Joe Ruby

Joseph Clemens Ruby (March 30, 1933 – August 26, 2020) was an American animator, writer, television producer, and music editor. He was best known as a co-creator of the animated Scooby-Doo franchise, together with Ken Spears. In 1977, they co-founded the television animation production company Ruby-Spears Productions. Ruby would work with Spears and would co-create several other shows including Fangface, Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, and Jabberjaw among others.

Ruby met Spears in 1959 at Hanna-Barbera, when the studio was being interviewed by Life Magazine. The two would start working together on animated shows. Before Ruby founded Ruby-Spears, he worked at several studios, including Walt Disney Animation Studios, Hanna-Barbera, DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, and with Sid and Marty Krofft.

In 1996, the Ruby-Spears studio closed, and Ruby would keep working with Spears until his retirement in 2002.

Ruby died on August 26, 2020. He was 87 years old.