Ed Benedict

Ed Benedict was the main character designer for all the early  Hanna-Barbera cartoons, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw.  Benedict, who worked at MGM, Universal and other studios on short,  theatrical cartoons, joined Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera soon after the  pair launched their groundbreaking Hanna-Barbera TV animation studio in  the late 1950s. Among his many designs for them were the characters for  their first series, 1957's "The Ruff & Reddy Show."

For "The  Flintstones," the story of a "modern Stone Age family," Benedict not  only designed the hapless cavemen Fred and Barney, but also their  long-suffering wives, Wilma and Betty, and the show's clever array of  Stone Age houses and gadgets, including the characters' foot-powered  cars.

"The Flintstones," one of the first cartoon series created  for adults as well as children, debuted in 1960 and was an immediate  hit. Forty-six years later, Fred and Barney remain squarely in the  public consciousness as pitchmen for various products, including  Flintstones' vitamins. Without the time and budget that were lavished on  classic theatrical cartoons, TV animated comedies had to leave out  beautiful backgrounds and lifelike movement in favor of witty dialogue  and stories with vivid characters.

Before joining Hanna-Barbera,  Benedict worked for another cartoon legend, Tex Avery, at both Universal  and MGM studios. At MGM, where Hanna and Barbera also worked, he was  the lead layout artist and designer on "Deputy Droopy" and other popular  theatrical shorts.

He also worked with "Woody Woodpecker"  creator Walter Lantz on several shorts, including "The Dizzy Dwarf" and  "Unpopular Mechanic."

He died in August, 2006 at the age of 94. He requested that his ashes be scattered over California's Carmel Bay.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Lonnie Root