IN REMEMBRANCE: 2015

Let's take a moment to remember all the Saturday morning veterans we lost. You may not know some of their names, and likely may not know most of their faces, but these are just some of the folks who brought you your enjoyment on the best day of the week.

Lance Percival (January 6) – Actor, comedian and singer. He played both Paul McCartney and Ringo Star in The Beatles.

Chikao Ohtsuka (January 15) – Actor. Provided the original Japanese voices of Tao Pai Pai in the Dagon Ball series, Count Ledolly Sheldal in Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dr. Eggman in Sonic X. Also provided the Japanese dubbing for Dick Dastardly in Wacky Races and Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines,

Walt Peregoy (January 16) – Background artist and color stylist. Worked on The Adventures of Gulliver, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, Wacky Races, Cattanooga Cats, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Help!...It’s the Hair Bear Bunch!, Sealab 2020, Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space, The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan, Emergency +4, Scooby’s Laff-A-Lympics, I am the Greatest!: the Adventures of Muhammad Ali, The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show, Foofur, CBS Storybreak, and Tiny Toon Adventures.

Peggy Sundelle Charren (January 22) – Activist. Founded the Action for Children’s Television which led to the passage of the Children’s Television Act of 1990; mandating that networks with children’s programming increase the amount of educational programming per week.

Stephen R. Johnson (January 26) – Director, animator, painter and writer. Worked on the first season of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.

Gary Owens (February 12) – Actor, announcer and disc jockey. He was the original voice of Space Ghost on Space Ghost and Space Stars (with a non-Saturday reprisal on Batman: The Brave and the Bold) and the Blue Falcon on The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics, and Dynomutt Dog Wonder (again reprised off Saturday on Johnny Bravo), and served as the announcer and instructor frequently featured on Garfield and Friends and Eek! the Cat. He tapped his announcing skills as the narrator for Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, Yogi's Space Race, The Mighty Orbots, Yogi's Treasure Hunt, and the opening for Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, while also providing additional and guest voices for Bobby's World, Goof Troop, Raw Toonage, Tom & Jerry Kids, Skeleton Warriors, The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, Aahh!!! Real Monsters, The Mask, and The New Batman Adventures. Rock 'n' Wrestling Saturday Spectacular, a spin-off film from Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, featured Owens making an appearance as himself.

Leonard Nimoy (February 27) – Actor, director, photographer, author, poet, singer and songwriter. Originated the role of Mr. Spock and the majority of Vulcan culture in Star Trek: The Original Series and related movies, which he reprised for Star Trek: The Animated Series.

Allan Lurie (March 10) – Actor and writer. Starred as Uglor in Space Stars and Mezmaron in Pac-Man. Also provided voices for A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry Kids Show and The Pirates of Dark Water.

Roger Slifer (March 30) – Writer and producer. Worked on Jem, RoboCop: The Animated Series, Bucky O’Hare and the Toad Wars!, Conan: The Adventurer, Superman: The Animated Series, Street Fighter: The Animated Series, Spider-Man Unlimited, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003).

Richard Dysart (April 5) – Actor, Dr. Bartholomew in two episodes of Batman: the Animated Series.

Richard LaSalle (April 5) – Composer, created music for Run, Joe, Run, Big John, Little John and the 1976 version of The Monster Squad.

James Best (April 6) – Actor, acting coach, artist, teacher and musician, starred as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in The Dukes and its live-action counterpart.

Stan Freberg (April 7) – Actor, comedian, author, recording artist, puppeteer and advertiser. He was the narrator on Wuzzles, Skip Binford on an episode of Amazing Stories, Junyer Bear and Pete Puma on Tiny Toon Adventures, the Network Vice-President on Taz-Mania, Sidney the Dinosaur, Al and Schlocko the Insurance Agent on Garfield and Friends, Bo-Ron and Mo-Ron on Freakazoid!, Papa Boolie and J.B. Toppersmith on The Weirld Al Show, Ra on Hercules, Race Announcer on Stuart Little and Gopherius Rex, the Gopher King on Duck Dodgers. He also played various roles on The Bugs Bunny Show, The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo, The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour, The Sylvester & Tweety Show, ABC Weekend Specials and The Bugs n’ Daffy Show.

Suzanne Crough (April 27) – Actor, began her career as Tracy Partridge on The Partridge Family which she reprised on The Partridge Family 2200 A.D. and a guest appearance on Goober and the Ghost Chasers.

John Stephenson (May 15) – Actor with a long association with Hanna-Barbera. His Saturday starring roles included Dr. Benton Quest and others on Johnny Quest, Chief Winchley on The Secret Squirrel Show and The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show, Fariik and Bakaar on The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, Luke and Blubber Bear on Wacky Races, Eustace P. Peevly on Help!...It's the Hair Bear Bunch!, Captain Mike Murphy on Sealab 2020, Mr. Socrates on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids, Doggie Daddy, Hardy Har Har and others on Yogi's Gang, Hadji on Jeannie, Reuben Kinkaid on Partridge Family 2200 AD, Tom, Jerry and Spike on The New Tom & Jerry Show, Mildew Wolf, Doggie Daddy, Dread Baron and The Great Fondoo on Laff-A-Lympics, Captain Snerdley and General Blowhard on Galaxy Goof-Ups and Yogi's Space Race, Harry Scary and the Commander on Casper and the Angles, Chief Quimby in the original pilot of Inspector Gadget (1983), Beef Bonk on Galaxy High School, Doc, Philo and Grunge on Fraggle Rock: the Animated Series, and Professor X in Pryde of the X-Men.

He provided guest voices in episodes of The Magilla Gorilla Show, Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles, Birdman, Moby Dick and the Mighty Mightor, The Adventures of Gulliver, The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie, Inch High Private Eye, Super Friends, The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour and Dynomutt Dog Wonder, The Fantastic Four (1978), The Super Globetrotters, The Puppy's Further Adventures, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, ABC Weekend Specials, Pound Puppies (1986), The Flintstone Kids, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and Duck Dodgers.

He served as narrator on The Ruff & Reddy Show and The Atom Ant Show, while providing additional voices on Abbott & Costello, Young Samson & Goliath,  Harlem Globe Trotters, The Addams Family (1973), Speed Buggy, Goober and the Ghost Chasers, CB Bears, The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, The Kwicky Koala Show, Drak Pack, Spider-Man (1981), Space Stars, Shirt Tales, Laverne & Shirley with Special Guest Star the Fonz, Rubik the Amazing Cube, Mister T, The incredible Hulk (1982), The Dukes, The Littles, Kissyfur, Centurions, Ruby-Spears' Superman and The Karate Kid: the Animated Series.

Christopher Lee (June 7) – Actor, reprised his role of Count Dooku for Star Wars: the Clone Wars’ introductory movie.

Rick Ducommun (June 12) – Actor, guest-starred in two episodes of Garfield and Friends.

Dick Van Patten (June 23) – Actor, guest-starred as a burglar in an episode of The Weird Al Show.

Jack Carter (June 28) – Comedian and actor. Guest-starred as Larry Madison in an episode of Saved by the Bell: the New Class, Harry on an episode of Superman: The Animated Series, and Tiresias on an episode of Hercules: The Animated Series.

Roger Rees (July 10) – Actor and director, guest-starred on Gargoyles as Prince Malcolm.

George Coe (July 18) – Actor, guest-starred on Camp Candy and portrayed Tee Watt Kaa on Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper (July 30) – Professional wrestler and actor. His likeness was utilized as the leader of the villains on Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling and he guest-starred on an episode in one of the live-action segments.

Brad Anderson (August 30) – Cartoonist. Created the syndicated comic strip Marmaduke that went on to have a Saturday morning program in the 80s.

Dean Jones (September 1) – Actor, played Col. Same Lane on an episode of Superman: The Animated Series. Also guest-starred in the Bamtan: The Animated Series movie Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero as Dean Arbagast and in the Saved by the Bell TV movie Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style as Harry Bannister.

Marty Ingles (October 21) – Comedian and actor, played Autocat on the Motormouse and Autocat segments of Cattanooga Cats, Beegle Beagle on The Great Grape Ape Show and The New Tom & Jerry Show, Billy the Kid on The Ghost Busters, the titular character from Pac-Man, and The Devil on Darkwing Duck.

Michael C. Gross (November 16) – Film producer, artist, illustrator and designer, executive produced and wrote an episode of The Real Ghostbusters, as well as designed the no-ghost logo the debuted in the first Ghostbusters movie.

Michael Earl (December 23) – Puppeteer and actor. Guest-starred as a Penguin on an episode of Jim Henson’s Little Muppet Monsters and provided additional voices for Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?

Meadowlark Lemon (December 27) – Professional basketball player, actor and minister who was best known as the “Clown Prince” on the Harlem Globetrotters for 22 years. As a Globetrotter, his name and likeness was used on Hanna-Barbera’s Harlem Globetrotters, for which he supplied background vocals in the music, as well as all of the team’s appearances on The New Scooby-Doo Movies. He also starred and performed in The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine variety show.

Know anyone we missed? Drop us a line so we can pay them the proper tribute!