Scooby-Doo Designer Takamoto Dead

Animator, 81, Created Many Popular Hanna-Barbera Characters

(CBS)  Renowned animator Iwao Takamoto, the artist who designed and named the beloved Great Dane Scooby-Doo and many other cartoon characters, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 81.

Takamoto's death was announced by Warner Bros. Animation, which says he died Monday afternoon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as a result of a massive coronary.

His death comes less than a month after the passing of animation legend Joe Barbera, who with his partner William Hanna owned the studio where Takamoto worked for most of his career.

Hanna died in 2001, a decade after the company was bought by Turner Broadcasting, a move which led to it becoming part of Warner Bros.

In addition to Scooby-Doo, Takamoto designed two other popular animated canine characters: Muttley, who appeared in several different cartoons, and Astro, the dog belonging to the space age family "The Jetsons."

Takamoto continued working up until his death, most recently serving as Vice President of Special Projects for Warner Bros. Animation. He storyboarded the 2005 Tom and Jerry animation short "The Karateguard," and was instrumental in the design of many characters in the current Cartoon Network and Kids' WB! animated series "Krypto the Superdog."

He also served as a consultant on Warner Bros. Animation's ongoing Scooby-Doo direct-to-video series, including the 2006 release "Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy!" and the upcoming "Chill Out, Scooby-Doo"

2"Iwao Takamoto was not only a tremendously talented designer and artist, he was a beautiful human being," said Warner Bros. Animation President Sander Schwartz. "Iwao was always ready with a wide smile, a firm handshake and a warm welcome. Iwao's designs will be his legacy for generations to come. Those of us who had the privilege of working closely with him will miss his mentoring presence, his good counsel and his unparalleled talent and spirit."

Born April 29, 1925 in Los Angeles, Takamoto graduated ahead of his class at age 15 from Thomas Jefferson High School.

He learned his craft in difficult circumstances, which made his ultimate success all the more remarkable.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, as many Japanese and Japanese-Americans were rounded up and sent to what were called "internment camps," Takamoto and his family were sent to the Manzanar Internment Camp, near Independence, Calif. Takamoto was able to depart the camp with an assignment to pick fruit on a farm in Idaho, but he left Manzanar with one important gift: some informal illustration training from fellow Japanese-Americans in the camp.

Returning to Los Angeles, he landed an interview with the Disney Studios, despite his lack of a portfolio or any formal artistic training.

[zelalamedo]

That's a big miss......................(-_-)

[nothappyatall]

Another one of the great old time real seat of the pants animators gone, the ones who DREW all this stuff by hand on paper with pencils before the era of computers and EZ computer generated special effects.
Their characters had personality and life.

Takamoto, Hanna Barbera, Walt Disney and many other old timers were the most creative old time greats, generations have grown up watching their entertaining and personable cartoons and other presentations.

[gramto7]

RUH ROH!! The world needs more people like this man.