Kazuo Koike (小池 一夫, Koike Kazuo, May 8, 1936 – April 17, 2019) was a prolific 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.
| Kazuo Koike 小池 一夫 | |
|---|---|
 Koike at New York Comic Con, 2013 | |
| Born | May 8, 1936 Daisen, Akita, Japan |
| Died | April 17, 2019 (aged 82) |
| Area(s) | Writer |
Notable works | Lone Wolf and Cub Lady Snowblood Crying Freeman |
| Awards | Hall of Fame Eisner Award (2004) |
Career
editEarly in Koike's career, he studied under Takao Saito (the creator of Golgo 13), and served as a writer on the series.
Koike, along with artist Goseki Kojima, made the manga Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), and Koike also contributed to the scripts for the 1970s film adaptations of the series, which starred famous Japanese actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. In 1992 he himself produced a Lone Wolf and Cub's film Lone Wolf and Cub: Final Conflict which starred Masakazu Tamura.[1] Koike and Kojima became known as the "Golden Duo" because of the success of Lone Wolf and Cub.
Another series written by Koike, Crying Freeman, which was illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, was adapted into a 1995 live-action film by French director Christophe Gans. In addition to his more violent, action-oriented manga, Koike, an avid golfer, has also written golf manga. He has also written mahjong manga, as he himself is a former professional mahjong player.
In the early 2000s, he wrote a Wolverine story for Marvel.[2] In 2011, Koike announced his intention to write a magical girl manga series titled Maho Shojo Mimitsuki Mimi no QED.[3]
Koike started the Gekiga Sonjuku, a college course meant to teach people how to be a manga artist.
Death
editOn April 17, 2019, Kazuo Koike died due to pneumonia at the age of 82. His death happened just five days after the death of the fellow prolific manga author Monkey Punch on April 11, who also died of pneumonia and who Koike considered his rival in the Weekly Manga Action magazine.[4]
Graduates of Koike's Gekiga Sonjuku
edit- Rumiko Takahashi – manga artist: Urusei Yatsura, Ranma ½, InuYasha[5]
- Akira Sakuma – game designer, freelance writer: Momotaro Densetsu series
- Hideyuki Kikuchi – horror writer: Vampire Hunter D
- Tetsuo Hara – manga artist: Fist of the North Star[5]
- Yuji Horii – game designer, freelance writer: Dragon Quest series[5]
- Keisuke Itagaki – manga artist: Baki the Grappler[5]
- Naoki Yamamoto – manga artist: Dance till Tomorrow
- Takayuki Yamaguchi – manga artist: Apocalypse Zero and Shigurui
Bibliography
edit- Lone Wolf and Cub, with artist Goseki Kojima, 1970–1976
- Hulk: The Manga, with artist Yoshihiro Morifuji, November 24, 1970 – January 6, 1971
- Lady Snowblood, with artist Kazuo Kamimura, 1972–1973
- Samurai Executioner, with artist Goseki Kojima, 1972–1976
- The script to the film Lady Snowblood, 1973
- Musashi, with artist Noboru Kawasaki, 1974–1977
- Kei no Seishun,, with artist Goseki Kojima, 1978–1980
- Adolescent Zoo, with artist Hiromi Yamasaki, 1978–1981
- Nijitte Monogatari, with artist Satomi Koe, 1978–2003
- Path of the Assassin, with artist Goseki Kojima, 1978–1984
- Hanappe Bazooka, with artist Go Nagai, June 7, 1979 – January 7, 1982
- Wounded Man, with artist Ryoichi Ikegami, 1983–1986
- Mad Bull 34, with artist Noriyoshi Inoue, 1985–1991
- Crying Freeman, with artist Ryoichi Ikegami, 1986–1988
- Kawaite sōrō, with artist Goseki Kojima, 1995–1999
- X-Men Unlimited #50, 2003
- Kajō, with artist Hideki Mori, 2003–2006
- New Lone Wolf and Cub (Shin Kozure Okami), with artist Hideki Mori, 2003–2006
- Yume Genji Tsurugi no Saimon, with artist Natsuki Sumeragi, 2006–?
- Shura Yukihime Gaiden, with artist Ryoichi Ikegami, 2009–?
- Oda Nobunaga, with artist Goseki Kojima, ?-?
- Offered, with artist Ryoichi Ikegami, ?-?
- Color of Rage, with artist Seisaku Kano, ?-?
- Goyokiba, with artist Takeshi Kanda, ?-?
Awards
edit- 2004: Won the Hall of Fame Eisner Award[6]
Notes
edit- ^ "Kozure Ōkami: Sono chiisaki te ni". 日本映画製作者連盟. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ^ Kazuo Koike to Write Wolverine Archived October 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Kazuo Koike to Write a Magical Girl Manga Archived October 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Oppliger, John (November 11, 2011), AnimeNation
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 19, 2019). "Lone Wolf & Cub Manga Creator Kazuo Koike Passes Away". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "初代『ドラクエ』から37年、堀井雄二と伝説の編集者・Dr.マシリトが初めて公の場で語り合う！ "鳥山明"という最強のマンガ家を用意したこの人なしに国民的RPGの誕生はあり得なかった…！". Denfaminico Gamer (in Japanese). June 26, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ 2004 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, Comic Book Awards Almanac
References
edit- Kazuo Koike at the Grand Comics Database
External links
edit- Kazuo Koike at IMDb
- Kazuo Koike at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Macias, Patrick (June 2008). "The Writer from Hell" at the Wayback Machine (archived May 8, 2006). Manga Hell! Archived via the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 3, 2013.