 Joseph Roland " Joe " Barbera ( / bɑːrˈbɛrə / bar @-@ BERR @-@ ə or / ˈbɑːrbərə / BAR @-@ bər @-@ ə ; Italian pronunciation : [ barˈbɛːra ] ; March 24 , 1911 – December 18 , 2006 ) was an American animator , director , producer , storyboard artist , and cartoon artist , whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the 20th century . 
