Iwao Takamoto was a Japanese-American animator, television producer, and film director.
17 Facts About Iwao Takamoto
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Iwao Takamoto began his career as a production and character designer for Walt Disney Animation Studios films such as Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, and Sleeping Beauty.
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Iwao Takamoto's father emigrated from Hiroshima to the United States for his health, and returned to Japan only once, to marry his wife.
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At 15 years of age, Takamoto graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Los Angeles.
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Iwao Takamoto first entered the cartoon world after the end of the war.
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Iwao Takamoto was hired as an assistant animator by Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1945.
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Iwao Takamoto worked as an animator and character designer on such titles as Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
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Iwao Takamoto worked in several positions there, but is arguably best known as a character designer.
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Iwao Takamoto was responsible for the original character design of such characters as Scooby-Doo, The Jetsons dog Astro, and Penelope Pitstop.
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Iwao Takamoto worked as a producer at Hanna-Barbera, supervising shows such as The Addams Family, Hong Kong Phooey, and Jabberjaw.
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Iwao Takamoto directed several feature length animated films, including Charlotte's Web and Jetsons: The Movie.
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Iwao Takamoto was Vice-President of Creative Design at Hanna-Barbera and was responsible for overseeing Hanna-Barbera's many merchandising lines as well as design work for their Animation Art Dept.
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Iwao Takamoto married Barbara in 1964 and remained married to her for 44 years, until his death in 2007.
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Iwao Takamoto died on January 8,2007, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from a heart attack at the age of 81.
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Iwao Takamoto is buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles in Gardens of Blessing, Section 3, Lot 1390, Space 3.
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Iwao Takamoto received the Winsor McCay Award, the lifetime achievement award from the International Animated Film Association Hollywood.
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Iwao Takamoto received an honorary citation from the Japanese American National Museum.