Iwao Takamoto, R.I.P.
Animator Iwao Takamoto passed away Monday after suffering a massive coronary at the age of 81. Takamoto created all the main characters in Scooby-Doo including the title character, as well as characters in the Jetsons, Flintstones, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady & the Tramp, 101 Dalmations, & the recent Krypto the Super Dog. He also co-directed the animated classic "Charlotte's Web."
I may be alone on this, but I had no idea that a Japanese man was such a vital part of American cartoon history. Along with the recent death of Joe Barbera who Takamoto worked with, the founders of cartoons as we know them are now pretty much gone. I may not have known about Iwao Takamoto until after he passed away, but he did a lot for the world of animation & will truly be missed.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/10/arts/television/10takamoto.html