Classic Cartoons #8 - The Karate Guard

Paired up with today's Bitesized Biography, of Hanna-Barbera co-founder, Joseph Barbera, is the last Tom and Jerry short film directed by Barbera, The Karate Guard. Co-directed with Spike Brandt (The Looney Tunes Show) the short is inspired by Japanese film, but giving the usual violent, zany Tom and Jerry take on it. Released in 2005, The Karate Guard was the first Tom and Jerry theatrical short produced in over 45 years, and, as of now, is the last.

Although Barbera did work on the straight-to-DVD film Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale, The Karate Guard is the spiritual end to his career, ending how Hanna-Barbera started, with Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoons. Funny, charming, lovable and boasting a great score by Pixar favourite, Michael Giacchino, The Karate Guard was a fitting cartoon to bookend the legendary career of Joseph Barbera.

Bitesized Biographies #5 - Joseph Barbera

Barbera (left) with Hanna (right) with an assortment of their famed creations, including Fred Flintstone, Tom and Jerry, Yogi Bear and Top Cat, and some of their many Emmy Awards.

Our recent Facebook exclusive poll (to make sure you don't miss out on future polls, be sure to like us on Facebook) to decide who our next Bitesized Biography would be about returned an interesting draw: a split between the two halves of Hanna-Barbera, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Following through the logical order of Hanna-Barbera, we started with a Bitesized Biopgraphy (and accompanying Classic Cartoon) of William Hanna, and today, we look to complete that by covering the life and accomplishments of Joseph Barbera.

Classic Cartoons #6 - Puss Gets the Boot

To go with today's Bitesized Biography of William Hanna, it seemed only fitting that today's Classic Cartoon is the very first collaboration of Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Puss Gets the Boot. The short (above), almost 10 minutes in length, acts as the introduction to the famous cat and mouse duo that is Tom and Jerry. Although not called that here (actually named Jasper and Jinx!), and though the designs of the characters are somewhat different from what we know the pair to be; the heart is there, the characters are there, the distinctive Hanna-Barbera soul is there.

Released in February 1940, Puss Gets the Boot received strong acclaim and praise upon its release, earning Hanna-Barbera and MGM an Academy Award nomination (Tom and Jerry would go on to win seven), and spawning two characters and a series of cartoons that is still beloved and watched today.

Bitesized Biographies #4 - William Hanna

Hanna (left) with Barbera (right) with two of their creations, Tom and Jerry.

A few weeks ago we ran a poll on our Facebook page asking you who you wanted our next Bitesized Biography to be about, the results were a 50/50 split between the two halves of Hanna-Barbera: William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Hanna-Barbera, not that I need explain as I'm pretty sure everyone has seen some of their shows at some point in their lives - or you've led a deprived childhood - was the animation studio that created some of the most famed and beloved cartoon series of all time. The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Top Cat and Wacky Races are just some of the huge shows that Hanna-Barbera churned out during their over 30 year history, as well as later helping create shows like Dexter's Laboratory for Cartoon Network.

So to follow the order that the studio's name suggests, we're starting our poll influenced Bitesized Biographies with William Hanna.