Gang, last year I read the legendary Bill Hanna’s book, and it got me excited for this one.
Joe Barbera is often described as the more glitzy half of this iconic duo, so I’m curious to see if this book will follow through on that description.
I can not wait to get his perspective on the incredible body of work these two produced.
Let’s get into it, huh?
I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for this meddling, and official, ***SPOILER ALERT***
All right, I gotta say this right at the top, this is not the book I was expecting it to be.
Up until the last 50 pages or so, I was thinking Barbera was a self-marketing wizard who pulled the wool over everybody’s eyes and made them believe he was this celebrity magnet.
For the most part, this is a straight forward “just the facts, ma’am” affair.
And then in the last 50 pages he flops a big veiny one on the table and starts telling tales of dinner parties with Zsa Zsa Gabor, multiple meetings with Michael Jackson, and his set visit to The Flintstones.
And don’t get it wrong, I loved reading this and getting his perspective on all he and Bill Hanna built and accomplished together, but his account really is a no frills, no bullshit affair.
And on the topic of bullshit, I was surprised to see some R Rated language mixed in, almost always in the context of it being hurled at the duo in question.
I also appreciate how he doesn’t try to paint a picture of them being Midas like, he definitely talks about some of their face plants, such as the KISS Meets The Phantom debacle.
One of the things I found most fascinating was that, despite his deep roots in animation, he always wanted to do more live-action work.
It seems the legacy of the studio as an animation house, as well as the failures of some of their attempts, are what stifled that want.
It’s a curious thought experiment to ponder what could have been.
Much like Bill, the focus here is on The Flintstones and Tom & Jerry, as well as Yogi, which I still find myself baffled by.
But beyond that, Joe spends more time talking about his many many sales meetings and pitches than almost anything else.
When combined with reading Bill’s book, it’s crystal clear why these two were so damn successful: they both knew and acknowledged their own as well as each other’s strengths and leaned into them.
Bill was the one that was hands on and technical with the animators, while Joe was the pitch man who convinced almost everyone to invest in them.
It’s a brilliant division of labor and definitely worked out well for them, but it doesn’t make for as compelling a story as the one Bill spun.
Look, this book is another amazing look at the greatest period in traditional animation history, but it is a bit lacking in the details I think we nerds crave.
100%, it is worth the read, but I would say temper your expectations and prepare yourself for a lot of personal details about his childhood and his first marriage.
It’s a more intimate look at the man than at his works, and I’m still glad to have read it.
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