Cali-based Ruby-Spears co-founder, Joe Ruby, has passed away due to natural causes. The 87-year-old animator founded the joint venture with Ken Spears after working together at Hanna-Barbera Productions. While there, he put his best foot forward and created some massive hits in both the animated and live-action medium. Most notably, though, Ruby and Spears jointly created Scooby-Doo.
The debut of the series turned out to be a hit, quickly becoming one of the more profitable series by the studio. Most recently, Ruby-Spears – with the help of Warner Bros. – SCOOB!, a look into the early years of the mystery-solving gang outside of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.
Trailer for SCOOB!:
Aside from the Scooby-Doo franchise, Ruby also played a role in the studios’ creations including Thundarr the Barbarian, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Superman, and more.
He was suffering for years in terms of his health and it got the better of him. He was 87 at the time of his death.
