Iwao Takamoto, the Japanese-American animator who created the looks of famed cartoon dog Scooby-Doo, died Monday in a Los Angeles hospital.
The 81 year old was at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for a medical checkup when he suffered a massive coronary.
Takamoto was born in Los Angeles in 1925 and was sent to an internment camp during WWII. There, he learned how to draw from his fellow Japanese campmates. Upon his release, he became an apprentice illustrator at Disney. There, he assisted the productions of Cinderella and Peter Pan.
In 1961, Takamoto jumped to a new animation studio formed by ex-MGM animators Joseph Hanna and William Barbera. At Hanna-Barbera, Takamoto designed the entire cast of characters of the long-running animated series Scooby-Doo: Scooby, his hippie master Shaggy, and the Mystery Machine gang Velma, Daphne, and Fred. He also helped create the design for Josie and the Pussycats, The Great Grape Ape Show, Harlem Globe Trotters, and The Secret Squirrel Show.
Takamoto said he drew inspiration from the last line of the Frank Sinatra song "Strangers in the Night" for Scooby's name and came upon the dog's distinctive look by taking the typical Great Dane physique and turning it on its ear.
"I decided to go the opposite and gave him a hump back, bowed legs, big chin, and such," Takamoto said last year. "Even his color is wrong."
In addition to Scooby, Takamoto designed the characters Muttley the dog and Astro the pet on the Jetsons. The Flintstones' nemesis The Great Gazoo was also a Takamoto creation. He also directed the 1973 animated film Charlotte's Web.
Takamoto was a vice president at Warner Bros. Animation and had recently storyboarded a Tom and Jerry cartoon. He had also been involved in creating the characters for the new animated series Krypto the Superdog.
Hanna-Barbera co-founder Joseph Barbera died three weeks ago, on December 17, at the age of 95.
Comments (23)
this is sadrest in piece
Wow, Iwao WAS an important part of the hanna-barbera community, no wonder they keep showing his name in the credits. RIP
I loved that show when I was a kid...
It's only Scooby-Doo.
I always figured Scooby was related to Muttley the dog and Astro on the Jetsons.
SAD.
Rest in peace and God bless your soul, thanks for all the good vibe and moments, the happy ones, he is from a great generation of people who worked hard and with gusto THANKS THANKS!
I loved watching that show on Cartoon Network when I was still a kid."Scooby-dooby-doooo!" R.I.P Iwao Takamoto.
Death2009 is right on.
I wasn't a fan either. But that doesn't mean I can't give him respect for what he was able to do with it.
rest in peace
he will be missed
rip
rest in peace :(
My mom is a Scooby-Doo freak... This man was the one to bring him to her && he will be greatly missed.... R.I.P.
"Joseph Hanna and William Barbera"Seems a little off...
May he rest in peace
A couple of notes to correct: Mr. Takamoto was not inspired by the song "Strangers In The Night" in designing Scooby and the gang. Fred Silverman, head of CBS children's programming back then, heard the song on his flight to New York after his visit to H-B's studio regarding the show's development, and it was Mr. Silverman who recommended calling the dog Scooby Doo. Scooby himself was created on the notion that one of the H-B staffers raised Great Danes on the side.
A couple of notes to correct: Mr. Takamoto was not inspired by the song "Strangers In The Night" in designing Scooby and the gang. Fred Silverman, head of CBS children's programming back then, heard the song on his flight to New York after his visit to H-B's studio regarding the show's development, and it was Mr. Silverman who recommended calling the dog Scooby Doo. Scooby himself was created on the notion that one of the H-B staffers raised Great Danes on the side.
Iwao Takamoto rest i peace.
rut row
Scooby Doo is awesome, and the man that brought him to the world will be missed.
I hated that show.
But my mother loves that show.
She says "Thank you very much for, Scooby-dooby dooooooooooooooo!"