Norm Prescott, 78; Producer Co-Founded Filmation Studios

Norm Prescott, 78, co-founder of Filmation Studios who produced animated Saturday morning children’s television series including “Star Trek� and “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,� died Saturday of natural causes in Encino.

Born in Boston, Prescott began his career in radio, working as a program director and disc jockey. In 1959, he became a record producer and vice president of music for Embassy Pictures Corp., handling music for such feature films as the 1959 “Hercules� starring Steve Reeves.

Prescott began producing his own films with the animated “Pinocchio in Outer Space� in 1965 and later produced “The Journey Back to Oz� in 1974. In 1965, he also joined Lou Scheimer to establish Filmation Studios, beginning a successful run producing more than 30 animated television series. Prescott earned an Emmy for “Star Trek� in 1975.

The producer often lent his own voice to his shows, performing as Theodore H. Bear in the 1979 “The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle,� the voice of Solomon on the 1974 “Shazam!� and various voices on the “Star Trek� series.