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Hanna-Barbera

Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. (/bɑːrˈbɛərə/ bar-BAIR; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), commonly known simply as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company that operated from 1957 until its absorption into Warner Bros. Animation in 2001. The studio was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the creators of Tom and Jerry and former MGM Cartoons employees, along with film producer George Sidney. Initially headquartered at Kling Studios in Los Angeles from 1957 to 1960, the company later moved to Cahuenga Boulevard until 1998, and finally to the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Sherman Oaks from 1998 to 2001.

Hanna-Barbera became known for producing a vast array of iconic animated series, including The Huckleberry Hound Show, The Smurfs and multiple iterations of The Flintstones, Yogi Bear and Scooby-Doo. Through its extensive output of television shows, specials, and movies, Hanna-Barbera arguably became one of the most successful animation studios in the world, rivaling Disney, with its characters appearing across various media, merchandising, and consumer products.

However, by the 1980s, the studio's dominance declined as the market for Saturday-morning cartoons weakened, and weekday syndication grew in importance. Hanna-Barbera was acquired by Taft Broadcasting in 1966 and remained under its ownership until 1991, when Turner Broadcasting System purchased the company. Turner used Hanna-Barbera's extensive back catalog to help launch Cartoon Network in 1992, giving a new platform for the studio's classic animated properties.

After William Hanna died in 2001, Hanna-Barbera ceased to exist as an independent studio and was fully integrated into Warner Bros. Animation. Despite this, the Hanna-Barbera brand continues to be used for copyright, marketing, and branding purposes on many of its classic animated properties now managed by Warner Bros.

William Denby "Bill" Hanna and Joseph Roland "Joe" Barbera met at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studio in 1938, while working at its animation unit. Having worked at other studios since the early 1930s, they solidified a six-decade working partnership. Following the 1940 release of Puss Gets the Boot, the team's very first collaborative success, Tom and Jerry came about in 1941, centering on the madcap comical adventures of a cat and a mouse.

Hanna supervised the animation, while Barbera did the stories and pre-production for all 114 cartoons. Seven of the films won seven Oscars for "Best Short Subject (Cartoons)" between 1943 and 1953, and five additional shorts were nominated for twelve awards during this period. However, they were awarded to producer Fred Quimby, who was not involved in the development of the shorts.

Sequences for Anchors Aweigh, Dangerous When Wet and Invitation to the Dance and shorts Swing Social, Gallopin' Gals, The Goose Goes South, Officer Pooch, War Dogs and Good Will to Men were also made. With Quimby's retirement in May 1955, Hanna and Barbera became the producers in charge of the MGM animation studio's output.

In addition to continuing to write and direct new Tom & Jerry shorts, now in CinemaScope, Hanna and Barbera supervised the last seven shorts of Tex Avery's Droopy series and produced and directed the short-lived Spike and Tyke, which ran for two entries. In addition to their work on the cartoons, the two men moonlighted on outside projects, including title sequences and commercials for I Love Lucy.

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