Hanna-Barbera
R.I.P. Ken Spears, Scooby-Doo Co-Creator Dead at 82
Ken Spears, the cartoon producer and writer who co-created Scooby-Doo, has died at the age of 82. His son, Kevin Spears, confirmed the news to Variety, saying his father passed on Friday, November 6th from complications related to Lewy body dementia. Spears’ death comes just over two months following that of his longtime collaborator, Joe Ruby. Spears initially befriended the son of William Hanna while living in his Los Angeles hometown. That led to a sound editing job at Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1959, where he met and befriended Ruby. The two became writing partners, co-creating Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! in 1969. They also came up with other classic Hanna-Barbera series Dynomutt, Do Wonder and Jabberjaw. Their success continued outside of Hanna-Barbera, as well, including workin...
Supernatural’s Top 15 Episodes
Supernatural could never end. Sure, the show ceases to exist without Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, but as long as they’re still alive and kickin’ it, the show goes on. Hell, the two stars could be 85 years old, sauntering around with nurses, and you could still find a way to make it work. That’s the power of this series, and also a testament to its seemingly infinite sandbox — the best in the business, come to think of it. None of this is hyperbole. For 15 years, the long-running CW series has run the gamut and back when it comes to world-building. We’ve seen Sam and Dean Winchester ascend to heaven, discover other worlds than these, join the Scooby gang, play themselves, attend Supernatural fan conventions, and flip through channels. At some point, the depths of hell become so common...
R.I.P. Joe Ruby, Co-Creator of Scooby-Doo Dies at 87
Joe Ruby, co-creator of beloved animated characters including Scooby-Doo, has died of natural causes. Via Variety, he was 87 years old. Along with his writing partner Ken Spears, Ruby helped establish Hanna-Barbera’s voice and redefined Saturday morning cartoons. They created such beloved children’s series as Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, Jabberjaw, The Barkleys, and The Houndcats. Later, Ruby-Spears Productions executive produced animated series like Superman, Mr. T., Alvin and the Chipmunks, Thundarr the Barbarian, and more. Born March 30th, 1933, Ruby began his career at Walt Disney, where he worked as an inbetweener: an assistant animator charged with drawing intermediate images between key frames. After a stint in the US Navy, Ruby eventually la...
Scoob! Is The Avengers of Hanna-Barbera Movies: Review
A New Mystery: Following a prologue that shows how Shaggy (Will Forte), Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker), Daphne (Amanda Seyfried), Fred (Zac Efron), and Velma (Gina Rodriguez) met and formed Mystery Incorporated, the film flashes forward 10 years as the gang is trying to find funding for their new base of operations. They are approached by potential investor Simon Cowell (yes, really), who refuses to fund the group after declaring Shaggy and Scooby inessential to the team. Soon after, the teenage hippie and his dog are attacked by a squadron of chainsaw-wielding robots before they are saved by the Falcon Fury and its inhabitants: Blue Falcon (Mark Wahlberg), Dee Dee Sykes (Kiersey Clemmons) and Dynomutt (Ken Jeong). Together, they are trying to find the three skulls of Cerberus (yes, that Cerber...
