Joe Ruby, best known for co-creating the cartoon Scooby-Doo, died of natural causes at his home on Wednesday Aug. 26, according to Variety. He was 87.
Ruby along with his partner Ken Spears, also made Dynomutt and Jabberjaw, and the 1988 animated Superman series, as well as making cartoons out of Pac-Man, Rubik The Amazing Cube, Donkey Kong. They masterminded Space Ace, Dink the Little Dinosaur, It’s Punky Brewster, and TV movies Bunnicula, the Vampire Rabbit and The Cabbage Patch Kids First Christmas.
Joseph Clemens Ruby was born on March 30, 1933. He grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from Fairfax High School. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. Ruby trained as a music editor at the Walt Disney Studios animation program in the 1950s. He became a sound editor at Hanna-Barbera Productions, where he first partnered with Spears. They wrote a spec script and were hired as staff writers in the 1960s.
Ruby along with his partner Ken Spears, also made Dynomutt and Jabberjaw, and the 1988 animated Superman series, as well as making cartoons out of Pac-Man, Rubik The Amazing Cube, Donkey Kong. They masterminded Space Ace, Dink the Little Dinosaur, It’s Punky Brewster, and TV movies Bunnicula, the Vampire Rabbit and The Cabbage Patch Kids First Christmas.
Joseph Clemens Ruby was born on March 30, 1933. He grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from Fairfax High School. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. Ruby trained as a music editor at the Walt Disney Studios animation program in the 1950s. He became a sound editor at Hanna-Barbera Productions, where he first partnered with Spears. They wrote a spec script and were hired as staff writers in the 1960s.
- 8/27/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Animator and Scooby Doo co-creator Joe Ruby has died. The co-founder of production company Ruby-Spears passed away in Westlake Village, CA on Wednesday. He was 87.
A rep for Ruby told Deadline that the animator died of natural causes after years of dealing with health issues.
The animator, who teamed with Ken Spears to create Dynomutt, Dog Wonder and Jabberjaw, was born in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 30, 1933. He began his animation career under Walt Disney Productions before shifting his focus to editing and producing.
After serving in the U.S. Army, Ruby met soon-to-be collaborator Spears at Hanna-Barbera Productions, where the two worked together to create multiple animated and live-action titles, including cartoon juggernaut Scooby Doo.
Ruby and Spears’ group of crime-solving teens and their anthropomorphic mascot first hit the screen on CBS in 1969. The series introduced Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, Fred and the beloved Scooby Doo to kids and cartoon enthusiasts across America,...
A rep for Ruby told Deadline that the animator died of natural causes after years of dealing with health issues.
The animator, who teamed with Ken Spears to create Dynomutt, Dog Wonder and Jabberjaw, was born in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 30, 1933. He began his animation career under Walt Disney Productions before shifting his focus to editing and producing.
After serving in the U.S. Army, Ruby met soon-to-be collaborator Spears at Hanna-Barbera Productions, where the two worked together to create multiple animated and live-action titles, including cartoon juggernaut Scooby Doo.
Ruby and Spears’ group of crime-solving teens and their anthropomorphic mascot first hit the screen on CBS in 1969. The series introduced Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, Fred and the beloved Scooby Doo to kids and cartoon enthusiasts across America,...
- 8/27/2020
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Animation writer and executive Joe Ruby, who created cartoon series including “Scooby-Doo” along with his partner Ken Spears, died of natural causes Wednesday in Westlake Village, Calif. He was 87.
At Hanna-Barbera, Ruby and Spears created series including “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?,” “Dynomutt” and “Jabberjaw.”
“He never stopped writing and creating, even as he aged,” said his grandson Benjamin Ruby.
“Scooby-Doo” launched on CBS in 1969 after going through a number of versions. It was launched as a gentler series partly in response to complaints about violence in cartoons such as “Space Ghost.” Together with character designer Iwao Takamoto, Ruby and Spears tried a number of titles and approaches, such as making the characters part of a rock band, before settling on the now-classic combo of Freddie, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy and a Great Dane named Scooby-Doo.
Ruby and Spears wrote the first five episodes, supervising and story editing the rest of the first season.
At Hanna-Barbera, Ruby and Spears created series including “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?,” “Dynomutt” and “Jabberjaw.”
“He never stopped writing and creating, even as he aged,” said his grandson Benjamin Ruby.
“Scooby-Doo” launched on CBS in 1969 after going through a number of versions. It was launched as a gentler series partly in response to complaints about violence in cartoons such as “Space Ghost.” Together with character designer Iwao Takamoto, Ruby and Spears tried a number of titles and approaches, such as making the characters part of a rock band, before settling on the now-classic combo of Freddie, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy and a Great Dane named Scooby-Doo.
Ruby and Spears wrote the first five episodes, supervising and story editing the rest of the first season.
- 8/27/2020
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
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