“Joe Barbara was a passionate storyteller and a creative genius who, along with his late partner Bill Hanna, helped pioneer the world of animation,” said Sander Schwartz, president, Warner Bros. Animation. “Bill created a landmark television production model and Joe filled it with funny, original show ideas and memorable characters that will stand for all time as his ultimate legacy. Joe’s contributions to the both the animation and television industries are without parallel -- he has been personally responsible for entertaining countless millions of viewers across the globe. His influences upon generations of animation professionals have been extraordinary. While the Warner Bros. family and the animation community will mourn his departure, we will also celebrate his life and the many lives to which he brought great entertainment. I was inspired to work alongside Joe and I am proud to have had the blessing of his friendship.”

Barbera is also survived by three children -- Jayne, Neal and Lynn -- from a previous marriage.

Stay tooned for memorial arrangements to this "smarter than the average bear" animator who profoundly impacted industry pros and fans worldwide and in outer space (crew members of the Astro space shuttle mission took Jetsons items on the spacecraft and got a wakeup call from Astro, the Jetsons' family dog, recorded by voice actor Don Messick).

ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE will be publishing a tribute story to him in January. We are requesting messages and remembrances from his colleagues. We're also looking for names of companies started by HB alum to build the consummate Hanna-Barbera family tree. If you'd like to add your remembrance and send us info on HB family tree branches, please send them to editor@awn.com by Jan. 13. Artwork is also welcome, please send high-res, at 300 dpi.