(Source: Big Cartoon Database)
Legendary animator Ed Benedict, whose distinctive work brought Hanna-Barbera's early cartoons to life, passed away in his sleep August 28, five days after his 94th birthday.
"Ed is one of the true giants of animation," John Kricfalusi (Ren and Stimpy) wrote in tribute. "I think he was the greatest character designer in the whole history of the medium."
Benedict started his career at Walt Disney Studios in 1930. He left three years later to work for Universal, where he worked on Walter Lantz's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon shorts. He returned to Disney in 1940, working on layout for various industrial and educational films. He also did layout for 1946's Make Mine Music, his sole Disney credit.
In 1952, Tex Avery invited Benedict to MGM to work as lead layout artist for his cartoons. He worked on such classic shorts as Deputy Droopy, The First Bad Man and Cellbound (all in 1955); One Droopy Knight, Blackboard Jumble, Mucho Mouse and Grin and Share It (all in 1957); and Droopy Leprechaun, Mutts About Racing and Sheep Wrecked (all in 1958).
In 1959, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera lured Benedict to their fledgling company to design the characters for The Ruff and Ready Show. Benedict quickly became Hanna-Barbera's principle character designer, creating the look of classic cartoon characters like The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Hong Kong Phooey and many others.
"Ed's designs made Hanna Barbera instantly recognizable as a new and modern style and helped make Hanna Barbera hugely successful around the world," Kricfalusi said in his blog. "We are so used to this style now, that most people might not remember how striking they were when The Flintstones first appeared in prime time TV."
Benedict left Hanna-Barbera in the late 1960's but continued doing freelance work for various companies (including Hanna-Barbera) until his retirement. He last worked in 1999, on Kricfalusi's "Yogi Bear on acid" short Boo Boo Runs Wild.
The Animation Guild Local 839 honoured him with a Golden Award in 1985. In 1994, ASIFA-Hollywood gave him the Winsor McCay Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ed Benedict is survived by his sons Donald and Allan, grandsons Derek and Peter, his sister Miriam and brother Bill.
