Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Iwao Takamoto -- animator who created 'Scooby Doo' and others, dies. <AP) In a career that spanned more than six decades, Iwao Takamoto assisted in the designs of some of the biggest animated features and television shows, including "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," "Lady and the Tramp" and "The Flintstones." But it was Takamoto's creation of Scooby-Doo, the cowardly dog with an adventurous heart, that captivated audiences and endured for generations. Takamoto died Monday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Warner Bros. spokesman Gary Miereanu said. He was 81. Born in Los Angeles to parents who had emigrated from Japan, Takamoto graduated high school when World War II began. He and his family were sent to the Manzanar internment camp in the California desert, where he learned the art of illustration from fellow internees. Despite a lack of formal training, he landed an interview with Walt Disney Studios when he returned to Los Angeles and was hired as an apprentice. Takamoto worked under the tutelage of Disney's "nine old men," the studio's team of legendary animators responsible for its biggest full-length films before moving to Hanna-Barbera Studios in 1961. There he worked on cartoons for television, including "Josie and the Pussy Cats," "The Great Grape Ape Show," "Harlem Globe Trotters" and "The Secret Squirrel Show."> More at the link. <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/09/ap/entertainment/mainD8MHNSK80.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.cbsnews.com/stories /2007/01/09/ap/entertainment/mainD8MHNSK80.shtml</a>
Originally Posted By avromark Miss Candace will be in mourning. At least he lived a long life and has a legacy left behind. Of course we're happy to see he has a connection to Disney
Originally Posted By seanyoda Amid over at Cartoon Brew has posted an with Iwao Takamoto from January 1999 that was originally published in ANIMATION BLAST #3. <a href="http://www.cartoonbrew.com/archives/2007_01.html#002626" target="_blank">http://www.cartoonbrew.com/arc hives/2007_01.html#002626</a>
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy I did too, ilvdland. I didn't know he had such a connection to Disney, and The Flintstones...pretty neat.
Originally Posted By MissCandice I am sad, but glad to know a little about the man behind Scooby-Doo.
Originally Posted By fkurucz I wonder what was his incentive to bail from Disney for the much lower rent district of HB? I suppose that I shouldn't kvetch, for had he not there would be no Scooby Doo!
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <I wonder what was his incentive to bail from Disney for the much lower rent district of HB?> Look at all the things he accomplished at Hanna-Barbera - While it's maybe not as glamorous as Disney, Takamoto probably saw more opportunity for himself elsewhere.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan In the article at Cartoon Brew, he said there was also a pretty long stretch in the 1960's between animated features at Disney, and they'd stop making animated shorts by then.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA True that, huh? The 60s at Disney -- feature-wise 1959 - Sleeping Beauty 1961 - 101 Dalmatians 1963 - Sword and the Stone 1967 - Jungle Book The 60s at Hanna-Barbera The Flintstones (1960) Top Cat (1961) The Yogi Bear Show and various spin-offs (1961) Wally Gator (1962) The Jetsons (1962) The Magilla Gorilla Show (1963) Jonny Quest (1964) Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! (Columbia Pictures feature, 1964) The Hillbilly Bears (1965) The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show (1965) Squiddly Diddly (1965) Laurel and Hardy: The Animated Series (1966) The Peter Potamus Show (1966) Space Ghost (1966) The Man Called Flintstone (Columbia Pictures feature, 1966) Birdman and the Galaxy Trio (1967) Shazzan (1967) The Herculoids (1967) Banana Splits (1968; live action/animated) Wacky Races and various spin-offs (1968) Scooby-Doo, Where are You! and various spin-offs (1969) [the HB info lifted from Wikipedia]
Originally Posted By avromark So basically better to be a big fish in a small pond then a small fish in a big pond argument? Or they're pumping more stuff out argument? Let's say you could be a forklift driver at Mercedes-Benz or you could be lead product designer at Seat, what would you choose?
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy <The 60s at Disney -- feature-wise 1959 - Sleeping Beauty 1961 - 101 Dalmatians 1963 - Sword and the Stone 1967 - Jungle Book> You do realize "Sleeping Beauty" doesn't count, right? I mean, bein' in the 19*50s* and all? ;-)
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>Let's say you could be a forklift driver at Mercedes-Benz or you could be lead product designer at Seat, what would you choose?<< Do they sell Seats in your neck of the woods? For the benefit of US LP'ers: Seat is a car brand that originated in Spain. It is now owned by VW and is considered VW's entry level brand.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>So basically better to be a big fish in a small pond then a small fish in a big pond argument? Or they're pumping more stuff out argument? << To be honest HB cartoons (with a few exceptions) do very little for me. I will watch old Looney Tunes on Boomerang, but will pass on most HB stuff.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <So basically better to be a big fish in a small pond then a small fish in a big pond argument?> Yep. I'm sure if he was happy and satisfied with his job at Disney, he would have stayed. I know it's hard for some to imagine that working at Disney isn't the most absolutely fantastic place to work on the planet.
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy Yeah Jim, that was a real opener to my naive eyes. I still love Walt and all, but yeah, there are some things I wish I didn't know.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA There were plenty of animators who bailed on working at Disney -- when Walt was there. In fact, Walt would have been the reason that they left. [see Ub Iwerks] Iwao Takamoto could have stayed at Disney, and done inbetweening, and other animation, and then what? As it is, he got to create, from scratch, a complete world of animated characters.
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy I've also got Bill Peet's autobiography, which is one of those first-hand accounts from someone behind-the-scenes.
