Ed BenedictAugust 31, 2006 2:16 am
Legendary animation artist Ed Benedict passed away Monday at age 94. He was the designer of most of Hanna-Barbera’s early stars including Yogi Bear, The Flintstones, Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw McGraw. He was also an important part of my book CARTOON MODERN, which unfortunately I wasn’t able to show him before he left us. There’s a lot more about Ed at Cartoon Brew.
If you have memories of Ed or were inspired by his work, please share in the comments below and I’ll try to forward it to his family.
What a fantastic picture! I wonder if animators will ever have that much fun again.
Comment by Dimples — August 31, 2006 @ 6:27 am
Some of my earliest animation memories are of Ed’s characters; the Flintstones, Pixie and DIxie, Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy, Yogi, Snaggle Puss. It had a lasting affect on the way I draw. I never got a chance to meet Ed, and I kick myself for not taking the time to write him and tell him how much his work meant to me. We lost a great talent today.
Comment by John \\ — August 31, 2006 @ 7:30 am
Spending any time with Ed, you’d learn the way he felt about everything, from religion to Percy Faith, from politicians to garlic. As wonderfully cranky as Ed was, his love for Alice is the thing I’ll remember the most. RIP, Ed.
Comment by Eric Homan — August 31, 2006 @ 7:46 am
An artist like ED Benedict,that cares about appeal on designing liking the media or not,in the contemporany state of the general “commercial art” should be an exemple for the professionals that may (and are payed for) care about it but don’t.
Lucas Libanio*a.k.a Hans Grotz
Comment by Hans Grotz — August 31, 2006 @ 7:56 am
It’s very sad news. Saturday morning kids, like I was, owe a lot of fun to people like Benedict. I learn to draw copying Hanna-Barbera characters.
Comment by Ernesto Pfluger — August 31, 2006 @ 12:27 pm
another loss to the industry, and to the animation community. *sigh* so few have been left.
Comment by lloyd — August 31, 2006 @ 6:56 pm
Just last night, we had dinner with Jerry Eisenberg and his wife. Jerry’s not only the son of the great Harvey (TOM AND JERRY) Eisenberg, he’s also a great cartoonist in his own right, and one of the mainstays of early 60s H-B cartoons; for example, Peter Potamus is his design. During our meal, we were wondering how Ed Benedict was doing these days and if he was still seeing visitors. How sadly ironic.
Y’know, there may have been a Hanna-Barbera Productions without Ed Benedict, but I think his involvment was essential to their success. The man’s drawings were not only simple, smart and appealing. Ed’s characters were FUNNY, in and of themselves, even without benefit of movement or voiceovers.
And his stuff wasn’t just brilliant at H-B. My favorite theatrical short is MGM’s DEPUTY DROOPY, directed by Tex Avery. Ed designed the whole thing (including a redesign of Droopy) and it’s a real thing of beauty (and in my opinion, Tex’s finest short.)
I never met Ed Benedict but I owe him a LOT for the inspiration he’s provided me over the years with all the cartoon characters he designed…not to mention the opportunity to have had various gigs writing and drawing THE FLINTSTONES over the decades. Along with Gene Hazelton and Harvey Eisenberg, Ed Benedict’s design work was a MAJOR influence on me, and I’m grateful for it.
Aloha,
Scott!
Comment by Scott Shaw! — August 31, 2006 @ 9:01 pm
Not only did I have the opportunity to meet and talk cartoon design with him(thanks to you, Amid), I had the honor of playing or at least attempting to play the organ with him. I watched Huckleberry Hound cartoons and raised a Dr. Pepper in honor of him today. Thanks for a lifetime of inspiration, Ed.
Comment by Ted — August 31, 2006 @ 9:46 pm
My earliest memory is telling my mother how animated cartoons were made. I watched the HB cartoons on “Sheriff John” when I got home from kindergarten (1966-7). I had a pad of yellow manila paper and drew a crude series of Augie Doggie waving his arms. I then told my mother how such drawing would then be cut-out, painted, and pasted to the backgrounds, then photographed one frame at a time. I told her that what I wanted to be when I grew up was an animator. I was five at the time.
I have since learned animate cartoons are a little more complicated than my five-year old brain comprehended.
I never became a good enough draftsman to pursue my ultimate dream, but I did study enough to become afairly decent actor. Animators are “actors with a pencil;” I figured I’d become the second best thing.
While Mr. Benedict may have disparaged his HB work, I found his designs to be charming and unique. He influenced my cartooning tremendously.
Oh Hell, he influenced my life.
Comment by A.J Hagan — September 1, 2006 @ 3:19 am
I love Ed’s art, and it’s so easy for people to take his style for granted considering he pretty much defined Hanna-Barbera’s golden-age style. Quick Draw McGraw (and El Kabong) has always been my favorite. When you think about it, I don’t think anyone before or since has figured out how to anthropomorphize a horse properly and make it stand upright the way that Ed did. He’ll be missed, but he influenced so many animators and cartoonists that his legacy will always be present.
Comment by handsintheair.net — September 1, 2006 @ 3:17 pm
May I convey my deepest sympathy to the family of the great Ed Benedict. His work and influences will live on forever in the hearts of many. His life has touched mine and I felt a great loss with the news of his passing. Thank you for coloring my life with your gift of masterful work Mr. Benedict!
Comment by Mike G — September 1, 2006 @ 8:55 pm
this a man who will live forever
my 5 year old can watch any show she wants and on her own all she wants to see is ED BENEDICT cartoons whe i ask her why she says they look better and i always learn somthing.
i think it is safe to say his work has and will stand the test of time.
The world has lose a great tresure
H.G. Braun (just a fan and a DAD)
Comment by just a dad in new york — September 2, 2006 @ 3:30 pm
When I first became president of Hanna-Barbera in 1992, John Kricfalusi took me to school on the great things at the studio that had been forgotten over the years. Number one on his list, and soon on mine, was Ed. My future wife and I took a trip up to Carmel for a visit with Ed and his wife, and like everyone else has reported, they were gracious, welcoming, opinionated, curmudgeonly, all at once. We stayed in touch occasionally over the years, and I sent not a small number of fans his way.
Ed was one of those guys who reminded me constantly why it’s great to be in the cartoon business.
We’ll all miss you Ed.
Sincerely, Fred Seibert
Comment by Fred Seibert — September 2, 2006 @ 7:54 pm
I remember my father Paul Fennell and Ed discussing Fred Flintstone at Ed’s table in at his LA home. My father had a habit of sitting down at the artists’ table in his La Cienega studio and doing ‘hands on’ critiques - much to the consternation of the artists. Ed absolutely refused to let my father do this at his own home - though I could hear my father almost begging him for this auspicious privelege. Finally Ed allowed my dad to do a little tissue overlay while standing - my father’s apparent need to draw was satiated, Ed could hold his head high with a Flintstone sketch unmolested - and I could remember this with a fond memory of two good friends able to work things out in the world of high stakes animation. Thank you Ed.
Comment by Tom Fennell — September 3, 2006 @ 9:10 pm
thank you all for your kind comments and fond rememberances about my father. i would like to point out that he is survived by me and my children Michael and Lisa in addition to my brothers Allan and Don, Don’s children Derek and Peter, and my aunt Miriam and uncle Bill
Comment by Anne McCallum — September 4, 2006 @ 8:40 am
Anne - Great to hear about you too! We grew up together at Overland Elementary and then you moved to Carmel. Would love to hear from you - Kathleen Kirkpatrick Westling
Comment by Kathy Westling — September 4, 2006 @ 10:51 am
Kathleen, I certainly remember you! Would love to hear from you too!
Comment by Anne McCallum — September 4, 2006 @ 4:58 pm
Anne - So sorry to hear about your dad but I remember watching him draw cartoons when we were in elementary school! Email me at info@cucptsa.com.
Comment by Kathy Westling — September 4, 2006 @ 5:15 pm