Hank Saroyan, receiving a Prism Award.
Hank Durand Saroyan (March 30, 1947 - Sept 23, 2022)[1] was a writer, story editor, and voice director who contributed to Muppet Babies in various capacities for the entire run of the series. He was credited as executive in charge of the series in addition to serving as voice director, song producer, story and head writer after the departure of writer Jeffrey Scott, as well as penning occasional lyrics (including to the theme song). He was a producer as well as reprising his voice director and story editor chores on Little Muppet Monsters, and directed the voice cast (including Muppet Babies) on the special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.
The nephew of playwright William Saroyan, Saroyan's early 1970s TV career was spent on specials and variety shows for Dick Clark Productions (including American Bandstand) and writing the TV movie Werewolf of Woodstock. He joined Hanna-Barbera as a voice actor and/or story editor on Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, Trollkins, and Monchichis. He moved to Marvel Productions and worked on Dungeons & Dragons, two Blondie and Dagwood specials, and Rude Dog and the Dweebs.
Outside of animation, Saroyan wrote and directed the 1993 ABC Weekend Specials installment "The Parsley Garden" (adapting a William Saroyan story), an episode of The Famous Jett Jackson, the special Animals of the NFL, and other one-off productions. He created, produced, and directed the six volume 1994 direct-to-video National Geographic series Geo-Kids (with puppeteers Julianne Buescher and Bruce Lanoil, and supplying character voices himself).
Saroyan was a producer for the Prism Awards show, honoring the accurate depictions of drugs and alcohol in television, film and music. He was given a Prism Award by the Entertainment Industries Council.
Writing credits[]
- Episode 418: Nanny's Day Off
- Episode 503: The Pig Who Would Be Queen
- Episode 513: Bug-Busting Babies
- Episode 607: Faster than a Speeding Weirdo
- Episode 608: Skeeter and the Wolf
- Episode 611: Goosetown Babies
- Episode 701: It's Only Pretendo
- Episode 703: Operators Are Standing By
- Episode 709: Buckskin Babies
- Episode 710: Sing a Song of Superheroes
- Episode 712: Kermit Pan
- Episode 714: ...At the Movies
- Episode 715: In Search of the Bronzed Beetle
- Episode 801: Transcontinental Whoo-Whoo
- Episode 802: Get Me to the Perch on Time
- Episode 803: Bearly Alone Babies
- Episode 804: Remote Control Cornballs
- Episode 805: Nice to Have Gnome You
- Episode 808: Eight Flags Over the Nursery
- Muppet Babies Live!