Jonny Quest Meets...Judy Jetson?

 You read that title right. For whatever reason, a company known as Modern Promotions released a coloring book in 1977 that featured both Jonny Quest and Judy Jetson crossing paths. I have no idea why they decided on these two characters, especially considering that both shows had long since been canceled by this point. Take a look at the cover art below, which features Jonny piloting the Jetsons ride, not particularly fazed by either the futuristic cityscape or the talking dog behind him.

Here's a look inside the book. While the focus is on Jonny and Judy meeting, we also get to see other characters from both shows interacting, like George and Benton Quest. It also goes without saying that it's pretty funny to see the realistic-looking humans of Jonny Quest interacting with the Jetsons, who are more in line with the classic Hanna-Barbera art style. You might also notice that the Jetsons are sporting their model sheet designs, like George with his cowlick. 

Another interesting fact about this book is it actually got a rerelease in 1981, though I should note its contents are essentially the same as the '77 version. Did any readers here have this in their collection growing up? If so, I'd love to hear your memories of it!

Top 10 Most Underrated Hanna-Barbera Voice Actors

If there's one thing you should have learned about me by now, it's that I love discussing the voice actors of Hanna-Barbera cartoons. If you're a longtime reader of this blog, I imagine you feel the same. While the animation and writing of their shows ebbed and flowed over the years, one can never say their voice actors were ever phoning it in. From the day their doors opened to the day they closed forever, Hanna-Barbera employed a large and talented cast of actors. But today, I'm not talking about Blanc, Butler, Messick, Waldo, or any of the well-known fellows. They were fantastic, but we all know that. Instead, I'm going to focus on ten classic-era Hanna-Barbera voice actors who I don't feel get the recognition they deserve. We'll be going from ten to one, and my only requirement to be considered here is that they were initially employed during the company's golden years (this fluctuates from person to person, but I'll label said years as 1957-1969). Let's get this show on the road!

10. Arnold Stang

To paraphrase a quote from Yowp and his fantastic blog, Stang wasn't an actor who needed a thousand voices to be funny. One got the job done and then some. While he did voices in several cartoons over his career, from Captain Planet to Courage the Cowardly Dog, Arnold Stang will always be remembered as the first and greatest voice of Top Cat. The search for an actor to portray the character was long and arduous, but it was Stang who got the gig. Now, you cannot imagine anyone else playing Top Cat. Even just a picture of T.C. is enough to get you to hear his voice. He might not have had the range of other actors Hanna-Barbera worked with (which is why he's placed here on my list), but in my humble opinion, Stang is every bit as important to Top Cat as Alan Reed is to Fred Flintstone and Don Messick is to Scooby-Doo.

9. George O'Hanlon

Much like Arnold Stang, George O'Hanlon wasn't exactly a master of the vocal arts. As Janet Waldo often said of him, his voice for George Jetson was essentially his normal voice. Yet, just like Arnold, I can't imagine any other voice coming out of George's mouth. Many would say George Jetson is a boring character, and while I understand those arguments, with O'Hanlon delivering his dialogue, I never felt a dull moment with him. You also have to give O'Hanlon a great deal of credit for returning for the revival series in the 80s and the succeeding feature film. While the quality of both projects is questionable, the fact he came back for both, despite major health problems, shows you just how much he loved not only The Jetsons, but acting in general. Who would've thought Joe McDoakes would turn out to be such a great voice actor?

8. Doug Young

You probably know the first two men in the above image as Daws Butler and Don Messick, but you might not know the man in the middle. That, my friends, is Doug Young. Alongside Messick and Butler, Young was one of the first actors the studio hired after opening, but unfortunately, his name is not nearly as well known as his colleagues. A major reason for that is that he didn't stay with the studio for nearly as long as they did (the last show he did for HB was Laurel and Hardy in 1966), which is a real shame. He played several characters for the studio in their early years, but my favorite role of his would have to be Ding-A-Ling Wolf. I mean, with a name like that, how could you not love him? As one of Hanna-Barbera's first voice actors, Young deserves not just a spot on this list, but more attention in general for his invaluable work for the studio in its infancy.

7. Julie Bennett

This spot goes out to another unsung talent from Hanna-Barbera's early years. When people discuss the actresses hired by the studio, many will point to Jean Vander Pyl as being the first employed. But right there by her side was Julie Bennett. Bennett had just as long of a career, appearing in everything from Quick Draw McGraw to the 1990s Spider-Man cartoon, but she sadly seems to have been overlooked in discussions surrounding classic cartoon actors. Her most prolific character was Cindy Bear, who she voiced on and off for 30 years. She was a truly versatile actor, having done voices for not only Hanna-Barbera, but also Warner Brothers, UPA, and MGM. With such a resume, it really does make me wonder why more don't bring Bennett up when discussing the voice actresses of yesteryear.

6. Henry Corden

Known best for being the second voice of Fred Flintstone, Corden had an impressive niche carved out for him at Hanna-Barbera years before he took over the role of their most famous character. He was their go-to actor whenever they needed a villainous, bruiser-type character. He was featured in practically every episode of Jonny Quest, where he displayed not only his talent for voicing villains, but also his knowledge of various dialects. I feel like for many, his time as Fred Flintstone somewhat overlooks the rest of his voice-acting career, and quite unfairly, too. While I have mixed feelings about his version of Fred Flintstone, Corden was undeniably a great voice actor. I can completely understand why he was chosen for the role, and realistically speaking, I'm not sure if there's anyone else who could have fit into Alan Reed's shoes as well as he did.

5. Tim Matheson

Child voice actors, are, like their onscreen counterparts, hit or miss. I've heard plenty of great children VA's in cartoons, and some that left a lot to be desired (and I do mean no offense to any of those actors). Tim Matheson, however, definitely fits into that former category. Matheson had a lot on his plate when he did Jonny Quest. Not only was he a child doing a voice for a big-budget ABC cartoon, he was doing the voice of the series. The whole show would've fallen apart if audiences didn't buy into him as an eleven-year-old adventurer. So how did he do? Given we're still talking about the show sixty years later, I think he did alright! Matheson did a wonderful job as Quest. He felt like a real kid, and choosing to hire a child voice actor made the show feel somewhat grounded in the face of all the sci-fi elements. And clearly, Matheson enjoyed working on the show. Not only did he appear in a few of their post-Jonny Quest series, but he still does voices in animation even today! Overall, he's a man of extraordinary talent, though his vocal work especially needs more love from fans.

4. Gary Owens

A man whose personality was every bit as large as the heroes he voiced were super, Gary Owens is best remembered for voicing the original Space Ghost, but he appeared in many of their cartoons, from Dyonmutt to SWAT Kats. His voice just screams heroism and justice, making him the obvious choice for characters like the Blue Falcon. With that voice, it's rather surprising he never voiced any major comic book superhero character during his career (except for a small part as Batman in an episode of The New Batman Adventures). Even when the shows were less than stellar, Gary Owens gave every episode and every role his all. I'll have more to say about Owens next month (I've got a post planned for his birthday), so I'll leave you with this. If there was any Hanna-Barbera voice actor who I'd want to narrate my life, it would have to be Owens!

3. Ted Cassidy

Not many people can say they've voiced either Galactus or Godzilla, but Ted Cassidy can say he's voiced both. When you take a look at the guy and hear his voice, you understand why. He was one of those actors just born to play the bad guys, but it's not that his voice is deep. Plenty of actors can do that. No, what I love about Cassidy's voices is there's a real scratchiness to them, which makes his characters feel all the more threatening. But while Cassidy might've been typecasted as villains, he could also show off a bit of a softer side, which he did when he portrayed Frankenstein Junior. Ted Cassidy was, both literally and figuratively, a giant in the entertainment world. The fact he isn't discussed more for his voiceover work is a real shame.

2. John Stephenson

If there was any voice actor on The Flintstones who could be dubbed the show's most valuable player, it would have to be John Stephenson. While he's best known for voicing Mr. Slate, he played an insane amount of minor characters throughout the show's run. He could also be heard in just about every other series they made, playing everyone from Doggie Daddy to Fancy Fancy. So why don't more people talk about him? Maybe it's because he rarely ever had a starring role in their cartoons, but in my mind, Stephenson is every bit as important to Hanna-Barbera as people like Don Messick, Daws Butler, or Frank Welker. You just cannot imagine their cartoons without his voice. He was a tremendous talent who worked in animation for fifty years, and his name should be every bit as important to Hanna-Barbera's legacy as those aforementioned names.

1. Bea Benaderet

Getting the top spot on this list is the woman who gave Betty Rubble life, Bea Benaderet! I could sing the praises of Benaderet's voice-over work for days, but I'll try to be brief here. Benaderet wasn't just one of the first voice actresses Hanna-Barbera hired, she was one of the first voice actresses period. She voiced many characters for WB throughout the 40s and 50s, and then moved onto Hanna-Barbera afterwards. She was a true vocal wizard, and it was her work with both studios that proved it. Take a look at the character of Betty, for example. She's a pretty simplistic character, but Benaderet gives her depth. She felt like a real person, especially in her scenes with Wilma. The fact she was friends with Wilma's VA, Jean Vander Pyl, certainly helped there. Nobody else has ever voiced Betty as well as she did, and considering the character's been voiced by everyone from June Foray to Grey Delisle, I'd say that's quite the accomplishment.

Benaderet gets the number one spot here because not only is her work underappreciated by animation fans, but by her employers as well. From WB refusing to credit her in their cartoons to Hanna-Barbera's recasting of her in The Flintstones, Benaderet never got the praise she rightfully deserved for her animation work. Considering her role in shaping not just early Hanna-Barbera cartoons but also those of Warner Brothers, how could I not place her here? 

Video of the Week: A Sample of Boomerang

 With April winding down, I felt like I should make one more post focused on the Boomerang channel, as it did have its 24th anniversary this April Fools Day. I'll have a lot more to share with you next year during its 25th birthday (yes, I am indeed already planning that far ahead), but here's something that I think will interest a lot of you. I certainly found it intriguing!

When Boomerang launched, Turner Broadcasting issued a set of promotional VHS tapes to encourage viewers to ask their cable providers for the channel. A similar tape had been done for Cartoon Network back when that channel had launched, but not as many people seem to be aware of the Boomerang one. Below is the sleeve art for the tape. To my knowledge, two others were made as well: one promoting "Boomeraction", a block of programming dedicated to action cartoons, and another containing the entire Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! feature film.

And here's the contents of the tape, uploaded to YouTube by Techatax, a channel I really recommend you check out. Like the CN tape from '93, it features snippets from some of the shows that aired on the channel, as well as those oh-so-iconic bumpers that accompanied them. As Techatax notes in the description, said bumpers sound a little different from the finished versions that aired on television. It's a pretty cool rarity in the world of Hanna-Barbera home video releases if you ask me. I've never seen a listing for these on eBay or similar sites, but I cannot imagine that they're cheap to get ahold of.

Cartoon Blow Ups, Only 25 Cents a Pop!

 Now here is a lovely little oddity I found on Facebook several weeks back. Ever wanted blow-up versions of The Flintstones, Jetsons, Yogi Bear, and more? I imagine most of you will say "no", but if you said yes, you could get just that for 25 cents in 1972! Below is a display card for these toys, which were produced in Taiwan, and sold through vending machines. But the main reason I want to showcase these is because of just how off-model the characters look here. Earlier Hanna-Barbera merch was known for not being completely faithful to the source material, but these ones might be among the most egregious examples of that in action. Why does Quick Draw McGraw look like that? Since when did Top Cat wear a t-shirt? And why is Pebbles taller than Bamm-Bamm? I have no clue, but given that these were only 25 cents, I guess I can't whine too much.

So what did these blow-ups look like? Luckily for you, I managed to find photos of the Flintstones and George Jetson ones. The Flintstones ones don't look too bad (except for the look on Fred's face), but George looks rather sickly if you ask me. He looks less like a blow-up, and more like he's about to throw up!

Cartoon Network's Toon Mail, Volume 2

 About a year ago, I put together a post focusing on a series of bumpers that aired on Cartoon Network during its earlier years, entitled "Toon Mail." I mentioned that it was likely more existed, and lo and behold, I was right! So here are the other ones I could find online. Again, I doubt this is all of them, and it wouldn't shock me if a few are just lost to time, so if there are any who may remember seeing them, I'd love for you to drop a comment describing them! Onto the promos!

The first one I'm sharing is a letter to Fred Flintstone, voiced by his then-current voice actor Henry Corden. This viewer asks him if he's seen Jurassic Park, to which Fred responds with a fun fact that might leave you all surprised! 

Speaking of Dino, here's a letter he answered from a fan in Georgia! Why is he purple with black spots? Dino shares why in quite a complex answer!

Moving on from Bedrock, this third promo focuses on Secret Squirrel, or more accurately, Morocco Mole answering on his behalf. Where does he get all those wonderful toys? Find out below!

An offshoot series of promos that continued this trend was titled "Smurf Mail", where viewers sent in mail to, obviously, various Smurfs. This one is addressed to Smurfette, and is definitely not asked by Gargamel. Smurfette's voiced as always by Lucille Bliss, but I cannot say who portrays Gargamel. It definitely isn't Paul Winchell.

The last video I'll share here features a whopping three promos from this series! Check out letters to Secret Squirrel (4:11), Space Ghost (8:05), and Handy Smurf (10:45). I actually shared another Space Ghost one in my first post about these, though it was in Spanish. I was curious whether it was Gary Owens or George Lowe who played him in these, and as you can tell from watching, it was the latter. I guess that's not too surprising, since he would've been the version of the character most viewers would've been familiar with at that time. 

Magilla Gorilla's Hand Caught in the Cookie Jar

 Few things bring me as much joy as weird and oddball Hanna-Barbera collectibles. Today, I'm presenting probably one of the strangest I've come across so far. It's a ceramic cookie jar of everyone's favorite animated ape, Magilla Gorilla. Sounds like a run-of-the-mill product, but wait until you get a look at the thing. To say they took a few creative liberties would be an understatement in every sense of the word. Remember the banana on his hat? Of course you don't!

Unfortunately, I couldn't find much in the way of info regarding where this guy comes from. All I know is it was produced by a company named Brinn's and was likely released during the original run of the series. I also noticed that there may be a variant version of this jar, sporting a green top instead of a red one. Apart from that, though, they are more or less the same. He's still got that charming, and maybe a bit creepy, grin on his face. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if this spooked a few kids back in the day. I know I would've been!

Video of the Week: The Stars of Hanna-Barbera at Halifax

Here's something I think you'll all really dig. Airing over in the UK in 2016, below is a series of commercials for the Halifax banking company starring several Hanna-Barbera characters. What's great about these commercials (and the reason I'm highlighting them) is that their art style stays very close to how the characters looked in the original series. It's not an exact replica, but it's far better than how they look in most commercials. The first one I'll share is the Flintstones one, complete with Jeff Bergman and Tress MacNeille as Fred and Wilma. The two have been the primary actors for both characters since 2000. 

The second series represented in this campaign was Top Cat, no stranger to being used in advertisements for British banking companies (check out another one here). T.C. is voiced by Jason Harris Katz, while vocal duties for Benny are handled by Chris Edgerly. You may not be familiar with them, but both portrayed these characters before in the CG Top Cat films released in Mexico. I'm not certain as to who plays Dibble, but I imagine it's Bill Lobley, who played him in the previously mentioned films. Halifax also created another video featuring Top Cat, comprised of several "bloopers" taken during the making of the ad.

The last franchise featured in these ads was, unsurprisingly, Scooby-Doo. However, the voice cast here is a bit of a weird one. Scooby and Shaggy are voiced by Scott Innes, who's only occasionally voiced the characters since the early 2000s. I'm not sure why they didn't get Frank Welker and Matt Lillard, maybe they were too expensive for them? Velma's voiced by Mindy Cohn. She began voicing the character in 2002, but by 2016, she had been replaced in all media by Kate Micucci, who voices her to this day. That makes this ad the last piece of Scooby media to feature Cohn in the role, at least as far as I know of.

Last but certainly not least, here is a behind-the-scenes video displaying how the Flintstones and Top Cat adverts were done. It's not every day you get to see how a commercial was put together, so the fact this exists is something special. I especially love seeing the animation tests they did for this campaign.

Don Messick's Moment in the Spotlight

 Earlier this month, I had the pleasure to share with you all an interview I conducted with Tim Messick, son of Hanna-Barbera voice actor Don Messick. If you happened to miss it, check it out right here. That interview made me feel like I should share a little something featuring Don, so here goes! On June 14th. 1987, The Los Angeles Times published an extensive spotlight on Don Messick and his long career in animation. I've read many newspaper articles where Messick is interviewed, but this might be the most detailed one I've seen thus far. There's a lot here that you've probably already heard, but there are also details you may not be familiar with. Highlights include Messick's early years, his voice work in camera TV, and the charity work he did across the globe.

Don Messick—the voice of Papa Smurf and Scooby-Doo

By Andrea Troutman

     "My little Smurfs, what are you doing? Fighting is not the smurfy way..."
    So says Papa Smurf, whose voice is easily recognizable by the Saturday morning faithful who watch him and the other Smurfs on Hanna-Barbera's number-one cartoon show.
    When Papa Smurf, Scooby Doo, Boo Boo Bear, and a host of other Hanna Barbera characters speak, it's really Don Messick breathing life into the animated beings.
    The 60-year-old actor specializes in voices and has done about 1,000 different characters in 3,000 individual episodes (200 different series) during his 45-year career.
    "I have a very flexible voice with a wide range of sound possibilities," Messick explained, "which I discovered when my voice started to change as I entered adolescence."
    Messick does commercial voiceovers, too. He has been the voice of Snap in Kellogg Rice Krispie commercials and that of a lemon for Lemon Joy. He has also been a flea, a mosquito and a hornet for Raid commercials. 
    Scooby Doo, who was on TV for 16 years, is Messick's favorite cartoon character.
    "He has natural foibles like all of us," Messick said. "He's a big, lovable, cowardly, hungry creature who's funny, because, in spite of his fears and intrepidations, he always stumbles into solving the mystery. 

    "His feisty little nephew, Scrappy Doo (also a Messick voice), always reinterprets what Scooby's actions are," Messick continued. If they appear to be the cowardly or strange, if Scooby ends up clinging to a chandelier, Scrappy says, 'I know why you're hiding up there...' Scrappy sees his uncle's actions as some secret plan to pounce on the villain and solve the mystery."
    Messick's own voice is recognizable in the Santa Barbara area by listeners of the classical music program, "Opus 94," on radio station KDB AM and FM. He pretapes his portion of the three-hour programs in his own recording studio. "Sundial Studio," located in his Montecito home, is an eight-track facility that is also used by local organizations to tape commercials, sound effects and production music.
    "I've always enjoyed creating with tape," said Messick, who added the studio to his home about 20 years ago.
    Messick started experimenting with different voices when he was 13 and found his voice changing. His parents gave him a ventriloquist's dummy to practice with, and not long after he bought his second dummy, Woody de Forest, for $15.
    "I was a very shy teenager, a real introvert," Messick recalled, "who grew up in the era of Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. I had always been fascinated by the entertainment industry, so when I discovered that I had a very flexible voice, I decided to develop that talent. Being a ventriloquist seemed to be a natural for me," he added.
    By the time Messick was 15, he and Woody were doing a weekly radio show in Salisbury, Md.—a half-hour variety show with a live audience.
    "I would appear as a ventriloquist and then as a harmonica player," Messick said.
    Messick had another weekly show at the same time, a 15-minute sitcom about Woody and his friends and their misadventures. Messick wrote the show and performed all of the characters.
    After graduating from Nanticoke High School in 1943, Messick studied acting in Baltimore--"to get rid of my country hick accent"--and performed frequently in little theaters and radio theater. He even did some off-Broadway plays in New York.
    "I was very serious about stage acting in New York," Messick said, "but the Army brought me to the West Coast, and I liked it so much, I stayed."
    Messick arrived in Hollywood in 1946 and spent several months playing nightclubs with his wooden partner until he was cast as the voice of Raggedy Andy in "The Raggedy Ann Show," a radio series that lasted for 39 weeks. 
    His first break in the cartoon industry came when he substituted for the regular voice of MGM's Droopy the Dog. A few years later, he met William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who headed MGM's cartoon department.
    Hanna and Barbera split from MGM in the late '50s, when the film production company was shutting down its cartoon facility. After Hanna and Barbera formed their own company, Messick costarred with voiceover artist Daws Butler in the new firm's first TV series, "Ruff 'n' Ready." Messick narrated the series and did the voices of Ruff (the cat) and Professor Gizmo.
    Messick's voice has also been heard on numerous TV sitcoms, including "Chico and the Man" and "All in the Family."
    Doing voices live for TV, even off-camera, can be taxing, according to Messick. He recalls an episode of "All in the Family," when Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner were going out for the evening. Carroll O'Connor decided he would take care of his baby grandson, even though he was hosting a poker game.
    Messick, who was to make the baby gurgles and cries for the episode, was in an announcing booth just off the control room while the episode was being taped in front of a live audience.
    "I had to hear all of the babble of the technical crew in the booth, as well as the director's cues, in one ear," Messick said. "And in the other, I was listening to the dialogue on the set and viewing the action on a monitor so I'd know exactly when to start my gurgles or cries."
    Messick has done other on-camera work, including a 13-week series called "The Duck Factory." The MTM production was based on "a fictional, funky little Hollywood cartoon studio called Buddy Winkler Productions."
    "I played the part of Wally Wooster who did most of the characters for Buddy Winkler Productions, including the voice of Dippy Duck."
    Messick's latest "live" performances have been on the road on behalf of children's charitable organizations in England and New Zealand. Messick has visited numerous hospital wards to amuse children. He shows the youngsters cartoon cels (celluloid) and adlibs with them to demonstrate what the various TV characters might say.
    "Then, after a dozen or so characters, I bring out Kiwi (a kiwi bird hand puppet he purchased in London) and do a little ventriloquism. I like to make orange juice talk, or perhaps a bottle. A bottle is best, because the children usually imagine someone being inside a bottle."
    Messick first took his show on the road during the 1985 Colonel Sanders Memorial March of Dimes Campaign. He served as the campaign's co-chairman, along with Sanders' widow, and visited 10 major cities on behalf of the charitable organization.
    The man who plays Astro, the Jetson family dog, is offended when people refer to his work as impersonations.
    "I don't do impersonations," Messick said firmly. "If a program or commercial calls for a character based on a specific personality, then I refuse to take the part.
    "I only do original characters," he continued, "which made finding work in my field more difficult in the beginning. It wasn't until Astro came along that I began to carve a niche for myself with substantial characters that were original."
    Messick is first and foremost an actor, he said. He believes his acting skills are necessary for him to bring life to a character whether—he (Messick) is seen or not.
    "Even when you're doing voiceovers, you need to act with your total body to get the proper animation in your voice. You can't just sit there stiffly and read words off...you're performing."
    There are limitations, however, to how active a voiceover artist can be.
    "Many people forget the microphone is very directional," Messick said. "If you turn to address an actor to your right, then you're 'off-mic.'"
    A new character in Messick's repertoire is a yappy dog named Pepe, who is part of a cartoon series about dogs called "Foofur." Messick commutes to the Hanna Barbera Studios on La Cienega Blvd. in North Hollywood an average of three times a week to tape "Foofur" episodes, as well as sequences of the "Smurfs." He recently finished filming new episodes for the Jetson series.
    Does he still like his work?
    "Absolutely. What else would I do?" Messick mused. "seriously, I enjoy being in the world of fantasy. It's healthy to get away from some of the harsher, negative realities of today's world and to bring joy and laughter not only to the audience but to oneself. It's therapeutic," Messick added.

   

Yogi, Huckleberry Hound, and Quick Draw Enjoy a Smoke Break

 Everyone seems to know about how The Flintstones promoted cigarettes in the show's early years (usually under the false pretense of it being advertised to kids), but how many are aware of these toys where smoking was the main feature? Below are the Lovable Smoking Traveler's Pets, issued in the early 1960s. Each of the three figures is accompanied by faux cigarettes, which can be lit to emit smoke like an actual cigarette. Fun for the whole family! I think what I love most about these figures though is their expressions. They have this strange, almost "deer in the headlights look" to them. Yogi Bear especially looks hilarious here.

As weird as these toys are, I guess they sold well. Or, at least, well enough to package all three into one set. This one might be a bit weirder, if only for the packaging depicting Yogi, Huckleberry Hound, and Quick Draw McGraw smoking their cigarettes. Definitely not something that would fly today!

A Magic Carpet Ride with Huckleberry Hound

 Boy, did Hanna-Barbera love to slap their characters on everything and anything. If you need proof, here is a collection of Huckleberry Hound rugs from the early 1960s. Yowp's discussed these on his blog a few times, but I don't believe he's shared the full collection of them. Or, at least, all the carpets that I could find online. According to a newspaper ad he shared on one post, these would've set you back $5.98 back in the day. Each one measures 22 x 38 inches and comes to us from Belgium.

I'm not quite done yet, though! In the early days of Cartoon Network's website, they actually had concept sketches for these rugs available. They didn't have art for all of the pieces I've shared today, but they did for the majority of them. Oddly enough, the website just labels them as sketches for "Huckleberry Hound merchandise", making no mention of the merchandise the art was made for. Perhaps those creating the website didn't even know themselves?

HB Voice Actors in Classic TV Shows Part Deux

 This is a post I've been meaning to get out for a while now! At the end of January, I uploaded a post sharing several appearances from Hanna-Barbera voice actors in live-action TV shows of yesteryear. If you missed that, check it out right here. Now, it's time for part the second! Last time, I looked at the original Flintstones, Alan Reed and Jean Vander Pyl, so it's only natural that this installment focuses on the Rubbles. Let us begin with Barney Rubble, voiced by the legendary Mel Blanc. Blanc's name may be synonymous with animation, but he did have a few live-action credits. One of those, just like Alan Reed and the other major Flintstones actors, was The Beverly Hillbillies. He appeared in one episode as a cab driver, and made the most out of what could have been a pretty plain role. Here's a little excerpt from said episode.

Barney wouldn't be anything without Miss Betty Rubble, so the next actor I'd like to spotlight is the lovely Bea Benaderet. Benaderet is arguably different from other voice actors HB employed in that she's far more known for her screen work than she is for her work in animation. She was in many shows, including Beverly Hillserbillies, I Love Lucy, and Petticoat Junction, the last of which was her big starring role. Benaderet played Kate Bradley in the series, a widow who runs a hotel known as the Shady Rest. Here's a clip from one of the show's Christmas episodes. She truly was an underrated talent, whether it be in animation, live-action, or radio.

The final actor I'd like to spotlight today is one of my favorite voice actors, Don Messick. Messick was a king of cartoon voiceovers, but what many might not know is that in the 1980s, he was a regular on a live-action series. Titled The Duck Factory, the show focused on a young cartoonist working at the titular Duck Factory, the masterminds behind "The Dippy Duck Show". Messick, unsurprisingly, played a voice actor. The show is also notable for starring an actor who would go on to become one of the most in-demand actors of the next decade. His name is Jim Carrey, perhaps you've heard of him?  Below is the pilot episode of the series. Give it a watch, and if you're interested, check out the rest of the show, too! As far as I know, every episode is available on YouTube.

Video of the Week: A Space Ghost C2C 30th Anniversary Celebration

 This coming Monday, April 15th, marks a big anniversary for one particular superhero and his late-night talk show. 30 years earlier on that same night, Space Ghost: Coast to Coast premiered on the Cartoon Network. Although none knew it at the time, Space Ghost would become a notable show for many reasons. It was one of CN's first original shows, it set the template for much of the early programming that would air on Adult Swim nearly a decade later, it reintroduced Space Ghost to a whole new generation, and that's just off the top of my head! To celebrate this special occasion, here are two wonderful videos, the first of which is a behind-the-scenes look at the show from February 1996. This aired on an Atlanta news station and features a chat with Mike Lazzo and other important figures in the show's development, as well as a look at how a Space Ghost episode is put together. 

As critical as people like Mike Lazzo were to making Space Ghost a hit, if we're being honest with ourselves, it was George Lowe's performance as the titular character that made the show so great. His take on the role was every bit as memorable as original Space Ghost actor Gary Owens was, albeit for different reasons. Below is an interview FOX 13 Tampa Bay did with Lowe back in 2021, focusing on his earlier years and love of art. I also believe I should mention that the last year or so has been rather rough for Mr. Lowe. He's gone through several health issues as of late, so please wish him the best at this time. I'll now allow him to do the talking. Here's to thirty years of Coast to Coast, and hopefully thirty more!

The Ice Cream of the Future

 Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the ice cream of the future, and I'm not talking about Dippin' Dots! No, I'm instead talking about this little oddity, a Jetsons-themed ice cream put out by Dreyers in 2000. The flavor is apparently "Orbit City Swirl", but your guess is as good as mine in regards to what exactly that tastes like. I also don't quite know why Dreyers decided to issue Jetsons ice cream in 2000. The characters did get a brief resurgence with the beginning of the new millennium, so maybe this was a byproduct of that?

What's even more interesting is that there was a contest hosted by Cartoon Network and Dreyers for this collaboration, the winner of which would receive an entertainment center adorned with Scooby and Jetsons characters. I wonder if there are any pictures of this out there online? I have to say, this is one of the oddest Hanna-Barbera food promotions I've seen out there, and that's saying a lot! I've never even mentioned the Flintstones soda line!

8 More Sites for Hanna-Barbera Fans to Check Out!

Back in September, I wrote a blog post centered on eight websites that I felt Hanna-Barbera fanatics should look at. That post turned out to be one of the most viewed on this site thus far, so I figured it's about time to give it a follow-up. From fan sites to podcasts to social media accounts, here are eight more websites that you should all check out!

1. The Funtastic World of Hanna & Barbera with Greg Ehrbar - The newest site on this list, this one also happens to be one of the very best. Hosted by the extremely talented Greg Ehrbar, this is a podcast that focuses on you guessed it, Hanna-Barbera. Each episode sees Ehrbar joined by a guest, ranging from artists to voice actors to animation historians, as they discuss specific areas of Hanna-Barbera history. The whole series is worth a listen, but one of my favorites had to be a two-part conversation Greg had with Chas Butler, son of voice-acting giant Daws Butler. The series gets updated pretty regularly, too, so there's always a new episode to look forward to. If you haven't listened to this yet, then quite frankly, what are you waiting for? Funtastic World is available on Apple, Audible, and most other audio services. 

2. Termite Terrace Headlines - Named after the iconic building where the classic WB cartoons were made, Termite Terrace is hosted by Kamden Spies, who I've mentioned here several times before and featured in my "Favorite Flintstones" post from February. The site focuses on classic cartoons in general, and that includes early Hanna-Barbera. He and his blog were a big source of inspiration for this blog, and he's very knowledgeable in not even just classic cartoons, but old-school entertainment as well. This is one of those blogs that I got lost in for hours upon first encountering it, and I believe many of you will feel the same way. Give Termite Terrace a look, and you'll be glad you did!

3. Hanna-Barbera Screencaps - This one might be considered cheating, as it's technically a social media account, but it's so good I couldn't ignore it. Hosted on Twitter (nope, I'm never calling it "X" or whatever), Hanna-Barbera Screencaps is exactly what it sounds like. It is dedicated to images, videos, and other materials from the shows that came out of 3400 Cahuenga Boulevard. It's a very popular page too, having amassed over 150k followers since launching in 2020. The account also posts a lot about other non-HB cartoons, both old and new, so it's a great page for animation in general really. The page's owner just got back from a hiatus, so the time is right to give this page a much-earned follow!

4. The Last Cartoonery - As great as sites made by fans and historians are, you also cannot go wrong with sites put together by the people who worked for Hanna-Barbera. That, my friends, is where the Last Cartoonery comes in. Hosted by Tony Benedict, one of the few remaining individuals who worked for the studio during its glory days, the blog is a lovely retrospective, full of charming cartoons, behind-the-scenes photos, and more. The only real drawback to the site is that it hasn't been updated in years, but what is there is nothing short of amazing. 

5. ScoobyAddicts - Scooby and the gang have easily the biggest following of any of the Hanna-Barbera characters, so it was only a matter of time before I spotlighted one here. In my opinion, ScoobyAddicts is the premiere destination for all things Scooby, from episode guides to news updates. Owned by Nikki Blake, a super kind individual in my short interactions with her, the big draw has to be the interviews uploaded to it. The site has done many over the years, covering every section of Scooby-Doo's long history. Even if you aren't the biggest fan of the mystery-solving mutt, the interviews alone make this site a required visit for all Hanna-Barbera enthusiasts.

6. It's So Hanna-Barberaesque - A blog hosted on the website Tumblr, "It's So Hanna-Barberaesque is a great place for Hanna-Barbera fans who are more into the "fandom" side of their productions. The blog is ripe with fanfics, headcanons, and fanart, which means there's a lot to go back to with this one. The site also has a great "links of interest" page, chock full of websites connected to Hanna-Barbera, both big and small. Overall, it's a lovely site, and definitely one of the more unique ones I've covered so far.

7. Classic Jonny Quest - Another fansite, this time dedicated to the adventures of the one and only Jonny Quest. The site has been around since the nineties, but boasts an impressive selection of features, including a list of merchandise, fan art, bios on characters and locations, and more. This site, like the prior entry, also has its own great set of links to other websites, which I also recommend you check out. Quite frankly, Quest and friends couldn't have asked for a better fansite, so if you're at all a fan of the classic 1964 series, this is one to bookmark.

8. Paul Maher's Children's Television Archive - Now this is a really special one. For those unaware, Paul Maher was an animation fan in every sense of the world. He loved cartoons, owned many collectibles, and met many of the men and women behind these shows. He passed away back in 2014, and this site was made in his honor. The site archives lots of the material he possessed, ranging from rare BTS photographs to interviews with voice actors and animators. If you can think of any classic cartoon production company, this site has a section dedicated to it. From what I've heard, Maher was a passionate individual, and this site perfectly exemplifies that passion. 

Recreating Ruff N' Reddy

 Here's something cool that I saw posted in a Hanna-Barbera group on Facebook yesterday. It's a recreation of the first episode of The Ruff N' Reddy Show, just as it premiered back in 1957! This comes to us courtesy of Ray Pointer. For those unaware of Mr. Pointer, he's an exceptional animator and animation historian. If you haven't checked out his book on Max Fleischer, I highly suggest you do so, you will not regret it. Pointer, who viewed the series as it originally aired all those years ago, has taken matters into his own hands to recreate the show, and has done an amazing job so far. Unfortunately, these videos are without the live-action/puppet segments that bookended each cartoon, so they aren't completely accurate, but even with that setback, this is still a wonderful project. Below is the first episode, but more are available if you check out his YouTube channel. While Boomerang rips of this show do exist online, it's awesome to see the show the way it originally aired, especially when it looks as if a DVD/Blu-Ray release is little more than a pipe dream. Give the video a look and please support Ray Pointer's efforts by subscribing to his channel and checking out his aforementioned book!

Growing Up in a House Full of Cartoon Characters: Questions and Answers with Tim Messick

 We all love the work of Don Messick, one of Hanna-Barbera's top vocal talents. He was undoubtedly one of Hanna-Barbera's best voice actors, and one of the best classic animation voice actors, too. He voiced so many beloved characters for the studio, including Scooby-Doo, Bamm-Bamm Rubble, Boo Boo, Ranger Smith, Dr. Benton Quest, Bandit, Astro, and many, many more. But as much as we love him, few can say they knew the man behind the voices, and only one can say he knew him as a father. That individual is Timothy Messick, the only child of Donald Messick, despite what Wikipedia and other such sites might tell you. Within the last month, I was able to get into contact with Tim, who was nothing but cordial and delightful in my conversations with him. Today, I am elated to share a question and answer session between Messick and myself, shedding some much-needed light on Don Messick, both as a man and as an artist.

Before I get into the Q&A itself, I'd like to put out a small disclaimer. Though Messick agreed to this interview, he has made it clear to me that he is not interested in becoming part of the larger animation research community. I will not include Messick's contact information in this post, and I will not respond to any inquiries asking for said info. I also ask you to respect Messick's request for privacy, and not hound him for additional questions. I have faith you all won't do this,, but I'd like to make this crystal clear. With that out of the way, please welcome Timothy Messick to The Exposure Sheet in this amazing interview!

Noah Bell: When and how did you learn that your father was a voice-over artist?

Woody DeForest and Don Messick circa 1970

Tim Messick: I think I can remember from as early as age 6, watching "his" cartoons on TV and knowing it was his voice coming from some of the characters. He would also read stories and especially newspaper comic strips to me, with voices, at bedtime. He also had a ventriloquist dummy, Woody DeForest, that he had used in his early days as an entertainer. He and Woody would chat with me or sing a song sometimes. One favorite was a comic version of "Yankee Doodle." Woody now resides at "Vent Haven Museum" in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky (www.venthaven.org)—a sort of retirement home for vent dummies who have outlasted their human partners.

NB: Many are familiar with Don Messick's body of work, but few can say they knew Don Messick as a person. What was he like to be around?

TM: I think he was a pretty regular guy in many ways, valuing family and friendships, and appreciating his good fortune at being able to do work he enjoyed. He also enjoyed cigars, bourbon-and-soda with a lemon twist, big speakers in the living room, and his cars (many different kinds over the years) for his long commutes to Hollywood. He had a very active and generally dry sense of humor. Although necessarily outgoing as a performer, he considered himself an introvert, and I would agree. He was never loud and boisterous except when playing a character that required it.

His work was also his hobby. There was always a recording studio in the house, with several reel-to-reel tape recorders, turntables, other equipment, a special tape machine dedicated to splicing and editing, etc. In Carmel (up to about 1967), the "Studio" was in a converted garage located between two sections of the house. In Santa Barbara (after about 1967) the Studio was in what was originally a guest house, separated from the main house by a long corridor between the rear patio and carport. 

Don Messick at an event for the Cartoon Network, 1993

He wrote and recorded "spots"—short radio commercials—for local businesses that aired on local radio stations, especially KDON in Monterey, KDB in Santa Barbara, and probably others as well. He did this for a bit of extra income, but more importantly for creative fun. Some of these he did entirely on his own (with character voices and/or straight narration), mixing in music and sound effects; others were collaborations with friends providing either technical help or additional voices. His sense of humor found full vent in these spots—many were hilarious! Another memorable product of his Studio was a performance of the radio play "They Fly through the Air," written in 1939 by Norman Corwin, with a cast of radio and actor friends from Santa Barbara. I don't know if this home studio version was ever broadcast.¹

During my high school years (in Santa Barbara) I had my darkroom in a corner of the Studio that happened to have a sink. Over the course of three years, I spent many hours there, developing and printing photos I had taken for my school's yearbook, and some other early creative efforts. I'm sure he would have preferred not to be sharing his Studio space with my darkroom (generally incompatible activities), but I don't recall it ever becoming a problem or source of friction. He was very supportive of my interest in photography.

NB: Your father voiced tons and tons of characters for Hanna-Barbera over the course of nearly forty years. Who would you say is your favorite, and why? 

Publicity still featuring Messick and his animated friends

TM: I think my favorites align closely with his favorites, which included Boo Boo Bear (Yogi's younger sidekick), Bamm Bamm (on The Flintstones), and Mutley (the snickering dog). One has to include Scooby Doo, of course, because of his great success as a long-running character and series.

Another of my favorites, less well known, appeared first (I think) as a robot from the planet Muni-Mula in the Ruff and Reddy series, and much later as George Jetson's computer, "R.U.D.I." This voice showcased his remarkable ability to flutter his tongue against his palate while speaking, for a truly alien sound.

NB: You mentioned you frequented the Hanna-Barbera studio during your summer vacations in the 1960s. Can you recall what the place was like at that time?

TM: Yes, I was very fortunate to be able to sit in on quite a few recording sessions during some of my summer vacations in the 1960s. When we lived in Carmel, he would often commute to Hollywood for a few days at a time, flying from Monterey on Pacific Airlines and staying a few nights at the Hollywood Travelodge. Later, from Santa Barbara, he would drive to studios for the day, as needed, for a recording session or two.

 Most of these sessions were at Hanna-Barbera in Studio A—the large studio with room enough for a large cast, lots of mikes, a piano, movie screen, and 2 or 3 rows of theater seats below the control room windows. Some sessions were recorded in the much smaller "Studio B" down the hall. The recording studios were in the center of the building, with workstations for the animators all around three outer walls with large windows.

NB: You also told me you met several directors and vocal artists in the recording sessions during these visits. Were there any encounters that have stuck with you from those days?

TM: Most of the recording sessions I attended were directed by Alex Lovy or Lew Marshall, and occasionally Bill Hanna or Joe Barbera. I usually brought a book with me to read, but I rarely got much reading done. I paid attention to the read-throughs of the script, as the director coached the actors on how to express or inflect certain lines, and explained the action in the storyboard (which would not be animated until after the soundtrack was finished). That was always interesting and entertaining, and so was the joking around that regularly occurred among the actors. I have memories of many different performers from that time—regulars on the casts of Scooby Doo, The Flintstones, Jonny Quest, and others—but a few people and instances do stand out.

Mel Blanc was at many of the earlier sessions. He was a pioneering, extremely versatile, and highly respected voice actor. He voiced Barney Rubble, Mr. Spacely, and others for Hanna-Barbera, plus many other famous voices for Warner Brothers.

Daws Butler (Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Elroy Jetson, and many others) was a close friend and had a catalyzing role in my father's career, helping him land early roles at MGM and Hanna-Barbera. Daws and Myrtis Butler had 4 sons, the youngest of whom, Charles, was close to my age, and we became good friends. I think I hung out at their home in Beverly Hills a few times while our fathers went to recording sessions. They visited us at least once when we lived in Carmel. Daws would jokingly call me "Time" rather than Tim.

Paul Winchell (Dick Dastardly and others) had, shall we say, a "colorful" sense of humor in the studio, enabling his characters to use language (off-mike) that would never (in those days) have been heard on television or radio.

Gary Owens (Space Ghost) was also on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In at that time, and it was a kick to see someone I currently knew from TV, live in the studio. Sometimes he really did hold his hand over his ear while reading a script, as did his on-screen announcer character on Laugh-In.

Comedian Bud Abbott played himself on the Abbott & Costello series produced in 1966. I remember being in the parking lot at HB when he opened the trunk of his car and gave my father a wax (not vinyl) recording of the famous "Who's on First" skit.

I remember my father came home one day after a session, probably for Episode 3 of The New Scooby-Doo Movies in 1972. He was telling me about a remarkable young actress of 8 or 9, who could read a script cold, better than many experienced grown-up actors. He greatly admired and enjoyed working with this very professional youngster. Her name was Jodie Foster. 

Don and his most celebrated character, Scooby-Doo

NB: Did you ever find yourself becoming the inspiration for the voice of a character your father portrayed?

TM: I don't think so. I was too quiet, not goofy or mischievous enough. But our dogs most definitely inspired some of the expressiveness he brought to his many canine characterizations, and he acknowledged this.

NB: How does it feel to know that, all these decades later, so many of the characters your father voiced continue to entertain viewers across the world?

TM: It's not something I think about much, since I'm not involved in entertainment myself. But whenever it comes up in conversation with someone who doesn't know of this connection, they are delighted and relate fond memories of their favorite cartoon series and characters, many of whom he voiced. It's wonderful to know he had such a memorable impact on so many young lives, and that these memories persist decades later.

NB: What are some of your best memories of growing up with Don Messick?

TM: I've already mentioned the bedtime reading of comic strips and the opportunity to attend recording sessions. To these I'll add that he and I both loved to travel. He introduced me to Yosemite when I was about 8 years old, and we visited there often. This had a strong influence on my later decision to become a biologist. We visited Canada several times, including Expo '67 in Montreal. Visiting World's Fairs became a thing for a while, and we visited HemisFair '68 in San Antonio and Expo '70 in Osaka. In our years of traveling together, we occasionally had the surreal experience of hearing his voice emerging from a TV somewhere far from home. That happened somewhere in Japan in 1970 (I don't recall any other details). In 1971, during a crossing of Cabot Strait on the car ferry between Sydney, Nova Scotia, and Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, we heard his voice on a TV as we walked past a lounge on the ferry. Later, during the 1980s and '90s, he continued his travels overseas, often entertaining kids during charity events at children's hospitals.

Thank you, Noah, for the opportunity to share these memories with you!

And that concludes my talk with Tim Messick! Like I said, he was fantastic to talk with, and nothing but helpful in conducting this interview. I have to give him a big thanks for being willing to participate in this. I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did putting it together. And for my readers, I'd love to know who your favorite Don Messick-voiced character is? I'm personally a big fan of Muttley, Boo Boo and Atom Ant, but I'm interested in hearing everyone else's!

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1 The original version of Fly Through the Air With the Greatest of Ease was broadcast on April 10th, 1939. For more information on the play, check out its page on RUSC. If anyone knows any information about this late 60s version, we'd love to hear it! ^↩