Margaret Loesch remembers this unforgettable dinner with a who's who of animation legends. Courtesy of Margaret Loesch.

This is one of my favorite and most treasured photos. It was in 1988 (I know because I was 7 1/2 months pregnant in the photo) and I was with ceo of Marvel productions. I had decided that it would be a great idea for me to gather those wonderful men who had mentored me (without their knowing it) for what became the first of two luncheons. The only reason we didn't continue is that Friz died, and then Walter.

I had it at the restaurant that is now Trader Joe's in Toluca Lake (Joe really liked the ambiance of that place). I invited Friz Freleng, Walter Lance, Joe and Bill. It was a riot. I also invited Jean MacCurtdy and my former assistant who was by then the script coordinator for H-B, Barbara Simon Dierks. The second year we gathered, Chuck Jones was coincidentally in the restaurant at the same time and Joe and Bill and Friz all gave him a lot of ribbing… lots of good-natured insults flying back and forth. If his feelings were hurt (for not being invited) I never knew -- they all just traded the funniest insults, just like when Joe, Bill and Friz had all worked together with Chuck many years before -- they were still just kids at heart and very competitive. Chuck's ego was as legendary and robust as was his talent, and it was at that luncheon that Joe proclaimed that Chuck had even taken credit for creating Friz!

Margaret Loesch, ceo of The Hatchery Llc.

The signature style of Hanna-Barbera cartoons is well known, but some of its hits like Jonny Quest had a style different then the rest. © Cartoon Network.

Although I didn't often work directly with Joe Barbera, I was privileged to be his assistant in the recording booth on one rare occasion. It stands out in my memory because we were only doing Flintstone specials by that time. This was a Flintstone Christmas Special. I followed the script and storyboard to make any last minute changes while he guided the voice-over actors through the production with that same smooth self-assurance acquired from years of experience. This attitude of confidence, intelligence and humor seemed to radiate out from him as he walked the halls of Hanna-Barbera on his way to a meeting or an appointment. When I happened to pass him there he always had a cheerful greeting which certainly brightened my day. It's the little things we do which impact others more than we know. I felt so lucky to be in surroundings, which were friendly and supportive at a time in my life when I was going through a difficult time personally. Joe set the pace and the openness and acceptance he carried in himself created an atmosphere where creativity thrived in the people as well as in the work they produced. I'll always count it a blessing to have worked with wonderful people under the competence of a leader such as Joe Barbera. Thank you, Joe, and God bless you and all who worked with you.

Sheila Hall

Animator Jim Bertram provided this touching tribute to Joe Barbera.

I came into Hollywood from Dallas, Texas, via South America in 1961 and started working as a layout designer for the small studios at the time; Snowball (Beany and Cecil), Playhouse, Format (The Lone Ranger), Larry Harmon, Bill Melendez, Jay Ward, Warner Bros. (back lot) Looney Tunes, UPA. (Mr. Magoo).

Hanna Barbera was just starting ('57). After the work was thinning at these studios I went to work for HB (1967). My first job was doing layouts for a short lived series The Abbott and Costello Show and then I went to Quick Draw McGraw, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, The Flinstones, The Jetsons, Hey… It's the King and many others. I met Joe and Bill and the atmosphere there was a friendly one as Joe used to roam the hallways and talking to all of us, Willie Ito, Homer Jonas, Iwao Takamoto, Bick Bickemback, Bob Singer etc. and giving us ideas for new shows and encouraging the good work that we were doing, his attitude was warm and nice and made us feel that we were working as a family.

Bill, on the hand was in charge of the monies and finances, we had many encounters about this but all in all was just part of the business and we ended up friends after all.

With Joe my friendship lasted all his life as he gave me my first chance to be a visual creative designer when we worked, even weekends, to design shows and presentations he had to take to New York to the Networks for pitches and I remember being part of the creative team that came up with the Scooby-Doo characters as he came one day and told us that a network wanted a show with some kid detectives in an spooky atmosphere, but he also told us that he wanted a pet character, such as Bandit (Johnny Quest), we then came up with a big dog instead of tiny pet.

I don't remember if he, at first, liked it or not but the show was sold and the rest, as we say, it's history.

I then moved to Europe to work for several producers in Spain and Ireland and then to my hometown in Santiago, Chile where I have my small creative studio, but everytime I went to Los Angeles I made a point of coming over and say Hello to Joe, at the old studio in Cahuenga where, around 1995-96 or so we chatted for a long time in his office reminicing the old times, then he stood up and took a book from his shelve The Art of Hanna Barbera and gave it to me with a note saying: "For Alvaro, who was with us at the beginning" and sign it, I still have it and treasure it in my studio.

I last saw him at he new Warner Bros. building in 2004, he was in his wheelchair then but alert and witty as always. I remember that a real nice girl came in to see him and he looked at me and wink and said: "Aint she a doll?" That is how I want to remember him.

Álvaro Arce