Johji Manabe

Johji Manabe (born 18 December 1964) is a Japanese manga artist best known in the English-speaking world for his science-fantasy series *Outlanders*, *Caravan Kidd*, and *Capricorn*. He has also worked under the name George Manabe. Manabe entered the manga industry in the late 1980s, and his work quickly became a staple of English-language manga translations during the 1990s, with his energetic linework, detailed mechanical designs, and blend of action, humor, and romantic subplots. He is the sole writer and artist for most of his series, including the long-running *Outlanders*, which follows a human reporter and a demon princess, and the more comedic *Caravan Kidd*, about a young girl and her sentient tank. Manabe also created the fantasy series *Drakuun* and contributed to holiday specials and epilogues for his main titles. His career in the English market was most active between 1988 and 1999, during which he was credited on over 50 comic issues. Manabe is not to be confused with a 1970s animator of the same name who worked on *Lupin III* and *Galaxy Express 999*. While he has not received major international awards, his work remains a nostalgic touchstone for fans of 1990s translated manga.