Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?

So sorry to read the passing of an artist who injected so much into my life and probably into many other lives as well, without being aware of it. Not only was he not aware of it, but also those of us who enjoyed his work did not know it was him who created what we enjoyed, but then, that is the life of a true artist for you.

Yesterday the Disney artist Iwao Takamoto passed away in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Vice-president of special projects at his passing, Mr. Takamoto was the animation artist who created Scooby-Doo, Astro (Jetson's pooch), Penelope Pitstop, and many other cartoon characters.

Actually, I had some years on me when these goodies came to the screen, but my children delighted in these cartoons and they made me watch with them (not that I needed anyone to twist my arm). If they said, "Mom, you have to see this…" then, I had to.

All cartoons had a special place in my family's heart, but Atom Ant, Astro, and Penelope had led the way.

Atom Ant was the hero in my two-year old's first story telling venture. Because I had missed the show, he had taken pity on me and wanted to tell me and his father what had happened in the show. By the time, we caught on to his story, he was all wet with sweat.

He is 33 now . Probably, he still relives the challenge of it when he tries to tell us anything.

Astro, Jetson's dog, made my older son (six at the time) cultivate an interest in the stars. He is still wishing we take up residence in another planet, since this one has gotten so messy and unmanageable.

As for me, over the years, I actually identified myself with Penelope Pitstop, for pulling through most anything by the skin of my teeth.

Mr. Takamoto learned his art in a Japanese-American internment camp and was later hired by the Disney Studios. He received several lifetime achievement honors. He was 81 at his passing.