Iwao Takamoto

Infobox Person
name = Iwao Takamoto


image_size = 200px
caption = Iwao Takamoto
birth_date = April 29, 1925
birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
death_date = January 8, 2007 (aged 81)
death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
occupation = Animator, Television producer, Film director
spouse = Barbara Takamoto
parents =
children = Michael Takamoto, Leslie Stern

Iwao Takamoto (タカモト・イワオ, "Takamoto Iwao") (April 29, 1925 – January 8 2007) was a Japanese American animator, television producer, and film director. He was most famous as being a production and character designer for Hanna-Barbera Productions shows such as "Scooby-Doo".

Biography

Takamoto's father emigrated from Hiroshima to the United States for his health. He returned to Japan only once, to marry his wife. Takamoto was born on April 29, 1925 in Los Angeles, California. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Takamoto's family, like many Japanese Americans, was forced to move to an internment camp. They spent the rest of World War II in the Manzanar internment camp. It was there that Takamoto received basic illustration training from a couple of friendly co-internees.

Takamoto first entered the cartoon world after the end of the war. He was hired as an assistant animator by Walt Disney Studios in 1945. Takamoto eventually became an assistant for the legendary Milt Kahl. He worked as an animator on such titles as "Cinderella", "Lady and the Tramp", "Sleeping Beauty", and "One Hundred and One Dalmatians".

Leaving Disney (1961)

Takamoto left Disney in 1961 and joined Hanna-Barbera Productions shortly thereafter. He worked in several positions there, but is arguably best known as a character designer. He was responsible for the original character design of such characters as Scooby-Doo, "The Jetsons dog Astro, and Penelope Pitstop. He worked as a producer at Hanna-Barbera, supervising shows such as "The Addams Family", "Hong Kong Phooey", and "Jabberjaw". He directed several feature length animated films, including "Charlotte's Web" (1973) and ' (1990). The inspiration for Scooby-Doo's creation as a Great Dane came from an employee of the Hanna-Barbera company, who bred this dog. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/10/arts/television/10takamoto.html?ex=1326085200&en=621fc868fcd67df1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss]

Takamoto was Vice-President of Creative Design at Hanna-Barbera, and was responsible for overseeing H-B's many product related merchandising. In 2005, he received the Golden Award from the Animation Guild, to honor his more than 50 years of service in the animation field.

Death

He died on January 8, 2007 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from a heart attack at age 81. Adult Swim for the next week put up a bumper that said Iwao Takamoto [1925-2007] . He was buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles in Gardens of Blessing, Section 3, Lot 1390, Space 3. [cite news |title= Scooby-Doo designer dies in L.A.|url=http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyid=2007-01-09T052341Z_01_N08423986_RTRUKOC_0_US-TAKAMOTO.xml
publisher=Reuters |date=2007-01-09 |accessdate=2007-01-10 ] [cite news |title=Scooby-Doo's creator dies aged 81 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6243717.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-01-08 |accessdate=2007-01-10 ]

References

External links

*
* [http://www.cartoonbrew.com/archives/2007_01.html#002626 January 1999 interview in ANIMATION BLAST]
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/obituary/0,,2000879,00.html Obituary] , "The Guardian", 29 January 2007.
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=17361774 Iwao Takamoto's Gravesite] at Find A Grave