Joe Barbera Was Awesome

This is the first video tape that I ever plunked down my semi-earned money to buy. It was about twenty years ago that I bought HOW THE FLINTSTONES SAVED CHRISTMAS at Errol's video for ten bucks. That's alot of money when you're a kid, but I knew this would be something I would revisit and rewatch year after year after year. And I was right! Just this past weekend I shared the holiday favorite with my three year old son and he enjoyed it just as much as I have over the years. It's not really a Christmas special, it's just an episode of THE FLINTSTONES but it captures all the warmth and spirit of the Christmas season. In the episode, Fred gets a part time job playing Santa at Macyrock's Department store. He does such a good job that the real Santa recruits Fred to deliver all the toys on Christmas Eve while Santa is sick in bed. (Barney and Dino don't actually get in on the "saving Christmas action" like depicted on the video box. That's also not the same cover as my video, it's pretty close - but not the same!)

THE FLINTSTONES along with so many other cartoons that I hold near and dear to my heart were the product of the great Hanna-Barbera animation studio. The Barbera half of the team, Joe Barbera, passed away yesterday at the age of 95. He died from natural causes in his California home with his wife by his side. Along side his partner William Hanna (who passed on several years ago) Hanna-Barbera redefined animation by creating limited animation, a cost effective way to produced animation and bring original productions to television. Hanna and Barbera started at the MGM studios in the 1930's, directing tons of TOM & JERRY theatrical shorts. When MGM shut down their studio, H-B went into production for themselves creating RUFF & READY, the first animated series on television. Things really started to take off when HUCKLEBERRY HOUND hit the scene in 1959. From there, H-B introduced the world to YOGI BEAR, QUICK DRAW McGRAW, SNAGGLEPUSS, PIXIE & DIXIE, WALLY GATOR and the list literally goes on and on...! They created THE FLINTSTONES, the first ever prime-time animated series. They also made Scooby-Doo, which went on to be one of the most popular cartoon characters in animation history.

Joe Barbera is probably responsible for half of the nonsense in my head! Thanks Joe!