Joe Ruby, ‘Scooby-Doo’ co-creator, dies at 87

Joe Ruby, an animation writer and executive who was the co-creator of several cartoon series, including “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” died Wednesday. He was 87.

Ruby, who teamed with Ken Spears, died in Westlake Village, California. Ruby and Spears also created cartoon series such as “Dynomutt” and “Jabberjaw.

“He never stopped writing and creating, even as he aged,” his grandson, Benjamin Ruby, told Variety.

Ruby and Spears wrote the first five episodes of the beloved Saturday morning cartoon series produced by Hanna-Barbera, which debuted on CBS in 1969. The series ran for 25 episodes in 1969-1970 and featured four high school students -- Fred Jones, Velma Dinkley, Daphne Blake and Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, who comprised Mystery Inc. -- along with a Great Dane named Scooby-Doo. The group rode around in a psychedelic, flower power green van, called the “Mystery Machine,” and solved mysteries, normally set in creepy venues.

Shaggy and Scooby, the nervous duo of the series, had an affinity for food, with Scooby-Doo being convinced to carry on by being offered a “Scooby snack.”

In an interview with ScoobyAddicts.com, Ruby was asked if he had ever eaten a Scooby snack, Variety reported.

“No we’ve never eaten a Scooby Snack,” Ruby said. “We imagined they were just going to be a super delicious doggy snack.”

When the villain was revealed in each episode, he or she invariably uttered something to the effect that “I would have gotten away with it, too -- except for you kids.”

The Scooby-Doo character, voiced by Don Messick, was inspired by another cartoon dog, Astro, from “The Jetsons.” Messick also voiced the dog character in that 1960s futuristic cartoon series.

From 1972 to 1976, the “Scooby-Doo” series was called “The New Scooby-Doo Movies.”

Joseph Clemens Ruby was born March 30, 1933, in Los Angeles. He got his start working at Walt Disney Productions, Variety reported. After a stint in the Navy, he worked in television editing and met Spears while working at Hanna-Barbera.

The pair left Hanna-Barbera and set up their own studio in 1977, the magazine reported. Ruby-Spears Productions oversaw the series “The Plastic Man Comedy-Adventure Hour,” “Superman,” “Fangface,” “Thundarr the Barbarian,” “Mister T” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”

Ruby was the executive producer on animated versions of live-action shows and movies, including “Police Academy: The Animated Series,” “Punky Brewster” and the “Rambo” series, Variety reported.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carole Ruby, four children and 10 grandchildren.

Cox Media Group