Joseph Barbera was an animator.
Joseph Roland `` Joe '' Barbera ( [ bɑrˈbɛrə ] or [ ˈbɑrbərə ] ; [ barˈbɛːra ] ; March 24 , 1911 -- December 18 , 2006 ) was an American animator , director , producer , storyboard artist , and cartoon artist , whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the 20th century . In 1957 , after MGM dissolved their animation department , they co-founded Hanna-Barbera , which became the most successful television animation studio in the business , producing programs such as The Flintstones , Yogi Bear , Scooby-Doo , Top Cat , The Smurfs , Huckleberry Hound and The Jetsons .