Hanna-Barbera Biography

Bill Hanna

Birthdates:
Bill Hanna
July 7, 1910 to March 3, 2001
Joe Barbera
March 24, 1911 to present

Hanna-Barbera Productions was responsible for classics like Scooby-Doo, the Smurfs, the Jetsons and the Flintstones.

Joe Barbera

Hanna-Barbera - The Beginning

Bill Hanna began his workin' years at a California engineering firm and it wasn't until 1930 that he decided to take a job in cartooning. And despite having a flair for drawing in high school, Joe Barbera started his career as an accountant. It wasn't long before he turned to cartooning as a profession as well.

Hanna-Barbera - Big Breaks

In 1937, both Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera joined the team of cartoonists at MGM studios in Hollywood, where they were paired up to work on a little cartoon about a cat and mouse duo called Tom and Jerry. Hanna and Barbera went on to create over 100 Tom and Jerry cartoons and continued on as a drawing/producing team for the rest of their careers.

Hanna-Barbera - Makes the Move

Faced with MGM studios shutting down their animation department in 1957, Hanna and Barbera decided to strike out on their own and created Hanna-Barbera Productions that same year.