Though widely respected as a powerful writer of graphic fiction,
Kazuo Koike has spent a lifetime reaching beyond the bounds of the
comics medium. Aside from co-creating and writing the successful
Lone Wolf and Cub and Crying Freeman manga, Koikehas hosted
television programs; founded a golf magazine; produced movies;
written popular fiction, poetry, and screenplays; and mentored some
of Japan's best manga talent.
Lone Wolf and Cub was first serialized in Japan in 1970 in Manga
Action magazine and continued its hugely popular run for many
years, being reprinted worldwide. Starting in 1972, Koike adapted
the popular manga into a series of six films, the Baby Cart
Assassin saga, garnering widespread commercial success and critical
acclaim for his screenwriting. To give something back to the medium
that gave him so much, Koike started the Gekiga Sonjuku, a college
course aimed at helping talented writers and artists - such as
Ranma 1/2 creator Rumiko Takahashi - break into the comics
field.
The driving focus of Koike's narrative is character development,
and his commitment to character is clear- "Comics are carried by
characters. If a character is well created, the comic becomes a
hit." Kazuo Koike's continued success in comics and literature has
proven this philosophy true. The author lives in Tokyo, Japan.
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