Early life
Born in Little Italy, Manhattan, in 1911 to Sicilian immigrants, Joseph Barbera grew up in Brooklyn after his father Vincent abandoned the family in 1926. His father’s gambling addiction drained the family savings. Barbera was raised by his uncle Jim Calvacca in Flatbush.
At Erasmus Hall High School, Barbera worked as a tailor’s delivery boy and excelled in boxing, winning several titles but choosing not to turn professional. After graduating in 1928, he took odd jobs and art classes at the Art Students League and Pratt Institute. His interest in animation was sparked by Walt Disney’s The Skeleton Dance in 1929, prompting him to become a freelance cartoonist. His work appeared in Redbook, The Saturday Evening Post, and Collier’s.