Japanese American ‘Lady and the Tramp’ animator given lifetime achievement award

Veteran animator Willie Ito, who was incarcerated as a child at Utah’s Topaz War Relocation Center during World War II, has been honored with the lifetime achievement award from the Spark Animation Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The recognition, presented last month, highlights Ito’s seven-decade career in animation that began at Walt Disney Studios in 1954, where he worked on “Lady and the Tramp.” At 92, Ito remains one of the few surviving Japanese American animators who experienced wartime incarceration before entering the entertainment industry.

Ito’s professional path took him from Disney to Warner Bros. Cartoons, where he contributed to “The Bugs Bunny Show” and later to Hanna-Barbera Productions, designing for television staples including “The Flintstones” and “The Jetsons.” His work at these studios helped shape the visual style of American animation during the mid-20th century. Over his career, he served as both animator and designer, collaborating with leading figures in the industry and contributing to projects that defined mainstream animated entertainment for generations.