The Thing — Animation Character Design Drawing

This original character design drawing by Russ Heath depicts The Thing as adapted for the 1979 Hanna-Barbera television production Fred and Barney Meet the Thing. The drawing focuses on the character in an action pose, with a roughly indicated vehicle serving as a staging element rather than a fully developed background or scene layout. It functions primarily as a character design sheet, preserving the visual clarity and force needed to establish the figure in motion for animation production.

Presented within an hour-long package format, the Thing segments functioned as a distinct series, separate from the Flintstones material referenced in the title. The character itself was a loose adaptation rather than a direct transfer from the Marvel comic version, reshaped for late studio-era television animation.

Drawings of this kind served as working production references, translating expressive draftsmanship into repeatable visual form for collaborative studio use. Heath’s line retains both economy and structural control, qualities well suited to television animation design in the late 1970s.

Graphite on three-peg animation paper, measuring 10.5 × 12.5 inches (26.67 × 31.75 cm). The drawing originates from animation production materials and remains in production-used condition.