Animation has been popular ever since the medium first premiered around a century ago, and plenty of adults harbor fond memories of the funny, intelligent, wise-cracking Hanna-Barbera characters of their youth.
Now, if we’re talking about the most unforgettable animated characters of all time, no list would certainly be complete without mentioning several characters created by Hanna-Barbera. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera formed Hanna-Barbera productions way back in 1957. Since then, the studio has created some of the most popular animated characters that we still enjoy watching today, and, when it comes to Hanna-Barbera Characters, the friendliest of the bunch include the following.
Yogi Bear
Everyone who grew up with Yogi is all too familiar with this “smarter-than-your-average bear” and his regular antics. It doesn’t really take much to make Yogi happy. For him, life is simple; so long as there are picnic baskets, life is great.
It may be hard to imagine, but Yogi didn’t start out as a Hanna Barbera star. Instead, he was once part of the Hanna-Barbera’s Huckleberry Hound ensemble. Later on, though, it became clear that he could carry his own show, with the help of his sidekick Boo Boo and Ranger Smith, of course.
Fred Jones
Fred Jones is an important member of Hanna-Barbera’s Scooby-Doo group. He is often known for his signature look: white shirt, blue pants, and his signature ascot. Fred is arguably the leader of the Mystery Inc. gang. When trying to catch ‘ghosts’ who often turn out to be human villains, Fred likes to employ traps that he builds himself.
These traps don’t always work, but the gang is supportive of his determination to keep building them, nonetheless. Meanwhile, when they’re not chasing monsters, Fred is often seen with his love interest and fellow mystery solver, Daphne Blake.
Officer Dibble
Unfortunately, Officer Dibble is one of those Hanna-Barbera characters that we just forgot about as time went on. Often described as a stout man with “dreamy azure” eyes, this character appears in the animated television show Top Cat.
He is a New York police officer who normally patrols the area surrounding Hoagy’s Alley. As far as police officers go, Officer Dibble has always been by-the-book. Unfortunately, T.C. and his gang often make life hard for this policeman. Not to mention, Officer Dibble gets several unnecessary phone calls from T.C. regularly, too.
Barney Rubble
Especially when we think of Hanna-Barbera’s popular animated series The Flinstones, it’s often easy to overlook one of its friendliest characters, Barney Rubble. Many believe that the character was based on Ed Norton in The Honeymooners, although this was, reportedly, a touchy subject for Hanna-Barbera. Barney happens to be Fred Flintstone’s next-door neighbor and best friend.
Also considered one of the funniest characters in The Flintstones universe, Barney is often seen hanging out with Fred and saying lines like “Ok, Fred” and “whatever you say, Fred.”
Captain Planet
Long before we started watching Captain America or Captain Marvel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), there was Captain Planet, an incredibly powerful Hanna-Barbera character, whose main mission is to keep pollution from saving the Earth.
He did this with help from the Planeteers, five teenagers who possess magical rings. Unbeknownst to many, the character was nearly voiced by Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise, himself. However, Phil Harnage, who had been a senior staff writer for DIC Entertainment, told Syfy Wire, “we had to face the unpleasant realization that he did not have a superhero voice.”
Atom Ant
Atom Ant is proof that even the smallest characters can accomplish great things. The character appeared as the lead star in The Atom Ant Show. Operating from his anthill base in the countryside, Atom Ant is known for using his powers such as superspeed and incredible strength to help police catch the bad guys.
It doesn’t hurt that this is one ant who is capable of flying, too. Recently, Atom Ant made a brief appearance as an Easter Egg in the 2020 movie Scoob! This time, the character was given four arms, as confirmed by director Tony Cervone to Syfy Wire.
Bubbles
Bubbles, of course, comes from the animated show The Powerpuff Girls, one of the most successful shows on Cartoon Network. Easily recognizable thanks to her signature blond pigtails and blue dress, that character is known for her sweet and bubbly personality.
Aside from being the friendliest of the bunch, Bubbles is also known for her powers like laser beams and superhuman strength. Perhaps, one of the things that most people never knew about this Powerpuff Girl is that Bubbles was originally voiced by Tara Strong, the very person that also voiced characters like Barbara Gordon and Harley Quinn.
Jane Jetson
Jane Jetson is a character that appears in the Hanna-Barbera animated series The Jetsons. Jane is the loving wife of George Jetson. She is also a devoted mother to two children, Judy and Elroy Jetson. On the show, Jane is portrayed as a housewife who manages their household with the help of a robot maid. Although, she is also a member of the Galaxy Women Historical Society. Back in 2017, it was announced that ABC had ordered a live-action adaptation of The Jetsons, though it’s unclear what happened to the project or who was cast to play Jane.
Josie McCoy
Josie McCoy is the lead character in Hanna-Barbera’s Josie and the Pussycats. Known for her signature red hair and feline suit, Josie is typically seen with her guitar onstage. In 2001, a live-action adaptation of this animated series was released.
Early on, actresses Zooey Deschanel and Maggie Gyllenhaal auditioned for the part of Josie. Ultimately, however, the role had gone to Rachel Leigh Cook. Of the decision to cast Cook, Harry Elfont, the film’s co-writer and co-director, told BuzzFeed News, “it felt like there was a real person behind who was going to be this rock star.”
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo is the popular mascot of the Mystery Inc. gang from Hanna-Barbera’s Scooby-Doo franchise. The character, as well as the rest of the group, was created by Ken Spears and Joe Ruby, both of whom passed away in 2020.
Scooby is a brown Great Dane who always seems to have a healthy appetite. Scooby’s best friend is undeniably Shaggy and just like his buddy, he is terrified of ghosts. Nonetheless, when his friends are in serious danger, Scooby has also shown that he’s willing to face anyone (or anything) to try to save them.
