Interviews

1. Parents

2. First Exposure to Animation

3. December 7th, 1941

4. Father’s Optimism

5. Tanforan Assembly Center

6. Dusty Weather at Topaz, Utah

7. Mother in Camp

8. Father making shell brooches at Topaz

9. Father’s Postwar Barber Career

10. First Encounter with Walt Disney

11. Disney Drawing Tests

12. His mentor, Iwao Takamoto

13. The Dopey bank that survived the war

Willie Ito

(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII

His mentor, Iwao Takamoto

At the time, I was in Los Angeles, serving my apprenticeship at Walt Disney Studio. My mentor, Iwao Takamoto, he virtually was responsible for me being hired at Disney Studio. And then when I went to work as an apprentice animator, Iwao was my Sensei, my mentor. But he was strict. He had that, every little line, everything had to be perfect. So I would stand in front of him as he would correct my drawings. And sometimes I would just think, you know, my dad. Maybe I should have taken him up on getting a license so I could become a barber. Because I don’t know if I’m going to be able to cut the mustard with him.

We used to call him Iwo at the studio, because all the Hakujins, the Caucasians, “Ee-wah-wo” was a little hard to say, so they sort of said “Iwo.” “Iwo, Iwo.” So he became known affectionately in the industry as Iwo Takamoto.

animation Iwao Takamoto

Date: August 26, 2015

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Willie Ito was born July 17, 1934 in San Francisco, California to nisei parents. Seeing Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the age of five inspired a lifelong love of animation. After his family's incarceration in Topaz, Utah during World War II, Willie returned to California to pursue an art career, attending the Walt Disney favorite Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles (which later became CalArts). Under the mentorship of legendary animator Iwao Takamoto, Willie's passion blossomed into a long career in the animation world through golden ages at Disney, Warner Brothers, and Hanna-Barbera. His credits span from The Lady and the Tramp and What's Opera Doc? to The Flinstones and the Yogi Bear Show.

Willie continues drawing to this day, including illustration work on multiple children's books about the Japanese American World War II experience. You can also find him signing sketches and greeting fans at San Diego Comic-con. (September 2016)

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