(Source:Anime News Network)
On Wednesday, June 28, noted actor/writer and producer Lennie Weinrib died in a Chilean hospital due to complications from a stroke. He was 71.
Weinrib first rose to prominence as insult comic Jackie Brew-Brew on The Dick Van Dyke Show. He was asked to portray the character 5 hours before airtime, when police arrested Shecky Greene, the original actor. Weinrib later went on to appear on nearly every situation comedy show in the 1960's.
However, he was best known for his voice work. He voiced the title character in H.R. Pufnstuf) (he was also the main writer for the show) and voiced Scrappy-Doo in Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo. He was Commissioner Gordon, The Joker, The Penguin and Mr. Freeze in 1977's The New Adventures of Batman. Weinrib also voiced the character of Timer, an animated character who taught nutrition in many Saturday morning shorts during the 1970's. He later voiced the role of Hunk/Lotor in several incarnations of Voltron.
Weinrib was so successful with his voice work that it overshadowed his other contributions; his last real appearance on camera was in the 1977 segment, Magic Mongo, which was part of The Krofft Supershow.
He quit the entertainment business in 1992, remarried and retired to Chile. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, one from a previous marriage.
