Los Angeles [US], March 29 (ANI): Animator and director Barry Caldwell, who was best known for his work on popular shows like 'Animaniacs' and 'Pinky and the Brain,' has passed away. He was 68.

Caldwell had a long and respected career in animation and was known for his work as an artist, designer, and director.

The news of his death was shared by his longtime friend and fellow animator Paul Dini on social media.

Dini shared an emotional note about remembering his longtime friend. In a Facebook post, he wrote, 'Barry Caldwell was one of the first animation artists I met when I started my career fresh out of school way back around 1980. He was also one of the finest artists I ever met, and easily one of the best people. The man's talent as a cartoonist, designer and director was revered throughout the industry and I'll get to that.'

Talking about how the news affected him, Dini further added, 'When Dan Haskett told me today Barry had passed, it was like a silent cannonball blowing away a piece of my world. A lot of people's worlds, actually. Barry was admired, celebrated and loved by just about everyone, myself included, for many more reasons than I can list here. Gonna miss you, pally.'

According to Deadline, Barry Caldwell was born on June 19, 1957, in New York City. He trained at the School of Visual Arts and started his career in animation in 1980 with 'Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.'

Over the years, he worked with major studios like Warner Bros. Animation, Walt Disney Television Studios, and DreamWorks. He contributed to several well-known shows including 'The Smurfs,' 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,' 'The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show,' and 'Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers.'

He also worked on projects like 'Tiny Toon Adventures,' 'The Tigger Movie,' 'Osmosis Jones,' 'Kim Possible,' and 'DreamWorks Dragons.' (ANI)