The man who made basketball popular in Japan, transcendent artist, master of characterization, that weird guy who draws manga with brushes. All terms that can be used to describe Takehiko Inoue. A man with brilliant natural talent who still breaks his back to produce unbelievable work.
Historian, philosopher, feminist, and sumo enthusiast. Chiho Saito is a big bundle of surprises wrapped up in a petite package. Although writing about passion is her passion, Saito's works explore some seriously smart subjects. Hit the jump to see more!
Students want to be taught by him and teachers want to be him: the great teacher Onizuka is one of the most iconic characters in anime and manga, but he is just a small part of Tohru Fujisawa’s library of releases. Hit the jump to see his crazy versatility and more of everyone’s favorite delinquent-turned-teacher!
Some ironies can only be written by life. A secretive recluse who has gained international notoriety for her works of fiction airing out the dirty laundry of extroverted performers and fashion moguls, Ai Yazawa's fame is proof she has tapped into a deep cultural vein. See how stories that cause so much pain can be such a pleasure to read, after the jump!
An icon among mangaka in Japan and an artist rapidly growing into the international conscious, Naoki Urasawa has a storied career over three decades long, which has travelled around the world and across genres. Take a look at Urasawa's exploration of the human psyche and unmatched mystery, after the jump!
From milking cows to publishing manga under a male pseudonym, Hiromu Arakawa is an eccentric among eccentrics. Her whimsical, dynamic style is instantly recognizable, one that can and has adapted itself to just about every setting. Check out the stylish action and diverse works of one of Japan's most reclusive mangaka, after the jump!
From zero to hero, Oh! Great's superpowered deliquents reflect his own rise from a humble artist and author of hentai to a master of shonen and one of the most talented illustrators to bless the page with ink. Hit the jump to see some great shonen and seinen, slick art, and maybe even some fanservice!
Once just a boy with a dream, his team of assistants now refer to him as superman. Hiro Mashima was a break-out talent who published his first manga in Weekly Shonen Magazine at only 21 years of age. An unapologetic lover of action whose manga build up speed and never let off the gas, check out what it means to have true guts after the jump!
Since beginning his career with Blame! in 1997, Tsutomu Nihei has gone from a post-cyberpunk mangaka with a cult following in Germany to writing a limited comic series for one of Marvel's most popular characters and seeing a major anime license. Hit the jump to check out our spotlight on his origins, style, and the series that hit it big.