Willie Ito - Animator & Illustrator
A life in the world of animation, cartoons, and beyond
Willie Ito - Animator & Illustrator
A life in the world of animation, cartoons, and beyond
Willie Katsutoshi Ito Jr. is a Japanese American Animator known for his contributions to classic animation, including his work on Hong Kong Phooey. As a young child, Willie Ito learned to draw on the pages of Sears catalogs while he and his family were incarcerated at the Japanese internment camp in Topaz, Utah, during World War II.
He then studied at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles before joining Walt Disney Studios in 1954, where he became Iwao Takamoto’s assistant as an in-betweener on the “Lady” unit of the feature film Lady and the Tramp, illustrating the famous spaghetti-eating scene.
Willie then worked alongside legendary animators Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng at Warner Bros., on classics such as One Froggy Evening and What’s Opera Doc, to name a few. Famed producer and artist Bob Clampett called on Willie to assist in developing Beanie and Cecil from a puppet show to an animated series. He eventually joined Hanna-Barbera, where he contributed to The Jetsons, The Flinstones, and created the title characters for Hong Kong Phooey and Goober And The Ghost Chasers.
He returned to Disney in Consumer Products Worldwide, where he served as Director of Character Art International. This role involved traveling overseas to Disney offices to mentor new artists and ensure the integrity of the character art.
Willie has illustrated several children's books and continues to draw today. He travels and speaks to audiences about his career and the new projects he is involved in.