‘Yellow Submarine’ animator Ron Campbell dies at 81

Ron Cambell, an Australian animator and illustrator who worked on both the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” and “The Flintstones,” died Friday.

Campbell, 81, received a fine arts education in his native Australia and began working as an animator. His big break came when he directed “The Beatles” cartoon series which was produced in Australia and a hit during its run from 1965-1969.

The show, an instant hit on ABC in the U.S., was notable for using actual music from the Fab Four.

Campbell moved to the U.S. to work for Hanna-Barbera. He also worked on “George of the Jungle” and produced and drew cartoons for “Sesame Street. In the late 1960s, he personally animated several sequences in “Yellow Submarine,” the lads from Liverpool’s film.

He went on to work on “The Smurfs,” “The Flintstones,” The Jetsons” and “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You.” He continued to work on animated TV shows and movies in the 1990s, including for “Rugrats” and “Duckman.”

According to Scott Segelbaum, his longtime business partner, Campbell took up painting after he retired from animation in 2008. Many of his paintings were based on the cartoons he used to work on, which gained him a devoted group of nostalgia-happy fans.

Campbell is survived by his wife Engelina. The two married in 1962.