Hanna-Barbera

Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an animation studio that impacted and dominated television since it was founded in 1957 by William Hanna, Joseph Barbera and George Sidney. Also under the names of Hanna-Barbera Entertainment, Inc. and Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc, the studio's main function was to produce films and commercials. It went on to provide a powerful and lasting impact on television animation. It is officially considered the very first major animation studio to successfully produce cartoons exclusively for television. Furthermore, a great many of the characters originally created by Hanna and Barbera for the small screen have crossed the boundaries into film, books, toys, and all manner of other media, becoming virtually ubiquitous as cultural icons.