American animation studio
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. The Hanna-Barbera headquarters in
Los Angeles in the 1990s. The "swirling star" logo on the right was designed by
Saul Bass in 1979.
Formerly H-B Enterprises, Inc. (1957–1959) Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. (1959–1991) Hanna-Barbera, Inc. (1991–1992) H-B Production Co. (1992–1993) Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. (1993–2001) Company type In-name-only unit of Warner Bros. Industry Predecessor Founded July 7, 1957; 66 years ago (1957-07-07 ) Founders Defunct 2001; 23 years ago (2001 ) Fate Absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation Successors Headquarters Kling Studios , Hollywood , California , U.S. (1957–1960) Cahuenga Boulevard , Hollywood Hills , Los Angeles, California, U.S. (1960–1998) Sherman Oaks Galleria , Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles , California, U.S. (1998–2001) Products Theatrical feature films Television films Television series Theatrical short films Commercials Direct-to-video entries Specials Owner Parent Taft Broadcasting (1966–1987) Great American Broadcasting (1987–1991) Turner Entertainment Co. (1991–1996) Warner Bros. Animation (1996–2001) Divisions
Hanna-Barbera ( BAR -bər-ə )[1] was an American animation studio and production company , which was active from 1957 until its absorption into Warner Bros. Animation in 2001. Founded on July 7, 1957 by Tom and Jerry creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera ,[2] it was headquartered on Cahuenga Blvd from 1960 to 1998, then subsequently at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Sherman Oaks .
In 1958, The Huckleberry Hound Show debuted, then The Flintstones , The Yogi Bear Show , Top Cat , The Jetsons , Jonny Quest , Wacky Races , Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and The Smurfs followed. Hanna-Barbera may have usurped Disney as the most successful animation studio in the world, with its characters becoming ubiquitous across different types of media and myriad consumer products.[3] [4] [5]
By the 1980s, however, the studio's fortunes were in decline, as the profitability of Saturday-morning cartoons was eclipsed by weekday afternoon syndication . Taft Broadcasting acquired Hanna-Barbera in 1966 and retained ownership until 1991 when Turner Broadcasting System acquired the studio,[6] using the back catalog to establish Cartoon Network the following year.[7] [8] [9]
By the time Hanna died in 2001, Hanna-Barbera as a standalone company was folded into Warner Bros. Animation. The name continues to be used for copyright, marketing and branding purposes for former properties now produced by Warner Bros.
^ "Hanna Barbera" . Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English . Longman . Retrieved August 19, 2019 .
^ Cite error: The named reference HannaRuffReddy
was invoked but never defined (see the help page ).
^ Holz, Jo (2017). Kids' TV Grows Up: The Path from Howdy Doody to SpongeBob . Jefferson, NC: McFarland. pp. 81–85, 124–126. ISBN 978-1-4766-6874-1 .
^ "William Hanna – Awards" . AllMovie . Retrieved June 10, 2016 .
^ "Hanna-Barbera Sculpture Unveiled Animation Legends Honored in Hall of Fame Plaza" . Emmys.com . March 16, 2005. Retrieved June 10, 2016 .
^ "Hanna-Barbera Acquired By Taft Broadcasting Co" . The New York Times . December 29, 1966. Retrieved November 5, 2018 .
^ "COMPANY NEWS; Hanna-Barbera Sale Is Weighed" . The New York Times . July 20, 1991. Retrieved August 19, 2010 .
^ Carter, Bill (February 19, 1992). "COMPANY NEWS; A New Life For Cartoons" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 17, 2010 .
^ "Turner Buys Remaining 50% Stake in Hanna-Barbera" . The New York Times . December 30, 1993. Retrieved May 11, 2023 .