Animation Producer & Designer Jerry Eisenberg Dies Age 87

Animator, producer, storyboard artist and character designer Jerry Eisenberg — celebrated for his work with iconic Saturday morning cartoon studios Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears — has died due to complications from pneumonia. Reportedly ill for some time, Eisenberg passed on February 11 at age 87.

The news was shared by writer Mark Evanier on his News from ME blog and amongst the animation community.

Born December 3, 1937 in Los Angeles — the son of animation and comics artist Harvey Eisenberg (Tom and Jerry) — Jerry Eisenberg attended CalArts and started his career in 1956 as an in-betweener for MGM, where his father had also worked. When the animation studio closed just seven months later, the young artist moved on Warner Bros. Cartoons, as an assistant to animator Ken Harris.

Eisenberg was hired at Hanna-Barbera Productions (founded by MGM alums William Hanna and Joseph Barbera) in 1961. Here, he notably co-created The Peter Potamus Show, provided character designs for Wacky Races and Super Friends, and worked in the layout department for hits like The Jetsons, Jonny Quest and The Huckleberry Hound Show.

Another offshoot studio led to Eisenberg’s next chapter: When Hanna-Barbera artists Joe Ruby and Ken Spears launched Ruby-Spears Productions in 1977, they soon brough Eisenberg on board as a producer and character designer. Titles he worked on included Thundarr the Barbarian, Fangface and The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show. The Ruby-Spears studio lasted until 1996.

Later in the course of his career, Eisenberg worked in storyboards, layout, design and writing for various productions across multiple studios, with noteworthy titles including Warner Bros. Animation’s Johnny Bravo, Tom & Jerry Kids and several Scooby-Doo direct-to-video movies, as well as Muppet Babies (Marvel Prod.) and House of Mouse (Walt Disney Television Animation).

Eisenberg is survived by his wife, Raymonde, who friends say provided exceptional care to the late cartoon creative in his final years.

You can hear more about Jerry Eisenberg’s luminous career in this Oral History interview for The Animation Guild from 2012: