of ideas, a fountain of sales pitches and new projects. I didn't always admire the output but I respected the volume and the juggling act. Barbera wasn't actively involved in all of it -- who could have been? -- but his spirit seemed to inform every project. And every once in a while, he'd take an active interest in a show, which is how my troubles came about. I'd be taking the show North and suddenly, Mr. B. would decide to pay some attention to it and he'd decide it should go South...which might have been a good idea if he'd told me that four weeks and three scripts earlier.

After the eighth or ninth time he did this to me, I decided to quit... not just that show but Hanna-Barbera, then and forever. I still liked J.B. and wanted to keep it that way. Sometimes, you leave jobs because you don't respect the guy you're working for and sometimes, you leave because you do. I do and I always will.

Mark Evanier, Animation Writer/Producer