Kazuo Koike

Kazuo Koike (Japanese: 小池 一夫, Hepburn: 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	(1936-05-08)May 8, 1936 Daisen, Akita, Japan
Died	April 17, 2019(2019-04-17) (aged 82)
Area	Writer
Notable works	Lone Wolf and Cub Lady Snowblood Crying Freeman
Awards	Hall of Fame Eisner Award (2004)

Career

Early 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 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 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 Comics.^[2] In 2011, Koike announced his intention to write a magical girl manga series titled Maho Shojo Mimitsuki Mimi no QED.^[3]

Death

On April 17, 2019, Kazuo Koike died due to pneumonia at the age of 82. His death happened just five days after the death of fellow prolific manga artist Monkey Punch on April 11, who also died of pneumonia and who Koike considered his rival in the Weekly Manga Action magazine.^[4]

Gekiga Sonjuku

In 1977, Koike founded the Gekiga Sonjuku (劇画村塾), a vocational school to teach manga artists, manga writers (or gensakusha), and screenwriters. According to alumnus Keisuke Itagaki, tuition for the manga artist and manga writer courses each cost 90,000 yen when he enrolled in 1987.^[5] Many other courses have since been added. In 2009, the school became independent from Koike and renamed itself Manga Rak (漫画楽).^[6]

Notable graduates:

• Marley Caribu – manga writer: Old Boy^[7]
• Hideyuki Kikuchi – horror writer: Vampire Hunter D^[7]
• Akira Sakuma – game designer, freelance writer: Momotaro Densetsu series^[7]
• Rumiko Takahashi – manga artist: Urusei Yatsura, Ranma ½, InuYasha^[8]
• Hiroshi Miyaoka – game designer: Metal Max series^[7]
• Atsuji Yamamoto – manga artist: Ultimate Teacher^[7]
• Tetsuo Hara – manga artist: Fist of the North Star^[8]
• Yuji Horii – game designer, freelance writer: Dragon Quest series^[8]

• Naoki Yamamoto – manga artist: Dance till Tomorrow^[7]
• Takayuki Yamaguchi – manga artist: Apocalypse Zero and Shigurui^[7]
• Keisuke Itagaki – manga artist: Baki the Grappler^[8]
• Hiroshi Takashige – manga writer: Spriggan^[7]
• Hiroshi Shiibashi – manga artist: Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
• Bingo Morihashi – author and video game writer: Devil May Cry series
• Yoshio Sawai – manga artist: Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
• Aoi Nanase – manga artist: Angel/Dust

Bibliography

• 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
• 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 [ja], 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, 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

• 2004: Won the Hall of Fame Eisner Award^[9]