In Memoriam: JOHN AHERN (1933-2008)

[AaronHandy3]

Courtesy of The Big Cartoon Forum:

Animator, director and producer John Ahern, winner of a 1988 Daytime Emmy Award for Muppet Babies, died Wednesday at 74.

He and his wife Shirley left California for Spanish Fork, Utah after he retired from the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonist Union in 1999.

As a producer, Ahern shared an Emmy with executive producer Jim Henson and others for Muppet Babies, which was named Outstanding Animated Program.

He was born John Crosbie Ahern on December 6, 1933 to John Hannibal (Jack H.) and Evelyn Leone Crosbie Ahern in Los Angeles. His father was a well-known set decorator who worked on projects ranging from TV's The Monkees to the live-action Disney classic 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

He attended Brigham Young University, Santa Monica City College and Pasadena Art Center.

Ahern produced 55 episodes of G.I. Joe (1985) and four episodes of Defenders of the Earth (1986).

He was a layout artist for the TV series The Adventures of Gulliver, Cattanooga Cats, Josie and the Pussycats, The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Speed Buggy, The New Tom & Jerry Show, The Mumbly Cartoon Show and BraveStarr, as well as the 1994 mini-series Red Planet, the 1974 ABC Afterschool Special Cyrano and the 1980 ABC Weekend Special Scruffy.

In theatrical films, he was a layout artist for Charlotte's Web (1973) and BraveStarr: The Legend (1988). He was an animator for the 1978 anime film Winds of Change (aka Metamorphoses).

As a layout supervisor, he worked on the TV series C B Bears, The All-New Super Friends Hour, Scooby's All Star Laff-A-Lympics, Challenge of the SuperFriends, Yogi's Space Race, The Godzilla Power Hour, Buford and the Galloping Ghost, Thundarr the Barbarian, Goldie Gold and Action Jack and Peter Pan and the Pirates.

He was a layout supervisor for the TV specials Davy Crockett on the Mississippi (1976), A Flintstone Christmas (1977) and Beauty and the Beast (1983), as well as 1990's Jetsons: The Movie.

Ahern was an animation supervisor for The Scooby and Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour, Dungeons & Dragons and The Gummi Bears, along with the 1984 My Little Pony TV special.

As a storyboard artist, he worked on the series Dungeons & Dragons, Bionic Six, Sylvanian Families, X-Men and Spider-Man. He was also a storyboard editor for Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch, and story director for Speed Buggy and Rubik, the Amazing Cube.

Ahern was a production manager for the ABC Weekend Specials The Incredible Detectives, The Trouble with Miss Switch and Scruffy, in addition to the series The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show.

He was a timing director and sheet timer for the 2000 TV series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, and a model design supervisor for the 1985 TV-movie My Little Pony: Escape from Catrina.

Ahern was an associate professor at BYU for the Fine Arts Department in Animation. In 1963, he married Shirley Lynn Arnold in the Salt Lake Temple.

He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in which he served in many capacities throughout his life.

In his spare time, he enjoyed photography, motorcross, cycling, skiing, mountain climbing, camping, and backpacking.

John Ahern is survived by wife Shirley; son Scott Arnold Ahern of Provo, Utah; daughters Jodi Lyn Bradley of Wellington, Utah, Kimberly Marie Ahern of Simi Valley, California and Kelly Rene Ahern of New Market, Alabama; nine grandchildren; and sisters Lynne Engstrom of Northridge, California and Sunny Fletcher of Pelham, New York.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, November 3 at the Crosswinds 3rd Ward Chapel, 1660 S. 1400 E., Spanish Fork, Utah. Family and friends may attend a viewing at the church from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. prior to services. Interment will be in the Santaquin Cemetery.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.walkerfamilymortuary.com.

To absent friends... hno :cry :rip

[Scoobiedoo30]

rest in peace.