Hideo Azuma

Hideo Azuma
吾妻ひでお
Born Hideo Azuma
吾妻 日出夫
(1950-02-06) 6 February 1950
Urahoro, Hokkaidō, Japan
Nationality Japanese
Known for Manga
Notable work Nanako SOS
Little Pollon
Movement Lolicon
Awards see below

Hideo Azuma (吾妻 ひでお Azuma Hideo, real name 吾妻 日出夫, pronounced the same) (born February 6, 1950 in Urahoro, Hokkaidō, Japan) is Japanese manga artist. Azuma made his professional debut in 1969 in the Akita Shoten manga magazine Manga Ō. He is most well known for his science fiction lolicon-themed works appearing in magazines such as Weekly Shōnen Champion, as well as children's comedy series such as Nanako SOS and Little Pollon (which both became anime television series in the early 1980s).

Beginning in 1978, his works began appearing almost exclusively in smaller niche magazines such as Bessatsu Kisōten, including works like Fujōri Nikki. In 1979, Azuma published his lolicon manga White Cybele, the first manga of its kind in Japan. He has since been called the "father of lolicon".[1] From there, he began publishing in magazines such as Shōjo Alice, becoming a fixture in the pornographic lolicon manga business and becoming very involved in otaku culture.

In late 1980s and into the 1990s, due to stress from his hectic and demanding schedule during 20 years (to that point) as a manga artist, Azuma began drinking heavily, disappeared twice for several months to over a year, attempted suicide at least once, and was finally forcibly committed to an alcohol rehabilitation program.[1][2][3] He published in 2005 a manga journal of this experience titled Disappearance Diary. In addition to being published in Japan, this book has been licensed and published in English, French, Spanish, German and Polish.

His name is also sometimes romanized Hideo Aduma.

Brief history

Early years

While attending Hokkaidō Urahoro High School, Azuma participated in the Hokkaidō branch office of COM, along with other artists such as Monkey Punch and Fumiko Okada. In 1968, after graduating from high school, he moved to Tokyo and found employment with Toppan Printing. He left this job after three months to work as an assistant to manga artist Rentarō Itai, where he did uncredited work for Weekly Shōnen Sunday on series such as Mini Mini Manga.

Azuma made his professional debut in 1969 in Manga Ō with his work Ringside Crazy. The following year he quit working as an assistant and doing his own work. He gradually expanded his work to include both shōjo and seinen manga. His first works tended to be light gag manga, though he began to include science fiction elements influenced by his being a fan of the New Hollywood movement in American film. It was during this period that he experimented a lot with one panel manga (as opposed to four panel).

Beginning in 1972, Azuma began rising in popularity due to the off-color humor in his Weekly Shōnen Champion series Futari to 5-nin. He also married his assistant the same year, with whom he had a girl in 1980 and a boy in 1983. His wife was credited as "Assistant A" in his works, and his daughter and son were respectively credited as "Assistant B" and "Assistant C".

Boom period

Azuma began serializing in 1975 his story Yakekuso Tenshi in the semimonthly manga magazine Play Comic. He also began publishing science fiction themed works in many different niche magazines such as Kisō Tengai and Peke. Azuma, together with Jun Ishikawa, is considered part of the manga creators in the 1970s. Due to works such as science fiction novel parody Fujōri Nikki, published in Bessatsu Kisō Tengai in 1978, Azuma began to gain a large following among science fiction fans. Fujōri Nikki was awarded the 1979 Seiun Award for Best Comic of the Year.


Works

Manga

Books


Awards

References

  1. 1 2 Brienza, Casey (2008-06-06). "Review: Disappearance Diary". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  2. ↑ Sizemore, Ed (2008-09-03). "Disappearance Diary". Comics Worth Reading. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  3. ↑ McElhatton, Greg (2008-10-27). "Disappearance Diary". Read About Comics. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  4. ↑ "9th Japanese Media Arts Festival Winners". Anime News Network. 2005-12-22. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  5. ↑ "Tezuka Cultural Award Winners". Anime News Network. 2006-05-11. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  6. ↑ "OFFICIAL SELECTION 2008". Angoulême International Comics Festival. Retrieved 2008-11-22.


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