He graduated from Chouinard Art Institute and began his career as an apprentice at Walt Disney Studios.
Comic strips lettered by Oda include Apartment 3-G, Big Ben Bolt, Dondi, The Dropouts, Flash Gordon, Johnny Hazard, Little Orphan Annie, Miss Peach, On Stage, The Phantom, Prince Valiant, Rip Kirby, The Spirit and Steve Canyon.
[3] He entered the comics industry after World War II; some of his earliest lettering was for Hillman Periodicals' Airboy and Real Clue Crime Stories, which connected him with the Simon & Kirby team.
[5] He became a prolific letterer at DC Comics for many years, until his death, working on such books as Action Comics, Aquaman, Justice League of America, Wonder Woman, Young Romance, Teen Titans, New Teen Titans and a plethora of others.
[6] Odaballoon, created by Oda's family, is an official[7] freeware typeface in his lettering style.