Ken Spears facts for kids

Ken Spears was an American animator, writer, and TV producer. He was born on March 12, 1938, and passed away on November 6, 2020. Ken is most famous for helping create the beloved Scooby-Doo cartoon series. He worked closely with his partner, Joe Ruby. Together, they also started their own animation company, Ruby-Spears Productions, in 1977.

Ken Spears' Early Life

Ken Spears was born in Los Angeles in 1938. He also spent some of his childhood in New York City. His father, Harry Spears, worked in radio. Later, his dad went into the real estate business. While in high school in California, Ken became friends with the son of famous animation producer William Hanna.

Starting a Career in Animation

After leaving the United States Navy, Ken Spears got a job. William Hanna hired him at Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1959. Ken started as a sound editor. This is where he met Joe Ruby, who had also been in the Navy. They both worked in the editing department. Soon, Ken and Joe began working together as writers. They wrote jokes and stories for many cartoons and live-action TV shows. They worked for Hanna-Barbera, Sid and Marty Krofft, and DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.

Creating Scooby-Doo and Other Cartoons

For Hanna-Barbera, Ken Spears and Joe Ruby created the Scooby-Doo cartoon series. They invented the main characters we all know. These include Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, Shaggy Rogers, and of course, Scooby-Doo himself.

The Birth of Scooby-Doo

The very first Scooby-Doo show was called Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!. It first aired on CBS in September 1969. At first, they tried many ideas for the show. After about 15 tries, they decided the main character would be a Great Dane dog. Ken and Joe then came up with the idea of a scared dog who solves mysteries.

Other Popular Shows

Besides Scooby-Doo, Ken and Joe created other cartoons for Hanna-Barbera. These included Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, and Jabberjaw. At another studio, DePatie–Freleng, they created The Barkleys and The Houndcats. In the early 1970s, Ken and Joe also helped manage the Saturday morning cartoon shows for CBS. Later, they did the same job for ABC.

Founding Ruby-Spears Productions

In 1977, ABC helped Ken and Joe start their own animation studio. This company was called Ruby-Spears Productions. They wanted it to compete with Hanna-Barbera. Ruby-Spears Productions made many more popular cartoons for Saturday mornings.

Famous Ruby-Spears Cartoons

Some of the cartoons made by Ruby-Spears Productions include Fangface, The Plastic Man Comedy-Adventure Hour, Thundarr the Barbarian, Saturday Supercade, Mister T, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Superman.

Company Changes

In 1981, Hanna-Barbera's parent company bought Ruby-Spears. Later, in 1991, the entire collection of shows from both studios was sold to Turner Broadcasting. This is why if you watch old Ruby-Spears shows today, they often have Hanna-Barbera's copyright.

Ken Spears' Later Life

Ken Spears continued to work on animated shows with Joe Ruby. Joe Ruby passed away in August 2020. Ken Spears died a few months later, on November 6, 2020, at age 82. He passed away at his home in Brea, California, due to complications from a health condition called Lewy body dementia.