Joe Ruby, Co-Creator Of 'Scooby-Doo,' Dies At 87

Animation writer Joe Ruby, who co-created “Scooby-Doo” with longtime partner Ken Spears, has died at the age of 87.

Ruby died of natural causes Wednesday in Westlake Village, California, but he never stopped being creative, his grandson Benjamin Ruby told Variety.

“He never stopped writing and creating, even as he aged,” Benjamin Ruby said.

Joe Ruby started out in animation working at Walt Disney Studios, but he really came into his own in the late 1950s when he moved over to Hanna-Barbera Studios, according to ComicBook.com.

That’s where he met Spears. In 1969, they created “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” the first series of many for the popular dog detective and his human teammates, Shaggy, Daphne, Velma and Fred.

In the process, Ruby also had a hand in creating other Saturday morning superstars such as “Dynomutt” and “Jabberjaw,” according to The Wrap.

Ruby and Spears went off on their own in 1977 and created a variety of series for Ruby-Spears Productions including “Mister T,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” “Thundarr the Barbarian,” “Fangface” and “The Plastic Man Comedy-Adventure Hour.”

In the late ’80s and ’90s, Ruby was an executive producer on animated versions of live-action shows and movies such as “Punky Brewster,” the “Rambo” series and “Police Academy: The Animated Series.”

Although Ruby was proud of the legacy associated with Scooby-Doo, he admitted to the fan site ScoobyAddicts.com he had never actually tried one of the “Scooby snacks” craved by the character.

“We imagined they were just going to be a super delicious doggy snack,” he said.

Ruby is survived by Carole, his wife of 63 years, as well as four children and 10 grandchildren.