Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Joseph Barbera, co-founder of Hanna- Barbera Studios and creator of Oscar-winning characters Tom and Jerry as well as Huckleberry Hound and the Flintstone family, died today of natural causes at home. He was 95.

Warner Bros. Animation, which acquired Hanna-Barbera in 1996, announced his death in a statement today. Barbera, who continued working at the studio throughout his life, ``was still a very active part of the development'' before he died, spokesman Gary Miereanu said today in a telephone interview.

As an animator at MGM, Barbera collaborated with William Hanna to create Tom and Jerry, the cat and mouse characters that won seven Academy Awards in 10 years. He and Hanna started a studio in 1957 after MGM scrapped its animation department. They created the ``Huckleberry Hound Show'' in 1958 and introduced Yogi Bear as a character on the show ``Quick Draw McGraw.''

Modern television cartoons such as ``The Simpsons'' ``definitely owe a debt to the things that Hanna-Barbera did back then,'' said Andrew Farago, gallery manager at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. They made televised cartoons ``mainstream,'' he said.

``The Flintstones,'' which featured Fred Flintstone working at a quarry sometimes called the Slate Rock and Gravel Co., was the first animated series in prime time when it debuted in 1960. The show continues to air in more than 80 countries, Warner Bros. said.

Barbera and Hanna, who died in 2001, also created the animated sitcom ``The Jetsons,'' starring George Jetson who worked at Spacely Space Sprockets.

Determined to Entertain

Barbera abandoned a career in banking to become a cartoonist when he was in his 20s, according to the Warner Bros. statement. Mark Evanier, who wrote scripts for Hanna-Barbera from 1975 to 1984, emphasized Barbera's longevity in a telephone interview.

``When he was 80, he looked 60'' Evanier said. ``He had more energy than anyone in the room.''

Barbera was a pleasure to work with, though there were disputes sometimes, Evanier said.

``Still, it was more pleasant to disagree with Joe than to agree with some other people in the business,'' Evanier said. ``He didn't take it personally.''

Barbera's legacy remains today. Television show ``Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!'' is the most-popular broadcast children's show on Saturday morning since debuting Sept. 23, Miereanu said. ```Tom and Jerry Tales' is still one of the highest-rated kids' shows on TV,'' he said.

Barbera is survived by his wife Sheila and three children, Jayne, Neal and Lynn, Warner Bros. said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Steven Bodzin in San Francisco at sbodzin@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: December 18, 2006 21:10 EST