‘Wacky Races’ character designer Jerry Eisenberg dies at 87

Jerry Eisenberg, animator and character designer behind ‘The Jetsons’ and ‘Thundarr the Barbarian,’ dies at 87.

Jerry Eisenberg, a celebrated animator, producer, storyboard artist, and character designer known for his work with Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears, has passed away at the age of 87 due to complications from pneumonia. 

Eisenberg had been ill for some time and died on February 11. The news was shared by writer Mark Evanier on his News from ME blog and widely circulated in the animation community.

Born on December 14, 1937, in Los Angeles, Eisenberg was the son of animation and comics artist Harvey Eisenberg, known for his work on 'Tom and Jerry'. He began his career in 1956 as an in-betweener at MGM before moving to Warner Bros. Cartoons as an assistant to animator Ken Harris.

Eisenberg joined Hanna-Barbera in 1961, where he co-created 'The Peter Potamus Show', provided character designs for 'Wacky Races' and 'Super Friends', and worked on series like 'The Jetsons', 'Jonny Quest', and 'The Huckleberry Hound Show'. He later worked with Joe Ruby and Ken Spears at Ruby-Spears Productions, contributing to 'Thundarr the Barbarian' and 'Fangface'.

Throughout his career, Eisenberg worked on storyboards, layouts, and designs for various studios, including Warner Bros. and Disney. He is survived by his wife, Raymonde, who cared for him in his final years.