Earlier this month, Lupin III creator Kazuhiko Kato passed away. This week, Kazuo Koike, who created such landmark manga as Lone Wolf and Club and Lady Snowblood, has died.
The Lone Wolf and Club manga was adapted into movies that made a cinematic superstar of Tomisaburo Wakayama, and the film version of the Lady Snowblood manga influenced Kill Bill.
Koike’s other notable manga include Crying Freeman, which also got a film version, and cop manga Mad Bull 34, among many others.
Over the years, Koike worked with Marvel a couple of times, writing Hulk: The Manga in the early 1970s and a story in X-Men Unlimited in 2003. The following year, Koike was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame.
RIP Kazuo Koike, unbelievably prolific & influential #manga creator. Career highlights include Lone Wolf and Cub, Lady Snowblood, Crying Freeman, Mad Bull 34, and (personal fav) The Starving Man. He was 82. #小池一夫 https://t.co/SL56CHcpXh pic.twitter.com/61BXmmcczX
— Patrick Macias (@Patrick_Macias) April 19, 2019
According to Yahoo! News Japan, Koike died from pneumonia on April 17. That same day, Koike tweeted about manga creator Kazuhiko Kato’s passing, saying he loved Lupin III and wishing him the best in the next world.
モンキー・パンチさん、お亡くなりになったのか…。ルパン三世、大好きでした。ご冥福をお祈りします。https://t.co/hfFheT3FQu
— 小池一夫 (@koikekazuo) April 17, 2019
A tweet yesterday from Koike’s official account announced his passing and that he had been hospitalised. He was 82.
Comments
2 responses to “Manga Suffers Second Great Loss This Month, Kazuo Koike Has Died”
First the creator of my one of my first anime films and now the legend behind some of the best Samurai films and Manga.
Wolf and Cub films were my absolute favourite, I must have worn down the already old VHS copies from my local Video Ezy every weekend with my milk run money when I was younger.
A sad week for the Industry.
I remember when SBS would show the Lone Wolf and Cub films on their saturday night cult movie slot with Des Mangan. I loved them growing up.
Two of the original titans of manga gone in a week. 🙁