小池 一夫

• Born 1936-05-08 · Died 2019-04-17

Kazuo Koike (小池 一夫 Koike Kazuo, 8 May 1936 — 17 April 2019, Japan) was a prolific manga writer, novelist, anime writer, and instructor. In 1970, he collaborated on a new feature with artist Goseki Kojima, who had been an illustrator and then manganka since the 1950s. They created ‘Kozure Ōkami’ in “Weekly Manga Action” (1970–1976), which is collected in English as “Lone Wolf and Cub”. The series was translated twice in the USA — partly at First Comics (1987–1991) and completely at Dark Horse (2000–2002). Koike also worked on a series of Japanese film adaptations of the feature (1972–1974). Some of that material was dubbed in English and released as “Shogun Assassin” (1980). He and artist Ryoichi Ikegami created ‘Kuraingu Furīman’ (‘Crying Freeman’) in “Big Comic Spirits” (1986–1998). Another violent story of a fugitive assassin, this feature is set in modern times rather than the Tokugawa shogunate of “Lone Wolf and Cub”. Viz Media translated “Crying Freeman” for the USA market in the 1990s, first as serial comics and then in collected editions. Dark Horse later published new editions of the collections (2006–2007). Other Koike series translated by Dark Horse include “Samurai Executioner” (2004–2006), “Lady Snowblood” (2005–2006), “Path of the Assassin” (2006–2009), “Color of Rage” (2008), and “New Lone Wolf and Cub” (2014–2015). Koike was an avid golfer and a former professional mahjong player, and wrote manga in both of those genres. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame of the Will Eisner Awards in 2004. Additional biographical information can be found in Amazing Heroes #118, 1987.