Shotaro Ishinomori
The creator of the Kikaider character and original manga, Shotaro Ishinomori (石ノ森 章太郎, Ishinomori Shōtarō, January 25, 1938–January 28, 1998) was a Japanese manga artist who became an influential figure in manga, anime, and tokusatsu, creating several immensely popular long-running series such as Cyborg 009 and Himitsu Sentai Gorenger
, what would go on to become part of the Super Sentai series, and the Kamen Rider Series. He was twice awarded by the Shogakukan Manga Award, in 1968 for Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae and in 1988 for Hotel and Manga Nihon Keizai Nyumon.
He was born as Shotaro Onodera (小野寺 章太郎, Onodera Shōtarō) in Tome, Miyagi, and was also known as Shotaro Ishimori (石森 章太郎, Ishimori Shōtarō) before 1986, when he changed his family name to Ishinomori, only with the inclusion of the "no" (ノ) katakana.
Background[]
Standing with the Kikaider Brothers.
Born Shotaro Onodera to Kotaro and Kashiku Onodera as their first son, Shotaro grew up in the town of Ishinomori in Tome, Miyagi Prefecture. His interest in manga started in middle school and started his own group with people called Bokuju Itteki (meaning a drop of ink) after a book by Shiki Masaoka. He would enter several manga-related competitions, even winning a few of them. In his first year of high school, Shotaro submitted a piece to Manga Shonen where it caught the attention of famed mangaka, Osamu Tezuka. Asked to be his assistant, Shotaro accepted, working before and after mid-terms. Working with Tezuka, Shotaro became involved with Toei, participating in the production of Journey to the West. Tezuka also introduced Shotaro to his future wife Toshiko. He also became involved with several other companies, establishing Studio Zero with Shinichi Suzuki and joining the Japan Cartoonists Association (eventually, becoming managing director). Thirty years after publishing 2nd Class Angel, Shotaro changed his family name to Ishimori. Eventually dying from heart failure, Ishinomori was awarded several awards including the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.
Body of work[]
Cyborg 009, created in 1964, became the first superpowered hero team created in Japan. That same year, Kazumasa Hirai and Jiro Kuwata created Japan's first cyborg superhero, 8 Man (which predated Kamen Rider by eight years). The success of the tokusatsu superhero TV series Kamen Rider, produced by Toei Company Ltd. in 1971, led to the birth of the "henshin" (transforming) superhero (human-sized superheroes who transform by doing a pose, and use martial arts to fight henchmen and the weekly monster), and resulted in many sequel shows to this day. Ishinomori then created many superheroes and their dramas, including Kikaider, Henshin Ninja Arashi, Inazuman, Robotto Keiji, Himitsu Sentai Gorenger (the first Super Sentai series), Kaiketsu Zubat, Akumaizer 3, Poitrine and countless others. He even created popular children's shows such as Hoshi no Ko Chobin (Chobin, Child of the Stars, 1974, a co-production with Studio Zero which was a major success on Italian television), and Ganbare!! Robocon.
Later life[]
At the end of 1997, Kazuhiko Shimamoto, a young and up and coming mangaka was contacted by an increasingly ill Shotaro Ishinomori and asked if he would do a continuation (though more along the lines of a remake) of his 100-page, one-shot manga from 1970, Skull Man (the manga that became the basis for Kamen Rider). Ishinomori, who had been one of Shimamoto's boyhood heroes, faxed him copies of the proposed story and plot notes. Shimamoto was astounded that he had been chosen to work on his idol's final, great work.
Shimamoto had already been involved in the revival of one of Ishinomori's other earlier works (including Kamen Rider) but little did he dream that, as only one of many whom Ishinomori had inspired, he would be chosen for the final collaboration and resurrection of Skull Man. It was also recently adapted into an anime in 2007.
Death[]
Ishinomori died of heart failure on January 28, 1998. His final work was the tokusatsu superhero TV series, Voicelugger, televised months later. A manga museum named in his honor opened in Ishinomaki, Miyagi in 2001.
His work posthumously awarded him the Guinness World Record for most comics published by one author, totaling over 128,000 pages.
Themes[]
Of Ishinomori's staple themes, Kikaider hosts the anti-hero, the hero torn between humanity and inhumanity, and egg/oval shaped eyes.
External links[]
Shotaro Ishinomori at Wikipedia.- Shotaro Ishinomori at the Kamen Rider Wiki
- Shotaro Ishinomori at RangerWiki
- Shotaro Ishinomori at the Inazuman Wiki
- Ishimori Production Inc. - Official website (Japanese)
- Ishimori Production Inc. - Official website
- Ishimori Production Inc. - Official website (France)
- Mangattan Museum website (Japanese)
- Shotaro Ishinomori Complete Comic Works (Japanese)
- Shotaro Ishinomori Memorial Museum - Official website (Japanese)
- Entry in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
