Willie Ito
producer, director, writer, animator, publisher
Willie Ito
While a student, Willie was hired at Walt Disney Productions to work in the animation department. “Lady and the Tramp” was in production and he found himself working on the iconic “Spaghetti Kiss” scene. After the film finished, Willie went to work at Warner Bros. Cartoons which was located on the infamous Termite Terrace. Within weeks, he was promoted to the Chuck Jones unit as Ken Harris’ assistant. “What’s Opera Doc” and “One Froggy Evening” were some of the classics he worked on alongside the Willy the Coyote series, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cartoons. Eventually, her role with Chuck expanded and she was doing character designs, storyboards, and layouts for the Dr. Frank Baxter Science series.
Friz Freleng, a director who was trying to train another layout guy, “borrowed” me from Chuck for a picture.
This led to Willie’s first Warner Bros. film credit. Producer Bob Clampett was beginning production on his Beany and Cecil Show. Originally a puppet show, it was looking for a character designer to convert its characters into animation. The Beany and Cecil Show concluded its season. Willie found himself leaving Warner after 6 years on the job. Another fledgling new animation studio was having a big hit with the Huckleberry Hound show starring Yogi Bear and The Flintstones. The Jetsons were now in production and Willie found himself part of that crew. He has been involved in many of the Hanna-Barbera shows as a character designer, layout man, concept artist and designer with supervisory skills.
tony benedict & willie ito
Nemoland 2019
The 17th edition of NEMOLAND will be held on 30 September and 1 October in the prestigious setting of the Odeon Hall in Florence, with an edition dedicated to the world of Hanna and Barbera. Over 600 students from the art schools of the Nemo Academy and the Porta Romana art school were present at the event.
Two incredible days of workshops with two internationally renowned guests, Tony Benedict and Willie Ito.
Other artists
John Harris
nemo legend 2023
Tony Benedict
nemo legend 2019
Willie Ito
nemo legend 2019
Mark Henn
nemo legend 2018
John Canemaker
nemo legend 2018
John Pomeroy
nemo legend 2018
Victor Navone
nemo legend 2018
Eric Goldberg
nemo legend 2017
Kazuhide Tomonaga
nemo legend 2017
Masami Suda
nemo legend 2016
Colin Chilvers
nemo legend 2016
Andreas Deja
nemo legend 2015
Takashi Namiki
nemo legend 2017
Theodore Thomas
nemo legend 2015
Florian Satzinger
nemo legend 2009
Tom Bancroft
nemo legend 2014
Giuliano Cenci
nemo legend 2004
Alex Orrelle
nemo legend 2008
Don Bluth
nemo legend 2005
Sandro Cleuzo
nemo legend 2013
Tony Bancroft
nemo legend 2016
Bobby Chiu
nemo legend 2012
Isao Takahata
nemo legend 2014