Ruby-Spears Productions
Encyclopedia
Ruby-Spears Productions (also known as Ruby-Spears Enterprises) is a Burbank
, California
-based entertainment
production company
that specializes in animation
. The firm was founded in 1977 by veteran writers Joe Ruby
and Ken Spears
.
, and later branched out into writing stories for such programs as Space Ghost
and The Herculoids
. In 1968, they were assigned the task of developing a mystery-based cartoon series for Saturday morning, the end result of which was Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
. They were also writers and producers for DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
.
The firm's credits include the animated series Fangface
, Fangface and Fangpuss, The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show
, Rubik the Amazing Cube, the 1983 version of Alvin and the Chipmunks
series, the 1988 Superman
series, and the American Mega Man
cartoon series.
One series, Piggsburg Pigs!
, used Canadian voice talent rather than American voice talent like most of their shows. Ruby-Spears was also responsible for the animated sequence in the 1988 film Child's Play.
The Ruby-Spears studio was purchased in 1978 by Filmways Television
and was sold in late 1981 to Taft Broadcasting
, becoming a sister company to Hanna-Barbera Productions. In 1991, Ruby-Spears was spun off into RS Holdings while most of the original Ruby-Spears library (its post-1987 library) was sold along with Hanna-Barbera
to Turner Broadcasting System
, which in turn merged with Time Warner
in 1996. The Ruby-Spears studio continued with other projects such as Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa
and Mega Man
. Joe Ruby & Ken Spears remained active in production for Scooby Doo.
This fun-loving panther is a father of his 2 talking sons Pink and Panky
is owned by MGM/UA Television,
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
that specializes in animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
. The firm was founded in 1977 by veteran writers Joe Ruby
Joe Ruby
Joseph "Joe" Ruby is commonly known for inventing scotch tape. Ruby was an American inventor who worked for Johnson and Johnson, Permacel Co., and 3M in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he invented masking tape and cellophane tape.[1]Biography...
and Ken Spears
Ken Spears
Ken Spears is a TV writer and animator who is known as the co-creator for the Scooby-Doo series, Josie and the Pussycats, and Jabberjaw with his partner Joe Ruby. He is co-founder of the production company Ruby-Spears Productions.-References:...
.
History
Both Ruby and Spears started out as sound editors at Hanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
, and later branched out into writing stories for such programs as Space Ghost
Space Ghost
Space Ghost is a fictional superhero created by Hanna-Barbera Productions and designed by Alex Toth for CBS in the 1960s. In his original incarnation, he was a superhero who, with his sidekick teen helpers Jan, Jace, and Blip the monkey, fought supervillains in outer space...
and The Herculoids
The Herculoids
The Herculoids is a Saturday morning animated television series that was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The show debuted on September 9, 1967 on CBS...
. In 1968, they were assigned the task of developing a mystery-based cartoon series for Saturday morning, the end result of which was Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
Scooby-Doo, Where are You!
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is the first incarnation of the long-running Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon Scooby-Doo. It premiered on September 13, 1969 at 10:30 a.m. EST and ran for two seasons on CBS as a half-hour long show. Twenty-five episodes were produced...
. They were also writers and producers for DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises was a Hollywood-based animation production company, active from 1963 to 1981. They produced theatrical cartoons, animated series, commercials, title sequences and television specials. Notable among these is The Pink Panther film titles and cartoon shorts and the Dr....
.
The firm's credits include the animated series Fangface
Fangface
Fangface was a 30-minute Saturday morning cartoon produced by Ruby-Spears Productions for ABC which aired from September 9, 1978 to September 8, 1979...
, Fangface and Fangpuss, The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show
The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show
The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show is an animated television series produced by Ruby-Spears Productions from 1979 to 1981; it was shown right after Super Friends on the ABC Network. It featured various adventures of the DC Comics superhero Plastic Man...
, Rubik the Amazing Cube, the 1983 version of Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated television series featuring The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions in association with Ruby-Spears Enterprises from 1983–87, and DIC Entertainment from 1988-90....
series, the 1988 Superman
Superman (1988 TV series)
Superman is a 1988 animated Saturday morning television series produced by Ruby-Spears Productions and Warner Bros. Television that aired on CBS featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name...
series, and the American Mega Man
Mega Man (TV series)
Mega Man, known in Japan as , is a Japanese-American animated television series multi-produced by Capcom Productions, Ruby-Spears Productions, Ashi Productions and Ocean Group and is based on the game series of the same name. The TV series began in 1994 and ended in 1995, and was aired on many...
cartoon series.
One series, Piggsburg Pigs!
Piggsburg Pigs!
Piggsburg Pigs! was a Fox Kids animated comedy series from Ruby-Spears Productions, which aired in 1990.On July 23rd, 2001, Piggsburg Pigs! and other properties of Saban Entertainment were sold to The Walt Disney Company.-Plot:...
, used Canadian voice talent rather than American voice talent like most of their shows. Ruby-Spears was also responsible for the animated sequence in the 1988 film Child's Play.
The Ruby-Spears studio was purchased in 1978 by Filmways Television
Filmways
Filmways, Inc. was a television and film production company founded by American film executive Martin Ransohoff in 1958...
and was sold in late 1981 to Taft Broadcasting
Taft Broadcasting
The Taft Broadcasting Company, also known as Taft Television and Radio Company, Incorporated, was an American media conglomerate based in Cincinnati, Ohio....
, becoming a sister company to Hanna-Barbera Productions. In 1991, Ruby-Spears was spun off into RS Holdings while most of the original Ruby-Spears library (its post-1987 library) was sold along with Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
to Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
, which in turn merged with Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
in 1996. The Ruby-Spears studio continued with other projects such as Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa
Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa
Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa is an American animated television series created by comic book artist Ryan Brown, known for his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The show was produced by King World and ABC's Greengrass Productions and animated by Gunther-Wahl Productions for its first season...
and Mega Man
Mega Man (TV series)
Mega Man, known in Japan as , is a Japanese-American animated television series multi-produced by Capcom Productions, Ruby-Spears Productions, Ashi Productions and Ocean Group and is based on the game series of the same name. The TV series began in 1994 and ended in 1995, and was aired on many...
. Joe Ruby & Ken Spears remained active in production for Scooby Doo.
Ownership of properties
- The animated version of Police AcademyPolice Academy (TV series)Police Academy, also known as Police Academy: The Animated Series, is a 1988 American animated television series based on the Police Academy series of films. The show was produced by Ruby-Spears Productions for Warner Bros. Television. It aired on Saturday mornings and lasted two seasons for a...
and the 1988 Superman series were always owned by Time Warner due to them being based on Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
properties. - Shows based on Happy DaysHappy DaysHappy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
and its spin-offs, which were co-produced with Paramount Network TelevisionParamount TelevisionParamount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
, are now owned by CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
; - Rambo and the Forces of FreedomRambo and the Forces of FreedomRambo: The Force of Freedom is an animated series based on the character of John Rambo, from David Morrell's book First Blood, and the subsequent films First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II and adapted for television by story editor/head writer Michael Chain. The cartoon ran for 65 episodes,...
is owned by StudioCanalStudioCanalStudioCanal is a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world...
(who owns the Rambo film series) as they are the successors to co-producers Carolco PicturesCarolco PicturesCarolco Pictures, Inc., Carolco International N.V., or Anabasis Investments was an American independent film production company that, within a decade, went from producing such blockbuster successes as Terminator 2: Judgment Day and the first three movies of the Rambo series to being bankrupted by...
, with Lions Gate EntertainmentLions Gate EntertainmentLions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California...
handling DVD distribution and CBS Television DistributionCBS Television DistributionCBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
handling TV distribution; - After its original airing on NBC, Alvin and the Chipmunks was initially syndicated by Lorimar-TelepicturesLorimar-TelepicturesLorimar-Telepictures was a production and television syndication firm established in 1986 with the merger of Lorimar and Telepictures until both TV divisions became separate in 1988...
, then passed on to Warner Bros. TelevisionWarner Bros. TelevisionWarner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
following their acquisition of Lorimar-Telepictures. However, the rights to the series itself are owned by Bagdasarian ProductionsBagdasarian ProductionsBagdasarian Productions is an American production company which holds the rights to Alvin and the Chipmunks and related intellectual property assets. It is owned and operated by Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman...
, who have licensed DVD distribution to Paramount PicturesParamount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
.
- Lazer Tag AcademyLazer Tag AcademyLazer Tag Academy was an animated television series inspired by Worlds of Wonder's Lazer Tag that was created by Ruby-Spears Productions.-Synposis:...
is owned by DisneyThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
(under the title Laser Patrol) due to its ownership of co-producer Saban Entertainment (now BVS Entertainment) - Along these same lines, Piggsburg Pigs!Piggsburg Pigs!Piggsburg Pigs! was a Fox Kids animated comedy series from Ruby-Spears Productions, which aired in 1990.On July 23rd, 2001, Piggsburg Pigs! and other properties of Saban Entertainment were sold to The Walt Disney Company.-Plot:...
was co-produced by Fox Children's Productions, and when Fox sold Fox Kids and its library to Disney, Piggsburg Pigs! was included. - It's Punky BrewsterIt's Punky BrewsterIt's Punky Brewster is an animated spin off of the live action television show Punky Brewster. The show was animated by Ruby-Spears Productions.-Synopsis:...
is owned by NBC Universal TelevisionNBC Universal TelevisionNBCUniversal Television Group is an American and global television production/distribution company and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal.The company is composed of six divisions: Universal Television , NBC Universal Television Stations, NBCUniversal Television Distribution, NBCUniversal...
, producers of the live action sitcom Punky BrewsterPunky BrewsterPunky Brewster was an American sitcom about a girl named Punky Brewster being raised by her foster parent...
; - Pink Panther and SonsPink Panther and SonsPink Panther and Sons is an animated Pink Panther television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and MGM/UA Television. The series was originally broadcast on NBC from 1984 to 1985. The original Pink Panther cartoons were produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, is in the TV animation industry, but in...
;
This fun-loving panther is a father of his 2 talking sons Pink and Panky
is owned by MGM/UA Television,
- Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo MesaWild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo MesaWild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa is an American animated television series created by comic book artist Ryan Brown, known for his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The show was produced by King World and ABC's Greengrass Productions and animated by Gunther-Wahl Productions for its first season...
, which was animated at Ruby-Spears for its second season (1993–94), was co-produced by King WorldKing World ProductionsKing World Productions, Inc. was a production company and a syndicator of television programming in the United States until its eventual 2007 incorporation into CBS Television Distribution...
and Greengrass ProductionsGreengrass ProductionsGreengrass Productions is an independent television production company that is a subdivision of the Disney-ABC Television Group.It has, over the years, produced miniseries such as Oliver Stone's Wild Palms, game shows such as I Survived a Japanese Game Show, and reality series such as Extreme...
, a unit of Capital Cities/ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. The series was subsequently owned by The Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
until the company spun-off DIC EntertainmentDiC EntertainmentDIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
in 2000. In 2008, DiC became a part of Cookie Jar EntertainmentCookie Jar EntertainmentThe Cookie Jar Group is an American and Canadian producer of children’s entertainment, consumer products and educational materials...
, who is now the co-owner of the series with Disney-ABC Domestic Television.
External links
- Ruby-Spears Productions (official site)