Scooby-Doo creator dies at 81

[ZeoBandit]

Scooby-Doo creator dies at 81
POSTED: 7:48 a.m. EST, January 9, 2007
Story Highlights
• Iwao Takamoto, created Scooby-Doo, dead at 81
• Hanna-Barbera animator also created other show characters
• Started at Disney, moved to Hanna-Barbera in 1961

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Iwao Takamoto, the animator who created the cartoon canine Scooby-Doo as well as characters on such shows as "The Flintstones" and "The Jetsons," died Monday after suffering a massive coronary, a spokesman said. He was 81.

Takamoto died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was being treated for respiratory problems, said Gary Miereanu, a spokesman for Warner Bros. Animation.

Takamoto designed Scooby-Doo, his equally famished and cowardly master Shaggy, and their pals Velma, Daphne and Fred in the late 1960s while working at the Hanna-Barbera animation studio.

The Great Dane's name was inspired by an improvised line at the end of Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night."

He also designed the snickering dog Muttley, who was featured in a number of productions, and Astro, the family dog on "The Jetsons." For "The Flintstones," he created the Great Gazoo, a green alien.

Takamoto's death comes exactly three weeks after that of Hanna-Barbera co-founder Joseph Barbera, who was 95; his business partner William Hanna died in 2001.

Takamoto, who was born in Los Angeles in 1925, spent part of World War II in an internment camp, where he received some informal illustration training from fellow Japanese-Americans.

After the war he got a job as an apprentice at Disney Studios, where he worked on such features as "Cinderella" and "Peter Pan." In 1961, he moved to Hanna-Barbera, now a unit of Time Warner Inc. (CNN is also a unit of Time Warner.)

At the time of his death, Takamoto was a vice president at Warner Bros. Animation. He storyboarded the 2005 Tom and Jerry animation short "The Karateguard," and helped design many of the characters in the current series "Krypto the Superdog." He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and two children.

[Bob_R]

My youngest son loved Scooby-Doo when he was a child. I kinda dug it myself.

[jetguy5150]

Rough Ruck Raggy!

I loved Scooby Doo as a youngling...until they brought that fucking idiot Scrappy onto the show. I hated that punk ass tool.

[hatchetforce]

Rough Ruck Raggy!

I loved Scooby Doo as a youngling...until they brought that fucking idiot Scrappy onto the show. I hated that punk ass tool.

[smithjc]

I always watched Scooby Doo & the Gang whenst I was a young one. My son loves those shows. I agree, don't like Scrappy.

[Viking]

Loved Scooby Doo as a youngster myself and I'll even admit to watching it when I get a chance even now. I have to agree with the rest about Scrappy. I quit watching Scooby Doo when he came on the show.

Several years ago my niece was watching Scooby Doo and me, my Dad and my Sister were all in the living room watching it too. At the end of the show, right before the bad guy said it, I said "And I would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!" My Dad was amazed! He looked at me and said "How did you know he was going to say that?"