It was only this past August that we said goodby to Joe Ruby. Today we learned that his partner and dear friend, Ken Spears, has passed away. He was 82-years old.
Alongside Joe Ruby, Ken Spears co-created no only Scooby-Doo! but the much-adored Mega Man animated series from the early nineties. Ken Spears worked closely with Capcom to develop the show, which ultimately aired in the U.S in 1994. Ken Spears would go on to direct numerous episodes during the show's two season run.
“Ken will forever be remembered for his wit, his story-telling, his loyalty to family, and his strong work ethic,” said Ken Spears' son, Kevin Spears. "Ken has been a role model for us throughout his life and he will continue to live on in our hearts.”
Cheesy as it was, I absolute adore the Ruby-Spears cartoon. And I have both Ken and Joe to thank. Rest well, king.
Rest in peace, you magnificent geniuses ;_;
ReplyDeleteMay he rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteRest in peace, Ruby and Spears, and thanks for all the great animations. ;_;
ReplyDeleteRespect.
ReplyDeleteNot only is Ruby-Spears Mega Man my favorite cartoon, but without it, I never would have really met you, Protodude, or anyone else in the community.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memories.
To think i started watching this cartoon just a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteR.I.P
R.I.P
ReplyDeleteSuper fighting duo.... "Ruby,Spears"
Thanks for the memories, Ken Spears. You made a fairly bad Mega Man cartoon, but now we love it exactly because it's bad. The spectacle in each episode is a joy and we'll be sharing memes about it for generations to come.
ReplyDelete^There's always that one guy who has to post something like this. Sigh...
DeleteEh, people are entitled to their opinion.
DeleteNot when they have to ruin it with comments like that. It's more like you're saying they entitled to be a wiseass.
DeleteInterpret it that way if you'd like. I fully accept people don't like it - there are Meggim series I don't like too.
DeleteRest in peace, sir.
ReplyDeleteSomething that this got me thinking about: when I first entered the MM fandom, it felt like NOBODY liked the Ruby-Spears cartoon, and the few who did would always point out how it was cheesy/had some bizarre episodes/not accurate to The Games(TM)/etc. Nowadays, there's a lot more fans who can enjoy and appreciate it for what it was, and I'm glad for that. I wonder if, in the hereafter, Joe Ruby and Ken Spears are glad for it, too.
The Ruby-Spears Mega Man cartoon is not only my favorite Mega Man show, it could still be my favorite show of all-time! It is effectively what made me a fan of this franchise. I had definitely played the games before then, but that show is what kickstarted my love of the Mega Man series. I loved it THAT much as a kid! I've been thinking about the show a lot lately and though it hasn't aged well, thanks for the sow Mr. Ruby and Mr. Spears.
ReplyDeleteLooks like I'll have to marathon the series. I was going to watch it 2 months ago but forgot about it... This is one of my favorite shows. I had taped all of the episodes on VHS and still have the tapes. Bought the ADV DVD set, and then bought Discotek's DVD set as well.
ReplyDeleteRest in peace, Mr. Spears. Thank you for everything you and Joe Ruby have done as Ruby-Spear Productions. Scooby-Doo (more than anything else), Dynomutt, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Fangface, Jabberjaw, Thundarr the Barbarian, and of course the 90s Mega Man cartoon.
ReplyDeleteThis hurts my heart. I'm so grateful for the Mega Man cartoon show. It was the first example of Mega Man hitting the mainstream, and where I think the franchise first began to garner the wider recognition I knew it always deserved. Thanks for giving my favorite game character a spot on the TV with all the other video game greats in the 90s. RIP.
ReplyDeleteRIP Mr. Spears. My condolences to his family
ReplyDeleteCartoon passes on a message to the watcher. Interesting cartoon makes us snicker. Cartoon is usually an amusing stuff itself. มังงะ โดจิน
ReplyDeleteMay both Joe Ruby and Ken Spears rest in peace- Craig Ruby and Kevin Spears can take it from here, continuing their respective fathers' works, starting with their leftover work, before moving on with original works. Much thanks to Joe Ruby and Ken Spears- may Craig and Kevin keep that animation machine going, as best as they can!!!
ReplyDelete