Taira Hara (はら たいら, Hara Taira; 8 March 1943 – 10 November 2006) was a Japanese manga artist and tarento born in…Taira Hara (はら たいら, Hara Taira; 8 March 1943 – 10 November 2006) was a Japanese manga artist and tarento born in Tosayamada (now part of Kami), Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. He was a long-time resident of Koishikawa, Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. He made his professional manga debut in 1963 with his story Shinjuku BB (新宿B·B, Shinjuku Bebe), published in Weekly Manga Times.
Teruhiko Yumura (湯村 輝彦, Yumura Teruhiko; born November 1, 1942) is a Japanese illustrator, designer, cartoonist and…Teruhiko Yumura (湯村 輝彦, Yumura Teruhiko; born November 1, 1942) is a Japanese illustrator, designer, cartoonist and music critic. He is one of the exemplars of the heta-uma illustration aesthetic. Born in Hakuzu, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (currently Nishi-Shinjuku), he signed works under the pen names "Terry Johnson" (Gonzo), "FLAMINGO TERRY", "FRAMINA TERRENO GONZO", "TERRINO FLAMINI 'GONZAREZ" and "KURUZURU Terumanta". Yumura is known by the nickname "King Terry". Yumura studied at Tama Art University and drew covers for the magazine Garo in the 1970s and 1980s. He collaborated with copywriter Shigesato Itoi in short comics such as Penguin Shuffle and Jonetsu Penguin no Gohan. He also collaborated with the American magazines Wet and Raw. Yumura's comics were influenced by Japanese and American pop culture; his artwork is characterized by crudely done drawings made in a conscious, deliberate manner. This style became known as heta-uma (bad but good).
Tiger Tateishi (タイガー立石) (December 20, 1941 - April 17, 1998), pen name of Kōichi Tateishi (Tateishi Kōichi (立石紘一) was a…Tiger Tateishi (タイガー立石) (December 20, 1941 - April 17, 1998), pen name of Kōichi Tateishi (Tateishi Kōichi (立石紘一) was a Japanese painter, mangaka, picture book artist, and ceramic artist.
Isami Ishii (Japanese: 石井いさみ Ishii Isami; 8 December 1941 – 17 September 2022) was a Japanese manga artist. He was…Isami Ishii (Japanese: 石井いさみ Ishii Isami; 8 December 1941 – 17 September 2022) was a Japanese manga artist. He was mainly known for writing the manga 750 Rider and Kutabare!! Namida-kun.
Yoshiyuki Tomino (富野 由悠季, Tomino Yoshiyuki; born 富野 喜幸; November 5, 1941) is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter…Yoshiyuki Tomino (富野 由悠季, Tomino Yoshiyuki; born 富野 喜幸; November 5, 1941) is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the Gundam anime franchise.
Tetsuya Totsuka (Japanese: 戸塚 哲也, Hepburn: Totsuka Tetsuya; born October 6, 1941), also known as Tetsu Kariya (雁屋 哲…Tetsuya Totsuka (Japanese: 戸塚 哲也, Hepburn: Totsuka Tetsuya; born October 6, 1941), also known as Tetsu Kariya (雁屋 哲, Kariya Tetsu), Ageta Shinya, Ryu Setaki, and Kariya F., is a Japanese manga artist and essayist. He is best known for writing the manga series Oishinbo, one of the best-selling manga series in history. The series was a perennial best-seller, selling 1.2 million copies per volume, for a total of more than 135 million copies sold. It has also been adapted into anime, games, TV dramas, and films. In March 2016, Kariya announced on his blog that he wanted to end the manga after it returned from hiatus. He wrote that "30 years is too long for many things" and that he believed "it's about time to end it.
Tadao Tsuge (つげ忠男; real name 柘植忠男; born 1941) is a Japanese alternative manga artist. He is known to write stories…Tadao Tsuge (つげ忠男; real name 柘植忠男; born 1941) is a Japanese alternative manga artist. He is known to write stories about the kimin (棄民; the "abandoned" people) and burakumin of Japanese society, as well the men who tried to reintegrate into Japanese society after World War II. Tsuge is one of the first artists to create autobiographical work about growing up in poverty in Tokyo. Some themes explored in his work include post-war trauma, class, poverty, masculinity, sex work, geography, and neighborhood environments. He currently lives in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
Jūzō Yamasaki (やまさき十三 or 山崎十三, Yamasaki Jūzō; born June 19, 1941 in Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture) is a Japanese…Jūzō Yamasaki (やまさき十三 or 山崎十三, Yamasaki Jūzō; born June 19, 1941 in Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture) is a Japanese manga artist. His best known work is Tsuribaka Nisshi with art by Kenichi Kitami. Yamasaki originally wrote screenplays for Toei, but was laid off and decided to pursue a career in manga instead. He has won both the Shogakukan and Kodansha Manga Award for Tsuri Baka Nikki and Okashina Futari respectively.
Hiroshi Nagai (永井 博, Nagai Hiroshi; born March 10, 1941 in Shanghai, China), better known by the pseudonym Yasutaka…Hiroshi Nagai (永井 博, Nagai Hiroshi; born March 10, 1941 in Shanghai, China), better known by the pseudonym Yasutaka Nagai (永井 泰宇, Nagai Yasutaka), is a Chinese-born Japanese novelist, manga author and scenario writer. He is one of the four brothers of manga artist Go Nagai. In 1969, he was a candidate for the Edogawa Rampo Prize for his novel Baptism of Blood (鮮血のバプテスマ Senketsu no Baputesuma), written under the pen name Baku Nagai (the onyomi reading of his birth name), but lost to Seiichi Morimura. He abandoned his activities as a writer, for a time, with the establishment of Dynamic Production. He would re-debut as a writer in 1981 with Shin Devilman (not to be confused with the manga of similar name with which he also collaborated). When working as a comic writer, he usually takes yet another pen name, that of Hiroshi Koenji. He wrote several comics for both his brother Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa, such as Maboroshi Panty, Haru Ichiban and Shinrei Tantei Occult Dan, among others.
Mori Masaki (真崎 守, Masaki Mori; born March 10, 1941 in Yokohama) is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter and director.…Mori Masaki (真崎 守, Masaki Mori; born March 10, 1941 in Yokohama) is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter and director. Masaki's career as an animator began in 1963 at Mushi Production, where he was involved in Kimba the White Lion. After a few more works, he left the studio in 1968 and dedicated himself to his work as a mangaka. In 1979, he returned to the film and worked at Studio Madhouse as a director and screenwriter. He directed Natsu e no Tobira and Haguregumo, later wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of the manga Barefoot Gen and the sci-fi adventure Toki no Tabibito: Time Stranger. In 1986, Masaki retired from anime, although he continued his manga career into the 90s.
Kazuo Kamimura (上村 一夫, Kamimura Kazuo; March 7, 1940 in Yokosuka – January 11, 1986) was a Japanese manga artist born…Kazuo Kamimura (上村 一夫, Kamimura Kazuo; March 7, 1940 in Yokosuka – January 11, 1986) was a Japanese manga artist born in Yokosuka, Kanagawa. He was best known as the illustrator of Lady Snowblood, which was adapted into film in 1973. Hitoshi Iwaaki, a manga artist was his assistant. He has been called "the ukiyo-e master of Shōwa-era manga." Kamimura died on January 11, 1986, at age 45, of a pharynx tumor.
Toyoharu Yoshida (Japanese: 吉田豊治, Hepburn: Yoshida Toyoharu; January 1, 1940 – July 1, 2023), better known as Ippei…Toyoharu Yoshida (Japanese: 吉田豊治, Hepburn: Yoshida Toyoharu; January 1, 1940 – July 1, 2023), better known as Ippei Kuri (九里一平, Kuri Ippei), was a Japanese manga artist and the third president of animation production company Tatsunoko Production.
Takao Yaguchi (矢口高雄, Yaguchi Takao; 28 October 1939 – 20 November 2020), real name Takao Takahashi (髙橋 髙雄, Takahashi…Takao Yaguchi (矢口高雄, Yaguchi Takao; 28 October 1939 – 20 November 2020), real name Takao Takahashi (髙橋 髙雄, Takahashi Takao), was a Japanese manga artist. He specialized in manga with ecological messages. His most famous manga was Fisherman Sanpei, which won the Kodansha Children's Manga Award in 1974.
Tetsuya Chiba (千葉 徹彌 or ちばてつや, Chiba Tetsuya; born January 11, 1939) is a Japanese manga artist. Considered a major…Tetsuya Chiba (千葉 徹彌 or ちばてつや, Chiba Tetsuya; born January 11, 1939) is a Japanese manga artist. Considered a major figure in the history of manga, many of his early titles are still in print due to continued popularity. He is most famous for his sports stories, having been described as "the biggest contributor to the rise of sports manga", in particular for works such as Ashita no Joe, his best known work, and Notari Matsutarō.
Shingo Araki (荒木 伸吾, Araki Shingo; November 28, 1938 – December 1, 2011) was a Japanese animation artist and character…Shingo Araki (荒木 伸吾, Araki Shingo; November 28, 1938 – December 1, 2011) was a Japanese animation artist and character designer.
Kazumasa Hirai (平井 和正, Hirai Kazumasa; May 13, 1938 – January 17, 2015) was a Japanese novelist and science fiction…Kazumasa Hirai (平井 和正, Hirai Kazumasa; May 13, 1938 – January 17, 2015) was a Japanese novelist and science fiction writer from Yokosuka, Kanagawa. He graduated from Yokosuka Industrial High School and the law department of Chuo University. Hirai is well known for his SF-manga work. He is the creator of 8 Man (aka 8th Man in the USA) and was well known as the story creator of the 1960s manga series "Genma Taisen" (Genma Wars) about a hero with psychokinetic powers and his battle against a space villain called Genma. Hirai wrote stories for the Wolf Guy comic series, and also published comics co-authored with cartoonist Shotaro Ishinomori that were later adapted into an animated film in 1983.
Shotaro Ishinomori (石ノ森 章太郎, Ishinomori Shōtarō; 25 January 1938 – 28 January 1998), né Onodera (小野寺 章太郎, Onodera…Shotaro Ishinomori (石ノ森 章太郎, Ishinomori Shōtarō; 25 January 1938 – 28 January 1998), né Onodera (小野寺 章太郎, Onodera Shōtarō), was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, writer and director. Known as the "King of Manga" (漫画の帝王 (Manga no Teiō) or 漫画の王様 (Manga no Ōsama)), he is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential manga artists of all time. Outside of manga he is also one of the most prolific creators in the history of anime, tokusatsu, and Japanese superhero fiction, creating several immensely popular long-running series such as Cyborg 009, the Super Sentai series (later adapted into the Power Rangers series which Ishinomori has also been credited for co-creating), and the Kamen Rider series. He was twice awarded by the Shogakukan Manga Awards, in 1968 for Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae and in 1988 for Hotel and Manga Nihon Keizai Nyumon. He was also known as Shotaro Ishimori (石森 章太郎, Ishimori Shōtarō) prior to 1986, when he changed his family name to Ishinomori by adding the no (ノ) character in katakana.
Leiji Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本零士, Hepburn: Matsumoto Reiji; born Akira Matsumoto (松本晟); January 25, 1938 – February 13…Leiji Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本零士, Hepburn: Matsumoto Reiji; born Akira Matsumoto (松本晟); January 25, 1938 – February 13, 2023) was a Japanese manga artist, and creator of several anime and manga series. He was best known for masterminding legendary franchises, such as Space Battleship Yamato, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and Galaxy Express 999. His style was characterized by mythological and often tragic storylines with strong moral themes, noble heroes, feminine heroines, and a love of strange worlds and melancholic atmosphere. He received Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2001, Order of the Rising Sun in 2010 and Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2012.
Kikuō Hayashiya (Japanese: 林家 木久扇, Hepburn: Hayashiya Kikuō; born October 19, 1937) is a Japanese rakugo performer and…Kikuō Hayashiya (Japanese: 林家 木久扇, Hepburn: Hayashiya Kikuō; born October 19, 1937) is a Japanese rakugo performer and a featured member of the long-running television comedy show Shōten. His real name is Hiroshi Toyota (豊田 洋, Toyota Hiroshi), although he is most widely known by his previous comedian name Kikuzō Hayashiya (林家 木久蔵), a name he was the first to assume. The new Kikuzō Hayashiya is his son, the former Kikuo Hayashiya (林家 きくお, Hayashiya Kikuo). On Shōten he always wears a yellow kimono. He is known for making commonplace jokes and usually "plays the fool".
Shin'ichi Nagashima (永島 眞一, Nagashima Shin'ichi; July 8, 1937 – June 10, 2005), better known by the pen name Shinji…Shin'ichi Nagashima (永島 眞一, Nagashima Shin'ichi; July 8, 1937 – June 10, 2005), better known by the pen name Shinji Nagashima (永島 慎二, Nagashima Shinji), was a Japanese manga artist born in Tokyo, Japan. His pseudonym came about due to a publisher's error when printing his name, and he continued using the pseudonym after that. His oldest son is classical guitarist Shiki Nagashima.
Kazuhiko Katō (Japanese: 加藤一彦, Hepburn: Katō Kazuhiko; May 26, 1937 – April 11, 2019), known by the pen name Monkey…Kazuhiko Katō (Japanese: 加藤一彦, Hepburn: Katō Kazuhiko; May 26, 1937 – April 11, 2019), known by the pen name Monkey Punch (モンキー・パンチ, Monkī Panchi), was a Japanese manga artist, best known for his series Lupin III.
Mamoru Sasaki (佐々木守, Sasaki Mamoru; September 13, 1936 – February 24, 2006) was a Japanese TV and film screenwriter and…Mamoru Sasaki (佐々木守, Sasaki Mamoru; September 13, 1936 – February 24, 2006) was a Japanese TV and film screenwriter and author. He was born in Ishikawa Prefecture of Japan. He graduated from Meiji University.
Asaki Takamori (高森 朝樹, Takamori Asaki; September 4, 1936 – January 21, 1987), known by the pen names Ikki Kajiwara (梶原…Asaki Takamori (高森 朝樹, Takamori Asaki; September 4, 1936 – January 21, 1987), known by the pen names Ikki Kajiwara (梶原 一騎, Kajiwara Ikki) and Asao Takamori (高森 朝雄, Takamori Asao), was a Japanese author, manga writer, and film producer. He is known for the work about sports and martial arts, with images of heroic young men with the occasional fine details as he moves from one topic to another. Tiger Mask and Star of the Giants have been cited as his life's work.
Kazuo Umezu or Kazuo Umezz (楳図 かずお, Umezu Kazuo; birth name 楳図一雄; September 3, 1936 – October 28, 2024) was a Japanese…Kazuo Umezu or Kazuo Umezz (楳図 かずお, Umezu Kazuo; birth name 楳図一雄; September 3, 1936 – October 28, 2024) was a Japanese manga artist, musician and actor. Starting his career in the 1950s, he is among the most famous artists of horror manga and has been vital for its development, considered the "god of horror manga". In 1960s shōjo manga like Reptilia, he broke the industry's conventions by combining the aesthetics of the commercial manga industry with gruesome visual imagery inspired by Japanese folktales, which created a boom of horror manga and influenced manga artists of following generations. He created successful manga series such as The Drifting Classroom, Makoto-chan and My Name Is Shingo, until he retired from drawing manga in the mid 1990s. He was a public figure in Japan, known for wearing red-and-white-striped shirts and doing his signature "Gwash" hand gesture.
Hiroshi Sasagawa (笹川 ひろし, Sasagawa Hiroshi; born July 9, 1936) is a Japanese animator and cartoonist known for…Hiroshi Sasagawa (笹川 ひろし, Sasagawa Hiroshi; born July 9, 1936) is a Japanese animator and cartoonist known for directing several anime series including Time Bokan, Speed Racer, The Genie Family, Ninja Hattori-Kun, and Tekkaman: The Space Knight.
Jirō Tsunoda (Japanese: つのだじろう Tsunoda Jirō, born 3 July 1936) is a Japanese manga artist. He is known in Japan for his…Jirō Tsunoda (Japanese: つのだじろう Tsunoda Jirō, born 3 July 1936) is a Japanese manga artist. He is known in Japan for his horror manga series such as Kyōfu Shinbun and Ushiro no Hyakutarō as well as illustrator of the karate series Karate Master.
Kazuo Koike (Japanese: 小池 一夫, Hepburn: Koike Kazuo; May 8, 1936 – April 17, 2019) was a Japanese manga writer…Kazuo Koike (Japanese: 小池 一夫, Hepburn: Koike Kazuo; May 8, 1936 – April 17, 2019) was a Japanese manga writer (gensakusha), novelist, screenwriter, lyricist and entrepreneur. He is best known for his violent, artful seinen manga, notably Lone Wolf and Cub (with Goseki Kojima, 1970–6), Lady Snowblood (with Kazuo Kamimura, 1972–3) and Crying Freeman (with Ryoichi Ikegami, 1986–8), which – along with their numerous media adaptations − have been credited for their influence on the international growth of Japanese popular culture.
Sō Nishimura (西村 宗, Nishimura Sou); (born April 28, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist from Izumiōtsu. Nishimura's…Sō Nishimura (西村 宗, Nishimura Sou); (born April 28, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist from Izumiōtsu. Nishimura's best-known work is the yonkoma comedy Sarari-kun (サラリ君, Mr. Salary), which earned Nishimura the 1985 Bungeishunjū Manga Award and the Japanese Cartoonists' Association's Excellence Prize for 2000.
Tōru Shinohara (篠原とおる, Shinohara Tōru; born April 28, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist. He was born in Niihama, Ehime.…Tōru Shinohara (篠原とおる, Shinohara Tōru; born April 28, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist. He was born in Niihama, Ehime. After graduating from high school in 1955, he started working at a factory in Osaka making car parts but quit after only ten months. He studied manga via a mail-offered course and wrote to various manga magazines. In 1958, came his first commercially printed work Fukumenhakushi (覆面博士) and he began his career as a manga artist. He is best known for Nippon Keibaden that detailed the history of Japan's horse racing industry and its horses. He is also known for beautiful amazon-like heroines who are never daunted by the hardship they endure. Since 1970, he has written a series of works titled Sasori, lit. scorpion, which is the name for a female inmate and heroine seeking escape and revenge upon those who wronged her. Director Shunya Ito started a series of ten films starring Meiko Kaji based on the manga, the most famous one being the initial film, Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion. However, Ito withdrew from the project after three, and Kaji four films. Many of his works have been turned into movies since 1972.
Satoru Ozawa (Japanese: 小沢 さとる, Hepburn: Ozawa Satoru; born 1937) is a Japanese manga artist from Saitama Prefecture…Satoru Ozawa (Japanese: 小沢 さとる, Hepburn: Ozawa Satoru; born 1937) is a Japanese manga artist from Saitama Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut as a manga artist in 1957 with Rumi Shinanai de and is known for creating ocean-themed science fiction manga.
Miyako Maki (牧 美也子, Maki Miyako; born July 29, 1935) is a Japanese manga artist, and one of the earliest female manga…Miyako Maki (牧 美也子, Maki Miyako; born July 29, 1935) is a Japanese manga artist, and one of the earliest female manga artists. During the 1960s, Maki contributed significantly to the development of shōjo manga (manga for girls), and became one of the most popular shōjo authors of her generation. She later became a pioneer in manga for adults, producing gekiga and redikomi towards the end of that decade. She is the widow of manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, with whom she has collaborated with on multiple works. Miyako created Licca-chan, a popular Japanese doll manufactured by Takara. Works by Maki have been awarded the Japan Cartoonists Association Award, the Montreal International Comic Contest prize, and the Shogakukan Manga Award.
Yoshihiro Tatsumi (辰巳 ヨシヒロ, Tatsumi Yoshihiro; June 10, 1935 – March 7, 2015) was a Japanese manga artist whose work…Yoshihiro Tatsumi (辰巳 ヨシヒロ, Tatsumi Yoshihiro; June 10, 1935 – March 7, 2015) was a Japanese manga artist whose work was first published in his teens, and continued through the rest of his life. He is widely credited with starting the gekiga style of alternative manga in Japan, having allegedly coined the term in 1957. His work frequently illustrated the darker elements of life.
Fujiko Fujio (藤子 不二雄) was a manga writing duo formed by Japanese manga artists Hiroshi Fujimoto (藤本 弘, Fujimoto…Fujiko Fujio (藤子 不二雄) was a manga writing duo formed by Japanese manga artists Hiroshi Fujimoto (藤本 弘, Fujimoto Hiroshi; December 1, 1933 – September 23, 1996) and Motoo Abiko (安孫子 素雄, Abiko Motoo; March 10, 1934 – April 6, 2022). They debuted in 1951 as a duo under their real names. The Fujiko Fujio name was used for their respective works from 1953 until 1987, when Fujimoto became too ill to work consistently. The pair was best known for their popular children's manga series, including Obake no Q-Tarō, Ninja Hattori-kun, Kaibutsu-kun, Perman, Kiteretsu Daihyakka and Doraemon. Some of their influences include Osamu Tezuka as well as international cartoons and comic books. Both artists base their writing style on a mix of morals with a subversive and wry sense of humor; their styles would evolve to the point of diversion, where Fujimoto focused on speculative science fiction in addition to children's works, while Abiko leaned towards the surreal and black comedy. Their work received critical acclaim and, on Fujimoto's part, universal recognition, with Doraemon being officially recognized as a cultural icon of modern Japan.
Fujiko Fujio (藤子 不二雄) was a manga writing duo formed by Japanese manga artists Hiroshi Fujimoto (藤本 弘, Fujimoto…Fujiko Fujio (藤子 不二雄) was a manga writing duo formed by Japanese manga artists Hiroshi Fujimoto (藤本 弘, Fujimoto Hiroshi; December 1, 1933 – September 23, 1996) and Motoo Abiko (安孫子 素雄, Abiko Motoo; March 10, 1934 – April 6, 2022). They debuted in 1951 as a duo under their real names. The Fujiko Fujio name was used for their respective works from 1953 until 1987, when Fujimoto became too ill to work consistently. The pair was best known for their popular children's manga series, including Obake no Q-Tarō, Ninja Hattori-kun, Kaibutsu-kun, Perman, Kiteretsu Daihyakka and Doraemon. Some of their influences include Osamu Tezuka as well as international cartoons and comic books. Both artists base their writing style on a mix of morals with a subversive and wry sense of humor; their styles would evolve to the point of diversion, where Fujimoto focused on speculative science fiction in addition to children's works, while Abiko leaned towards the surreal and black comedy. Their work received critical acclaim and, on Fujimoto's part, universal recognition, with Doraemon being officially recognized as a cultural icon of modern Japan.
Sunao Hari (針 すなお, Hari Sunao), real name Sunao Takagawa (高閑者 順, Takagawa Sunao), is a Japanese manga artist and…Sunao Hari (針 すなお, Hari Sunao), real name Sunao Takagawa (高閑者 順, Takagawa Sunao), is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator, martial artist born 15 March 1933 in Saga, Saga Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from Saga Prefectural Saga High School (now Saga Prefectural Saga West High School). Hari is the fifth son of the chief priest at Kōdenji, a family temple in the former Saga Domain. He worked at a cotton spinning company and as a bank employee before moving to Tokyo in 1953 to work as a writer for a financial journal. Hari made his professional manga debut in 1956. He holds a level of 8th dan in aikido, and he studied an offshoot of Shintō Musō-ryū staff fighting called "Tai no Jō" (体の杖). He currently operates in Saga City a dojo devoted to the study of aikido and jōjutsu (staff fighting). Hari creates the politician caricatures for the Sankei Shimbun, as well as a weekly one panel manga for the Weekly Manga Times. He won the 1973 Japan Cartoonists Association Award for Excellence for his work Hari Sunao Nigaoe Mangashū: Sokkuri (針すなお似顔絵漫画集・そっくり). He also won the Bungeishunjū Manga Award in 1998 for his political caricatures.
Masaki Tsuji (辻 真先, Tsuji Masaki; born March 23, 1932 in Nagoya) is a Japanese anime screenwriter, mystery writer…Masaki Tsuji (辻 真先, Tsuji Masaki; born March 23, 1932 in Nagoya) is a Japanese anime screenwriter, mystery writer, manga author, travel critic, essayist, professor as well as mystery fiction novels writer. Tsuji was most active in the business from the 1960s through the 1980s, and worked as a script writer on many popular anime television series for Mushi Production, Toei Animation, and Tokyo Movie Shinsha. He is well known for his association with the animated adaptations of the works of Osamu Tezuka and Go Nagai. In April 2007, Tsuji headed Japan's first international anime research lab as part of Digital Hollywood University. On December 4, 2007, Tsuji was given a lifetime achievement award at the 11th Japan Media Arts Festival. On September 24, 2008, Tsuji won a Special Award in the 13th Animation Kobe for his writing work.
Noboru Okamoto (Japanese: 岡本 登, Hepburn: Okamoto Noboru; February 15, 1932 – October 8, 2021), known by the pen name…Noboru Okamoto (Japanese: 岡本 登, Hepburn: Okamoto Noboru; February 15, 1932 – October 8, 2021), known by the pen name Sanpei Shirato (白土 三平, Shirato Sanpei), was a Japanese manga artist and essayist known for his social criticism as well as the realism of his drawing style and the characters in his scenarios. He is considered a pioneer of the controversial gekiga genre of adult-oriented manga. The son of the Japanese proletarian painter Toki Okamoto, his dream to become an artist equal with his father started when he became a kamishibai artist. He is also known for his work published in the early issues of the manga anthology magazine Garo in 1964, which he began publishing so as to serialize his comic Kamui.
Sanpei Satō (サトウサンペイ, Satō Sanpei; 11 September 1929 - 31 July 2021) was a Japanese manga artist best known for…Sanpei Satō (サトウサンペイ, Satō Sanpei; 11 September 1929 - 31 July 2021) was a Japanese manga artist best known for salaryman manga such as Fuji Santarō and Dotanba's Manners. He was born as Yukikazu Satō (佐藤 幸一, Satō Yukikazu) in Nagoya, but grew up from a young age in Ōsaka after his father built and managed a clock manufacturing plant there as part of the family business. When Satō was in junior high, he worked at a munitions plant during World War II. After studying dyeing at Kyoto Technical College, he was hired at Daimaru where he started in clothing sales and quickly moved into advertising department. In 1953, he made his manga debut in the Shin Ōsaka newspaper. Only four years later, he quit his job at Daimaru in order to work full time as a manga artist. He moved to Tokyo in 1961. Both Satō and his works have received multiple awards and recognition, including the Bungeishunjū Manga Award in 1966, the Tokyo Metropolitan Cultural Honor Award in 1991, the Medal of Honor from the Emperor of Japan in 1997, the Order of the Rising Sun in 1996, and the Special Award at the Japan Cartoonists Association Awards in 2017. Satō died in 2021 from aspiration pneumonia at age 91.
Tarō Bonten (梵天太郎, Bonten Tarō) (5 January 1928 – 30 June 2008), pen name of Kiyomi Ishii (石井 きよみ, Ishii Kiyomi) was a…Tarō Bonten (梵天太郎, Bonten Tarō) (5 January 1928 – 30 June 2008), pen name of Kiyomi Ishii (石井 きよみ, Ishii Kiyomi) was a Japanese manga artist, illustrator, tattooist and designer. He was author of shōjo and gekiga stories, published between the 1950 and 1970s. Some of his stories have been adapted into film.
Osamu Tezuka (手塚 治虫, born 手塚 治, Tezuka Osamu, (1928-11-03)3 November 1928 – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga…Osamu Tezuka (手塚 治虫, born 手塚 治, Tezuka Osamu, (1928-11-03)3 November 1928 – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist and animator. Considered to be among the greatest and most influential cartoonists of all time, his prolific output, pioneering techniques and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such titles as "the Father of Manga" (マンガの父, Manga no Chichi), "the Godfather of Manga" (マンガの教父, Manga no Kyōfu) and "the God of Manga" (マンガの神様, Manga no Kami-sama). Additionally, he is often considered the Japanese equivalent to Walt Disney, who served as a major inspiration during Tezuka's formative years. Though this phrase praises the quality of his early manga works for children and animations, it also blurs the significant influence of his later, more literary, gekiga works. Inspired by the early Chinese animated film Princess Iron Fan, Tezuka began what was known as the manga revolution in Japan with his New Treasure Island published in 1947. His output would spawn some of the most influential, successful and well-received manga series including the children's manga Astro Boy, Princess Knight and Kimba the White Lion, and the adult-oriented series Black Jack, Phoenix and Buddha, all of which won several awards. Tezuka died of stomach cancer in 1989. His death had an immediate impact on the Japanese public and other cartoonists. A museum was constructed in Takarazuka dedicated to his memory and life works, and Tezuka received many posthumous awards. Several animations were in production at the time of his death along with the final chapters of Phoenix, which were never released.
Noboru Baba (馬場のぼる, Baba Noboru; October 18, 1927 – April 7, 2001) was a Japanese manga artist and writer. He is best…Noboru Baba (馬場のぼる, Baba Noboru; October 18, 1927 – April 7, 2001) was a Japanese manga artist and writer. He is best known for his long-running four-panel newspaper comic Baku-san and for the acclaimed children’s picture book series 11 Piki no Neko (Eleven Cats). Active from the postwar period through the late 20th century, Baba was often referred to as one of the “Three Crows of Children’s Manga,” alongside Osamu Tezuka and Eiichi Fukui.
Shinta Chō (Japanese: 長新太(ちょうしんた); September 24, 1927 - June 25, 2005) was a Japanese children's author and…Shinta Chō (Japanese: 長新太(ちょうしんた); September 24, 1927 - June 25, 2005) was a Japanese children's author and illustrator. He won the Japan Picture Book Awards Grand Prize for Kyabetsu-kun (Cabbage Boy) in 1981.
Ichirō Tominaga (富永一朗, Tominaga Ichirō; April 25, 1925 - May 5, 2021) was a Japanese manga artist. He was a recipient…Ichirō Tominaga (富永一朗, Tominaga Ichirō; April 25, 1925 - May 5, 2021) was a Japanese manga artist. He was a recipient of the Japan Cartoonists Association Award, the Medal with Purple Ribbon, and he was Honorary Director of the Kibi Kawakami Fureai Manga Museum in Okayama Prefecture.
Shigeru Mura (Japanese: 武良 茂, Hepburn: Mura Shigeru; March 8, 1922 – November 30, 2015), best known by his pen name…Shigeru Mura (Japanese: 武良 茂, Hepburn: Mura Shigeru; March 8, 1922 – November 30, 2015), best known by his pen name Shigeru Mizuki (水木 しげる, Mizuki Shigeru), was a Japanese manga artist, illustrator and folklorist. He is best known for popularizing and reviving interest in yōkai, supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore, especially through his most famous series GeGeGe no Kitarō. Raised in Sakaiminato, Mizuki developed an early interest in art and the supernatural. Drafted during World War II, he lost his left arm in combat, an experience that deeply shaped his later antimilitarist works, including Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths. Mizuki began his career in kamishibai (paper theater) and transitioned to manga in the late 1950s. His signature style contrasted cartoonish characters with highly detailed backgrounds and grotesque depictions of yōkai. Deeply influenced by oral folklore, especially stories told by a woman he called "Nonnonba," he also engaged in extensive ethnographic research. His works often combined autobiography, history, and fantasy to critique modernization, nationalism, and imperialism. A recipient of numerous awards, his legacy extends into global pop culture through translations, adaptations, and homages in media.
Machiko Hasegawa (長谷川町子, Hasegawa Machiko; January 30, 1920 – May 27, 1992) was a Japanese manga artist and one of the…Machiko Hasegawa (長谷川町子, Hasegawa Machiko; January 30, 1920 – May 27, 1992) was a Japanese manga artist and one of the first female manga artists. She started her own comic strip, Sazae-san, in 1946. It reached national circulation via the Asahi Shimbun in 1949, and ran daily until Hasegawa decided to retire in February 1974. All of her comics were printed in Japan in digest comics; by the mid-1990s, Hasegawa's estate had sold over 60 million copies in Japan alone.
Takashi Yanase (やなせ たかし, Yanase Takashi, February 6, 1919 – October 13, 2013) was a Japanese manga artist and writer…Takashi Yanase (やなせ たかし, Yanase Takashi, February 6, 1919 – October 13, 2013) was a Japanese manga artist and writer, poet, illustrator and lyricist. He is known as the creator of the picture book and animated series Anpanman. Yanase was chairman of the Japan Cartoonists Association from May 2000 to 2012.
Toshiko Ueda (Japanese: 上田 トシコ, Hepburn: Ueda Toshiko; August 14, 1917 – March 7, 2008) was a Japanese manga artist.…Toshiko Ueda (Japanese: 上田 トシコ, Hepburn: Ueda Toshiko; August 14, 1917 – March 7, 2008) was a Japanese manga artist. After apprenticing under the manga artist Katsuji Matsumoto at the age of seventeen, Ueda published her first manga in 1937. Like her mentor, she drew mainly humorous manga, both in shōjo (girls) magazines and in the general press. She is, along with Machiko Hasegawa, one of the few female manga artists to begin their careers in the pre-war period. Born in the Empire of Japan, Ueda split her youth and early adulthood between Japan and Manchuria; her most popular manga series Fuichin-san, serialized in the magazine Shōjo Club from 1957 to 1962, follows the life of a Chinese girl living in Manchuria. Ueda's time in Manchuria, from her idyllic childhood to the arrest and execution of her father during Japanese repatriation, was a significant influence on her manga. She was still actively publishing her manga series Ako-Bāchan (1973–2008) at the time of her death at the age of 90.
Torao Kurakane (倉金 虎雄, Kurakane Torao; February 13, 1914 – August 25, 1973), pen name Shosuke Kurakane (倉金章介, Kurakane…Torao Kurakane (倉金 虎雄, Kurakane Torao; February 13, 1914 – August 25, 1973), pen name Shosuke Kurakane (倉金章介, Kurakane Shōsuke) was a Japanese manga artist. He wrote many works that has been turned into anime, TV drama, and movie but is especially known for Anmitsuhime (あんみつ姫) which was turned into all three. His second best known work, Tentenmusume (てんてん娘), was made into a movie on 1956 with Mariko Miyagi as the heroine and on 1984, it was made into a TV drama with Mayumi Hara in the same role.