IWAO TAKAMOTO (1925-2007)

Only weeks after the death of Joe Barbera, another Hanna-Barbera legend passes away. Iwao Takamoto died yesterday from heart problems.

Durning WWII, Iwao and his family were sent to a Japanese-American internment camp. It was here that he learned how to be an illustrator. When the war was over, he was hired by Disney and worked as an assistant animator to Milt Kahl on such movies as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and Lady and the Tramp.

In 1961, Takamoto left Disney to go work for Hanna-Barbera and is most noted for his work there as a character designer. He created the designs for Astro, Penelope Pitstop, Captain Murphy and Scooby-Doo. He also produced several of their show in the seventies and directed some of their feature-length films such as, Jetsons: the Movie and Charlotte's Web.

In 2005 he received the Golden Award from the Animation Guild, to honour his more than 50 years of service in the animation field. He will be missed.