Hanna Barbara logo history?

[zoombie]

Can anyone tell me an outline of the history of Hanna Barbara logos from the HB logo of the 1960's to the 1990's animated characters logo. How many logos did they have, what was the timeline for each?

[George3000]

Aside from the H-B in-credit logos that read "A Hanna-Barbera Production" until 1986,
Here's a list of H-B logos:
1968-1974 (The Box HB)
1974-1979 (Rainbow HB; the subhead "A Taft Broadcasting Company: was added in the 1977 season)
1979-1991 (The Swirling Star -- the longest lasting logo of the studio; had several bylines: "A Taft Broadcasting Company" (1979-1980); "A Division of the Taft Entertainemt Company" (1981-1987). Also a CGI rendition debuted in 1986, and the 1979-85 version was shown at the end of Jetsons: The Movie (1990). A bylineless variant (used regularly from 1988-1990) was accidently featured on of episode of Johnny Bravo (1997). A special version (with the new text, "Hanna-Barbera Cartooons, An (AOL) Time Warner Company") was seen on the first couple of seasons of The Powerpuff Girls. Finally an in-credit version was used on 1988-90 eps. This latter variant introduced the familiar "Hanna-Barbera" script font.
1993-2001 The character portraits of many H-B stars.

More info:
http://www.fortunecity.com/banners/interstitial.html?http://members.fortunecity.com/teamfx2000/Kids_Cartoons/hannabarbera.htm

[Eric B]

Basically, the earliest logos were simply the last credit: "A HANNA BARBERA PRODUCTION" in the plain, sanserif text. I think that old script logo was used ony on opening segments, as in "...presents", IIRC.

In 1968, reflecting the beginning of the Taft ownership, the "HB logo" began. Then, about every six years, there was a new one. In 1974, it was the slanted, colorful "HB" logo filled with "Hanna Barbera" spelled out inside. In 1980, it was the swirling logo. So I looked for a new one in 1986, but all they did was modify the animation of the swirl a bit. (I think they tried to give it somewhat of a third dimension, where the star and the ribbon it traces flips over towards the end). The previous year, in the Funtastic World, you had a "video" of old cartoon clips, with a logo "HB TV" at the end; I thought should be a new logo.
I basically stopped paying attention after that, as I had grown up, and lost interest in many new cartoons, and then, CN began with all the old classics. So somewhere along the line, you had the return of the old script logo, with a picture of the cartoon star pasted on to the end of old and new shows on CN. This was usually animated, flashing several characters (usually in the same genre, or action or whatever), and then one was "stamped" on the screen as the final pose. There was also one with a non-aminated swirl with the script logo beneath it. I forgot which was first. And then, later, it became Cartoon Network Studios productions, with the checkerboard logo, and an animated sequence, like Grim swinging his scythe at the kids, or Dee Dee pressing a button which blows up Dexter.

[STARTOUNZ]

Aside from the H-B in-credit logos that read "A Hanna-Barbera Production" until 1986,
Here's a list of H-B logos:
1968-1974 (The Box HB)
1974-1979 (Rainbow HB; the subhead "A Taft Broadcasting Company: was added in the 1977 season)
1979-1991 (The Swirling Star -- the longest lasting logo of the studio; had several bylines: "A Taft Broadcasting Company" (1979-1980); "A Division of the Taft Entertainemt Company" (1981-1987). Also a CGI rendition debuted in 1986, and the 1979-85 version was shown at the end of Jetsons: The Movie (1990). A bylineless variant (used regularly from 1988-1990) was accidently featured on of episode of Johnny Bravo (1997). A special version (with the new text, "Hanna-Barbera Cartooons, An (AOL) Time Warner Company") was seen on the first couple of seasons of The Powerpuff Girls. Finally an in-credit version was used on 1988-90 eps. This latter variant introduced the familiar "Hanna-Barbera" script font.
1993-2001 The character portraits of many H-B stars.

More info:
http://www.fortunecity.com/banners/interstitial.html?http://members.fortunecity.com/teamfx2000/Kids_Cartoons/hannabarbera.htm


With the last one, they first had an oval or a square that had a picture of one or more characters at the end of the show or movie. Among them would be the 2 Stupid Dogs (together), Fred Flintstone or Dino, Scooby-Doo, and Yogi Bear. After that, they used 2 different multi-character logos in a white background. One was an oval for HB's action stars like Race Bannon, Bandit and Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, Birdman and his eagle Avenger, Mightor, Thing (from Fantastic 4), and Zandor (from the Herculoids). The other was a rectangle for HB's comedy stars like Fred, Barney, and Dino (The Flintstones), George and Elroy Jetson, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, QuickDraw McGraw (as his alter ego El Kabong), and Scooby-Doo.

[zoombie]

Thank you for the information.

[TheVofSteel]

My favorite logo from them is the swirling star from the '80s.

[zoombie]

I noticed that the Scooby Doo direct to video movie series, uses the old box HB logo from the late 60's, early 70's. I don't know why, but it nice to see the old logo.

[thartman1956]

Very interesting topic. I'd like to know the person or persons who actually designed these logos. Similar to the "box H-B" logo was one for Ruby-Spears (which I'll call "Box R-S") that appeared after Taft took control of that company about 1982 or so.

[Eric Brown]

Very interesting topic. I'd like to know the person or persons who actually designed these logos. Similar to the "box H-B" logo was one for Ruby-Spears (which I'll call "Box R-S") that appeared after Taft took control of that company about 1982 or so.[/quote]

I can't say who actually designed the "tag-on" logos, but all of these 40 or so years, I have been observing the " A Hanna-Barbera Production" markings of the closing credits.

In the 1961-62 season, I believe the very stylish (looped under B) H-B Prod. was the creation of Joe Barbera, given the comparison of his signature. This stylish H-B Prod. first appeared in the first 12 or so episodes of Top Cat and in, maybe, 3 episodes of the Flintstone closing credits of the same season. About mid-season, the style changed to a smoother handwritten form, which I believe was Bill Hanna's creation, again owing to signature comparisons. The smoother one carried on as the "standard" through 1962-63. Ref. Jetsons closing credits. The standard was used for years after in printed material.

The H-B Prod. standard changed again in 1964 and went back to block lettering with the advent of Magilla Gorilla, Peter Potamus, and Jonny Quest.

Can someone pull-up and display some of the standards??

THANX

[CartoonNetRulzz]

Have you ever noticed, that the 1968 logo is similiar to the CN logo.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/37/Hanna-Barbera.png/303px-Hanna-Barbera.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/37/CN_logo.svg/313px-CN_logo.svg

[Mark The Shark]

Aside from the H-B in-credit logos that read "A Hanna-Barbera Production" until 1986,
Here's a list of H-B logos:
1968-1974 (The Box HB)
1974-1979 (Rainbow HB; the subhead "A Taft Broadcasting Company: was added in the 1977 season)
1979-1991 (The Swirling Star -- the longest lasting logo of the studio; had several bylines: "A Taft Broadcasting Company" (1979-1980); "A Division of the Taft Entertainemt Company" (1981-1987). Also a CGI rendition debuted in 1986, and the 1979-85 version was shown at the end of Jetsons: The Movie (1990). A bylineless variant (used regularly from 1988-1990) was accidently featured on of episode of Johnny Bravo (1997). A special version (with the new text, "Hanna-Barbera Cartooons, An (AOL) Time Warner Company") was seen on the first couple of seasons of The Powerpuff Girls. Finally an in-credit version was used on 1988-90 eps. This latter variant introduced the familiar "Hanna-Barbera" script font.
1993-2001 The character portraits of many H-B stars.

More info:
http://www.fortunecity.com/banners/interstitial.html?http://members.fortunecity.com/teamfx2000/Kids_Cartoons/hannabarbera.htm

I thought the "box" logo was used as early as 1966? (I have not seen H-B's production of "Jack And The Beanstalk," but supposedly it's on there. What year was that from?)

I also could use some clarification of the different versions/variations of the "box" logo...I am under the impression that the "sliding up and down" version (with red, orange and blue) predates the black and orange "zooming" logo. Am I correct about that?

[Doz Hewson]

Have you ever noticed, that the 1968 logo is similiar to the CN logo.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/37/Hanna-Barbera.png/303px-Hanna-Barbera.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/37/CN_logo.svg/313px-CN_logo.svg
That H-B logo is most definitely not from 1968. It was used from 1957 to
1960. The 1968 logo you think of / call the "box" logo comprised the stenciled-appearing "HB" mark cutting itself on a box. Superimposed on said mark were "a hanna-barbera production", and, under that notifier, the Taft logo; beside said logo, the notifier "a division of Taft Broadcasting Company". Thanks.

[hobbyfan]

Have you ever noticed, that the 1968 logo is similiar to the CN logo.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/37/Hanna-Barbera.png/303px-Hanna-Barbera.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/37/CN_logo.svg/313px-CN_logo.svg

That would actually be from 1958, not '68.

[hobbyfan]

There is also a short-term logo, used around 1990, to signify the Flintstones' 30th anniversary. You had a tuxedo-clad Fred doing a little soft-shoe. This was used on Wake, Rattle, & Roll, as I remember very well.