The animation community lost one of its great veterans this Saturday.
This weekend, we were shocked and saddened to learn that Tony Benedict, one of the great writers of television animation's early years, had passed away. It's actually unclear how old he was, but Mark Evanier and others believe that he was 88. Over the course of his life, he worked at various animation companies and brought many beloved characters to life through his clever writing.
Tony's career in animation started in the late 1950s at Disney. He worked on films like Sleeping Beauty, but soon departed for UPA, where he wrote several episodes of Mr. Magoo. Not long after that, he hooked up with Hanna-Barbera and contributed to practically every other show they did throughout the first half of the decade. He wrote episodes for The Flintstones, Huckleberry Hound, Top Cat, The Jetsons, Atom Ant, Yogi Bear, and many more. His most notable work for the studio might be his Jetsons stories. More than anyone else, he developed and molded Astro into the lovable mutt we know today.
Around the time the studio was bought by Taft, Benedict left them for Depatie-Freleng, and bounced around other studios afterwards. When The Jetsons was revived in the eighties, Benedict, like many other original writers, was brought back to write new episodes. He continued working into the 1990s before retiring from the industry.
While Tony is remembered by animation fans for his great writing and storytelling, those who knew him best spoke of a man who was nothing short of a pleasure to be around. I never knew him myself, but everything I've seen of him over the years made him seem like a genuine great guy.
If you'd like to know about Tony Benedict and his career, there's no better place than from the man himself. He's done lots of interviews over the years, including several on Stu's Show. Yowp uploaded a tribute this weekend that included an interview he conducted with him. I'll also link a video showcasing an interview he did with the Animation Guild.
Rest in peace, Tony Benedict. My heart goes out to all of his friends and family in this trying time. I hope he knows how much joy and laughter he brought to people with his writing throughout the years.