SCOOBY-DOO - SCOOBY-DOO ANIMATOR TAKAMOTO DIES

Animator IWAO TAKAMATO, who created cartoon dogs SCOOBY-DOO and MUTTLEY, has died of heart failure at the age of 81. Takamoto received informal illustration training from fellow Japanese-Americans in a prison camp during World War II, before launching a successful career creating a host of cartoon characters including SCOOBY-DOO and his friends FRED, VELMA, SHAGGY and DAPHNE. He also worked on films like PETER PAN, 101 DALMATIONS and CINDERELLA during his six-decade career, and he was Vice-President at Warner Bros Animation at the time of his death.