Kazuo Koike
Encyclopedia
is a prolific Japanese manga
writer, novelist and entrepreneur.
creator Takao Saito
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
. 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
.
Kazuo Koike started the Gekika Sonjuku, a college course meant to teach people how to be manga artist.
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.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
writer, novelist and entrepreneur.
Biography
Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13Golgo 13
is a manga series written and illustrated by Takao Saito, published in Shogakukan's Big Comic magazine since January 1969. In 1976, the manga won the 21st Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga...
creator Takao Saito
Takao Saito
is a Japanese manga and gekiga artist. He is best known for creating the successful series Golgo 13.-Early life and career:Takao Saito was born on November 3, 1936 in Wakayama Prefecture. During his school days in Osaka he was the best in his class in drawing and fighting, and also considered...
and served as a writer on the series.
Koike, along with artist Goseki Kojima
Goseki Kojima
was a Japanese manga artist.-Biography:Kojima was born on the same day as Osamu Tezuka. After getting out of junior high school, Kojima painted advertising posters for movie theaters as his source of income....
, made the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub
Lone Wolf and Cub
is a manga created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima. First published in 1970, the story was adapted into six films starring Tomisaburo Wakayama, four plays, a television series starring Yorozuya Kinnosuke, and is widely recognized as an important and influential work.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
Tomisaburo Wakayama
, born Masaru Okumura, was a Japanese actor, best known for playing Ogami Ittō, the scowling, 17th century ronin warrior in the six Lone Wolf and Cub samurai movies.-Biography:...
. 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
Crying Freeman
is a manga by Kazuo Koike & Ryoichi Ikegami about an assassin who sheds tears after he kills his targets. Crying Freeman follows the title assassin, a Japanese man hypnotized and trained by the Chinese mafia to serve as its agent, and covered in a vast and complex dragon tattoo...
, which was illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami
Ryoichi Ikegami
is a manga artist. He was assistant to manga artist Shigeru Mizuki in 1966. In 2001, he won the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga as the artist of Heat. He became a professor at Osaka University of Arts in 2005...
, was adapted into a 1995 live-action film by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
director Christophe Gans
Christophe Gans
Christophe Gans is a French film director, writer, and producer who specializes in horror, fantasy movies and video game adaptations.-Biography:...
.
Kazuo Koike started the Gekika Sonjuku, a college course meant to teach people how to be manga artist.
In addition to his more violent, action-oriented manga, Koike, an avid golfer, has also written golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
manga. He has also written mahjong
Mahjong
Mahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
manga, as he himself is a former professional mahjong player.
Graduates of Koike's Gekika Sonjuku
Notable graduates include:- Rumiko TakahashiRumiko Takahashiis a Japanese manga artist.Takahashi is one of the wealthiest individuals, and the most affluent manga artists in Japan. The manga she creates are popular worldwide, where they have been translated into a variety of languages...
- manga artistMangakais the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
: Urusei YatsuraUrusei Yatsurais a comedic manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi that premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday in 1978 and ran until its conclusion in 1987. Its 374 individual chapters were collected and published in 34 tankōbon volumes. The series tells the story of Ataru Moroboshi, and the alien...
, Ranma ½Ranma ½is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi with an anime adaptation. The story revolves around a 16-year old boy named Ranma Saotome who was trained from early childhood in martial arts...
, InuYashaInuYasha, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
etc. - Akira SakumaAkira Sakumais a Japanese video game designer best known as the creator of the Momotetsu series.He also works as a freelance writer for books, magazines, newspapers, and comics. He has co-authored with Akira Toriyama , and Yuji Horii...
- game designer, freelance writer: Momotaro DensetsuMomotaro Densetsuis a console role-playing game series in Japan featuring the character Momotarō from Japanese folklore, as well as other Japanese folklore characters such as Kintarō, Urashima Tarō, and Princess Kaguya of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.Started in 1987, the series is produced by Hudson Soft...
series - Hideyuki KikuchiHideyuki Kikuchiis a Japanese author famous for his horror novels. His most famous works including the Vampire Hunter D series, Darkside Blues and Wicked City. He has been compared to both Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft.-Biography:...
- horrorHorror fictionHorror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
: Vampire Hunter DVampire Hunter Dis a series of Japanese novels written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano since 1983.To date, twenty-two novels have been published in the main series, with some novels comprising as many as four volumes... - Tetsuo HaraTetsuo Harais a Japanese manga artist famous for drawing the series Fist of the North Star , which he co-authored with Buronson...
- manga artistMangakais the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
: Fist of the North StarFist of the North Staris a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha... - Yuji HoriiYuji Horiiis a Japanese video game designer and scenario writer best known as the creator of the Dragon Quest series of console role-playing games, as well as the visual novel adventure game Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken.-History:Dragon Quest is recognized as the first role-playing game to posit the idea...
- game designer, freelance writer: Dragon QuestDragon Quest, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
series - Keisuke ItagakiKeisuke Itagakiis a Japanese manga artist. His most famous works are Grappler Baki. Prior to becoming a manga artist, he served 5 years in the 1st Airborne Brigade of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. During his service he practiced amateur boxing, and has competed in the National Sports Festival...
- manga artistMangakais the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
: Baki the GrapplerBaki the GrapplerGrappler Baki , or Baki the Grappler, is a manga series written and illustrated by Keisuke Itagaki. It was originally serialized in the Weekly Shōnen Champion from 1991 to 1999, lasting 42 collected volumes... - Naoki YamamotoNaoki Yamamotois a male Japanese manga artist. In his early years, he also used pen names and for his earlier adult-oriented works. -Bibliography:* Hora Konna ni Ataku Natteru* Makasensasei!* * Kiwamete Kamoshida...
- manga artistMangakais the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
: Dance till TomorrowDance Till Tomorrowis a manga series by Naoki Yamamoto that has also been adapted into two live action movies. A two-episode OAV was also released on VHS in Japan. It is a romantic comedy which details the life of Suekichi, a student who will inherit a fortune when he graduates from college and gets married with...
External links
- http://web.archive.org/web/20060508103007/www.pulp-mag.com/archives/6.08/feature_koike.shtml