Shigeru Mizuki

Shigeru Mizuki, born Shigeru Mura on March 8, 1922, in Sakaiminato, Japan, and died November 30, 2015, is celebrated for reviving Japanese folklore through his manga, particularly *GeGeGe no Kitarō*. His childhood fascination with yōkai—supernatural creatures—was nurtured by a local woman he called Nonnonba, whose oral tales became a lifelong influence. Drafted into World War II, Mizuki lost his left arm in combat, an experience that fueled his antiwar stance and later works like *Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths*.

After starting his career in kamishibai (paper theater), Mizuki transitioned to manga in the late 1950s. His signature style paired cartoonish characters with intricate, realistic backgrounds and grotesque yōkai designs. He blended autobiography, history, and fantasy to critique modernization and nationalism, often drawing from ethnographic research. Key collaborators included editors and assistants who helped produce his sprawling historical series *Showa: A History of Japan*.

Mizuki co-created *NonNonBâ*, a semi-autobiographical tale, and his catalog includes *Kitaro* and *Shigeru Mizuki's Kitaro*. His work earned numerous awards, and his legacy persists through global translations, anime adaptations, and homages. In our catalog, he is credited as artist, writer, colorist, and inker on 24 issues from 2006 to 2022.