cartoons

he Timeless Genius of Stan Freberg

Bill Thompson

Stan Freberg had so many hyphens after his name it’s kind of hard to sort out everything he was.

He was a writer. He was a comedian. He was a radio actor. He was a voice actor for cartoons. He was an advertising executive. He was a recording artist.. Should we go on?

The kid from Pasadena who displayed a sardonic wit from an early age created a creative life for himself the made him a star in several media.

It seemed like every few years Stan Freberg was back in the public Spotlight, often doing something new and creative and fun.

And much of his work lives on to this day.

Freberg published his autobiography — or at least, Part 1 of it – in 1989. He called the book It Only Hurts When I Laugh. He arrived at our interview a bit bedraggled by an exhausting book tour, but his trademark wit was on full display.

So here now, from 1989 Stan Freberg,

Stan Freberg died in 2015. He was 88.

Joseph Barbera

Bill Thompson
Photo by Kerry Cisneroz

What you’re about to hear is an interview with the man who helped create some of the fondest memories of millions of baby boomers and Gen xers.

His name is Joseph Barbera. When he partnered with Bill Hanna in 1957, it was the beginning of a whole new era in American animation.

Over a period of over 40 years, the Hanna-Barbera team created such cartoons as the Flintstones, the Jetsons, Huckleberry hound, Yogi Bear, and hundreds of others.

In 1994, Joe Barbera wrote his autobiography, a book called My Life in Toons.

And this baby boomer was more than happy to take a stroll down the memory lane of American cartoons .

So here now, from 1994, Joseph Barbera.

Joseph, Barbera died in 2006. He was 95.

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Mel Blanc

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Mel Blanc

Bill Thompson
Photo by Alan Light

This was actually one of the most popular interviews I posted last year on Now I’ve Heard Everything — and since tomorrow, May 30th, would have been his 112th birthday, I wanted to re-share my 1988 interview with the unmatched master of voice acting, Mel Blanc.

Bugs Bunny. Daffy Duck. Elmer Fudd, Sylvester and Twety, Porky Pig, Barney Rubble. Heck, he was even the voice of Jack Benny’s car.

Virtually everyone has heard Mel’s voice characterizations.

So here now, from 1988, Mel Blanc:

Less than a year after our interview, Mel Blanc died at the age of 81, taking with him hundreds of the voices many of us grew up with.