William Hanna worked in the entertainment industry.
Hanna-Barbera Productions , Inc. ( simply known as Hanna-Barbera and also referred to as H-B Enterprises , H-B Production Company and Hanna-Barbera Cartoons , Inc. ) was an American animation studio that dominated American television animation for over three decades in the mid 20th century . 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 . In 1937 , while working at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ( MGM ) , Hanna met Joseph Barbera . Hanna-Barbera 's shows had a worldwide audience of over 300 million people in their 1960s heyday , and have been translated into more than 28 languages .