Iwao Takamoto began his career as an Assistant Animator for Disney from 1947 until 1960, where he worked on Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Sleeping Beauty as an assistant to Milt Kahl.

In 1962 Iwao went to work for Hanna-Barbera and has been there ever since, even after Warner Bros purchased Hanna-Barbera in 1995. Iwao still has an office at the Warner Bros facilities out on Sepulveda. He began as a Layout Artist and Layout Designer for Hanna-Barbera on shows that include : The Flintstones, Quick Draw McGraw, Loopy de Loop, Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles, Secret Squirrel, Moby Dickand The Mighty Mightor. He was the Art Director for Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!,and The Snorks.

He was the Production Designer on The New Adventures of Huck Finn, Wacky Races, Dastardly and Muttley and Their Flying Machines, Scooby Doo Where Are You?, The Cattanooga Cats, Where's Huddles?, Josie and the Pussycats, The Harlem Globetrotters, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, and Yogi's Space Race. He was Producer on Goober and the Ghost Chasers, Devlin, The Partridge Family: 2000 A.D., Hong Kong Phooey, Clue Club. He was Creative Producer on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids, Inch High Private Eye, Super Friends, Jeannie, Yogi's Gang, The Addams Family, Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch, The New Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape Show, The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, A Flintstone Christmas, Fred Flintstone and Friends, The Great Grape Ape Show, The All-New Super Friends Hour, Dynomutt Dog Wonder, Challenge of the Super Friends, Dinky Dog, The All-New Popeye Hour, The Kwicky Koala Show, The Scooby and Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour.

He was the Director on Charlotte's Web.

He was Creative Designer on The New Fred and Barney Show, The Smurfs,GoBots: War of the Rock Lords, Yogi's Great Escape, Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Hägar the Horrible,and Jetsons: The Movie.

2005 GOLDEN AWARDS PORTRAITS