Monkey Punch

Monkey Punch
Born Kazuhiko Katō (加藤一彦)
(1937-05-26) May 26, 1937
Hamanaka, Hokkaido, Japan
Pen name Monkey Punch, Eiji Gamuta, Kazuhiko Katō (加東一彦)
Occupation Manga artist, professor
Nationality Japanese
Period 1965–present
Subject Manga
Notable works Lupin III
Website
www.monkeypunch.com

Monkey Punch (モンキー・パンチ Monkī Panchi) is the pen name of Japanese manga artist Kazuhiko Katō (加藤一彦 Katō Kazuhiko, born May 26, 1937), best known for his series Lupin III. In April 2005 he became the professor of Manga Animation at Otemae University, in their Faculty of Media and Arts,[1][2] and was a visiting professor at Tokyo University of Technology in May 2010.[3] He was born in Hamanaka, Hokkaidō and currently resides in Sakura, Chiba. He received a special Tokyo Anime Award in 2015.[4]

Biography

Katō began drawing at a very young age, but did not draw manga until junior high school, when his manga strips were used in the school newspaper.[5] After graduating, he moved to Tokyo to look for work and began going to a technical school for electronics, continuing to draw for fun. While working in a dōjinshi group with other artists, he was recruited by Futabasha and drew yonkoma.[6]

Katō first started to work as a professional manga artist, under the pen name Kazuhiko Katō (加東一彦 Katō Kazuhiko, pronounced the same as his real name, but written with different characters). In 1965, he made his debut with Playboy School, writing under the name of Eiji Gamuta (がむた永二 Gamuta Eiji). The editor of the magazine that "discovered him" then suggested the pen name Monkey Punch.[5] Katō claims that he did not like the name, but agreed because it was his boss' idea and his next series was only supposed to be a three-month project.[5] When the series, Lupin III, became popular, he was stuck with the name.

Lupin III made its debut on August 10, 1967 in the first issue of the magazine Weekly Manga Action, the cover was also drawn by Monkey Punch. It went on to become an extremely popular and successful media franchise, spawning numerous manga, five animated television series, seven animated feature films, two live-action films, three OVAs, near-yearly television specials since 1989, music CDs, video games, and a musical. Monkey Punch himself even directed the 1996 film, Dead or Alive.[5]

On April 21, 2007, Monkey Punch participated in a series of lectures on the "interaction of manga and culture throughout the world" at the Freer Gallery of Art.[7] In 2008, Monkey Punch was a judge at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Second International Manga Awards.[8]

He designed the characters for the pachinko game CR Ginroku Gijinden Roman in 2012.[9] The following year an anime adaptation of the game began airing on January 7, 2013, with Monkey Punch's designs adapted by Satoshi Hirayama, and was streamed with English subtitles on Crunchyroll.[9][10]

Monkey Punch participated in the writing of the 2014 live-action film adaptation of Lupin III.[11]

Monkey Punch has acknowledged the influence of Mad magazine artists Mort Drucker and Sergio Aragonés on his work.

List of works

60s

70s

80s

90s

2000s

References

  1. ↑ "Otemae University - Manga Production Department, Faculty of Media and Arts (Major)". Otemae University. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Mangaka punches above his weight". Yomiuri Shimbun. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Tokyo University of Technology - Faculty of media". Tokyo University of Technology. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Lupin III's Monkey Punch, More Win TAAF's Meritorious Service Award". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Interview: Monkey Punch". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  6. ↑ "A Few Stolen Moments with Monkey Punch". Mangazine. Antarctic Press. January 1995.
  7. ↑ ""Manga to Anime: From Astro Boy to Spirited Away" at the Smithsonian". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Lau Wan Kit's Feel 100% Wins 2nd Int'l Manga Award". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  9. 1 2 "Monkey Punch's Roman Phantom Thief Game Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Crunchyroll to Stream Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman TV Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
  11. ↑ "'Lupin III' to get a live-action film adaptation starring Oguri Shun". Tokyohive. 2013-11-27. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
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