Kazuhiko Katō, I would venture to guess, is a name that not too many American comics readers are familiar with. Most of his works never made it stateside and information on how long each of his series ran is scarce. He had a prolific career, stretching from the 1960s until well into the 2000s, and ended it on the guest lecturer circuit, teaching manga production at major Japanese universities. He died, earlier this year, at the age of 81 of pneumonia, a month or so before a campaign with DC Comics, advertising their films, was to begin with his artwork at the center of it. You may recognize these images.
You may also recognize him by his pen name: Monkey Punch, the creator of “Lupin the Third.”
“Lupin the Third” stars Arsène Lupin III, grandson of the famed fictional French thief Arsène Lupin, continues the family tradition of gentleman thieving, leaving calling cards for impossible heists, employing trickery and deception to outwit Inspector Zenigata along with his on-again, off-again accomplices: Jiggen, the revolver wielding man in an ill-fitting suit, constantly smoking a bent cigarette, wearing a hat that covers his eyes; Goemon, the traditional samurai who’s skills with a blade are so good, he can literally cut bullets in half and Fujiko Mine, a fellow thief who looks out for number one, but has a soft spot for her Lupin, even when she’s stealing the look out from under him.
The relationship between these five makes up the crux of the series: its gags, its emotional resonance, its camaraderie, and its heart. Monkey Punch’s work has stood the test of decades and it’s clear from the start why. The concept was executed to perfection, with artwork that may not seem polished by today’s standards, but had distinct character designs and an atmosphere that bred tension and allowed for comedy.
All that said, if it seems like I buried the lead in this memoriam, it’s because I have. Monkey Punch is a creator whose manga work I have never actually experienced, save a few promotional or preview images, and I believe very few Americans have too.
The original “Lupin the Third” series, which first ran in Japan way back in 1967, came over to the states in the 90s through Tokyopop and while it completed its 14-volume run, the sequel series did not have such luck due to low sales. Out of print ever since, thanks to Tokyopop’s folding almost a decade ago, the only legal way to access his works now are to be very lucky. . .or to watch one of the close to 200 episodes of its six anime series, seven or so theatrical movies, or 27 TV movies, just to name a few.
This is how I came to know “Lupin the Third,” specifically through the fifth series, “Lupin the Third: Part IV” and subsequently the sixth, “Lupin the Third: Part 5,” which is a celebration of the series’ many iterations as well as bringing the gentleman thief into the 21st century with a notably darker tone, mirroring the original comic.
Others may have come to the property through the very first Hayao Miyazaki movie “Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro” or one of the 155 episodes of “Lupin the Third: Part II.” Maybe you found it through the excellent Mari Okada written, non-Lupin featuring “The Woman Called Fujiko Mine” or maybe you found it through the “Detective Conan” crossover films. Regardless of how you discovered “Lupin the Third,” or what tone you prefer, be it the silliness of the pink jacket Part III era or the confused but darker Part I, also headed up by Studio Ghibli founders Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, we all owe it to Monkey Punch for creating the characters and the world that has captured our imagination for decades.
Monkey Punch: 1937-2019
