Scooby-Doo Creator Dies at 81

LOS ANGELES, January 9: Iwao Takamoto, the animator who
created the Scooby-Doo character, has
died from heart failure at the age of 81.

Over the course of six decades, Takamoto assisted in the designs
of numerous animated features and television shows for the Disney and
Hanna-Barbera animation teams, including Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the
Tramp, 101 Dalmatians, The Jetsons and
The Flinstones. He also directed the 1973
cartoon classic, Charlotte’s Web. He
is, however, best known for his creation of Scooby-Doo.

He survived by his wife Barbara,
son Michael and stepdaughter Leslie.