Kazuo Umezu, godfather of Japanese horror manga, dies at 88

Today, November 5, Shogakukan announced that Kazuo Umezu, the master of Japanese horror manga and the godfather-level creator, had passed away on October 28 at the age of 88. Masters of Japanese horror manga including Junji Ito and Yusuke Murata expressed their condolences.

Received the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Award in June 2023

Kazuo Umezu was born in Wakayama, Nara Prefecture, Japan. He is a legendary figure in Japan. He is the founder and leader of horror comics. He created comics at the age of 14 and began to publish rental comics in Osaka in 1955. In 1956, he published his first horror work "The Bottomless Town". His famous works include "The Drifting Classroom" and "Neko-komon".

In 1975, "The Drifting Classroom" won the 20th Shogakukan Manga Award. His works often reveal the dark side of human nature, but the characters are pure and kind. As the first generation of horror manga masters, he has a profound influence on the younger generations.

Junji Ito, another master of Japanese horror comics, expressed his deep condolences and recalled his previous interview with the master. Cartoonist Yusuke Murata said that he had felt what horror was through the master's works since kindergarten, and hoped that the master would rest in peace.