William Hanna worked in the entertainment industry.
William Denby `` Bill '' Hanna ( July 14 , 1910 -- March 22 , 2001 ) was an American animator , director , producer , voice actor , and cartoon artist , whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of people for much of the 20th century . After working odd jobs in the first months of the Depression , Hanna joined the Harman and Ising animation studio in 1930 . During the 1930s , Hanna steadily gained skill and prominence while working on cartoons such as Captain and the Kids . In 1957 , they co-founded Hanna-Barbera , which became the most successful television animation studio in the business , producing programs such as The Flintstones , The Huckleberry Hound Show , The Jetsons , Scooby-Doo , The Smurfs , and Yogi Bear .