"... success in the 1950s with a witty series of animated TV comedies, including "The Flintstones," "The Jetsons," "Yogi Bear," "Scooby-Doo" and "Huckleberry Hound and Friends."
As a TV reviewer called it 35 years ago, "The Hanna-Barbera garbage factory. He was right.
If they had done nothing but 'Tom and Jerry' they would still be immortal. And they made do with the budgets they had to make animation work on TV.
No he wasnt. That tv reviewer was a moron.
Whoever he was.
No disrepect to Bugs Bunny and friends, but Hanna Barbera defined TV animation in the Sixties and Seventies. In a time of turmoil their cartoons were an oasis of laughter. And Johnny Quest kicked butt.
Tom and Jerry had their moments. Other than that, he was right. The people who laughed at Yogi and Booboo were the people who tapped their toes to Lawrence Welk and sang along with Mitch.
True, but we know from their earlier stuff what they were capable of. This explains a lot:
"With television's sharply lower budgets, their new cartoons put more stress on verbal wit rather than the detailed - and expensive - action featured in theatrical cartoon."
He was as wrong as the day is long. To this day, I still laugh at many of their cartoons. Hanna Barbera made many a Saturday morning for this old kid. I turned my son(11) onto these old toons and he loves them. He also loves the Threes Stooges. Clean, slapstick humor.
Besides, it sounds like the reviewer, whose opinion you seem to agree with, wouldn't know childish humor if it bit him on the ass. Cartoons written for kids that adults could find humor in as well is a mark of genius.
Sounds to me like someone doesn't like to laugh and depart from reality for a short while.
RIP o'Grand Masters of Toondom. Thank you for all the years of laughter. You will be missed but your works will live on.
SZ