Joe Ruby, the co-creator of 'Scooby-Doo' and many other US cartoon shows, has passed away at the age of 87.
One half of the writing-animating duo of Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, 'Scooby-Doo' became a massive hit during the late '60s and and early '70s, and become a pop culture icon through to this day. Just this year, in fact, there was a CGI reboot starring Jason Isaacs as Dick Dastardly, another cartoon character of the same era.
In a statement, the head of Warner Bros. Animation, Sam Register, described Ruby as "one of the most prolific creators in our industry who gifted us some of animation’s most treasured characters and it was a thrill to host him at our studio."
"Scooby-Doo has been a beloved companion on screens for more than 50 years, leaving an enduring legacy that has inspired and entertained generations." Together with character designer Iwao Takamoto, Ken Spears and Joe Ruby helped design and create the Mystery Machine gang of Freddie, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby, with previous iterations being that they'd be a rock band who happened to investigate scary crimes. As you do.
So, in his honour, here's the opening theme tune to 'Scooby-Doo: Where Are You!' and we apologise in advance if this is stuck in your head all day.
