Duane Poole, R.I.P.

Another damned obit. Duane Poole, a fine writer and gentleman, passed away this evening following a battle with cancer over the last year or so. I knew Duane as an animation writer, mostly at Hanna-Barbera but also at other studios, but he also wrote dozens of live-action TV shows and movies and was both a playwright and an important figure in local theater. When we had lunch, we usually talked about plays and musicals, and he knew everything about them.

Between around 1975 and 1983, Duane (usually with a partner) wrote for all the major shows at H-B including Scooby Doo, Laff-a-Lympics, Captain Caveman, Super Friends, Jana of the Jungle and The Great Grape Ape. During that period, he also worked for Sid & Marty Krofft on shows like The Far-Out Space Nuts and ElectraWoman and DynaGirl. His live-action credits included Love Boat, Hart to Hart, Hotel and about forty TV movies, some of which are listed over on his IMDB page. At least the animation credits over there are quite incomplete. You can find a more complete list and a bio over on his website.

I have no idea how old he was but I can tell you he was as nice and bright a person as I've met in this business. I have no memories of him not smiling. Sympathies to his friends (he had a lot of them), his family and especially his husband Frank.  I am so sick of writing these about people I liked.