Monkey Punch, whose real name was Kazuhiko Katō, died on April 11 following a battle with pneumonia. The 81-year old manga creator was best known for creating “Lupin the Third,” which followed the adventures of master thief Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Maurice Leblanc’s classic creation.
Katō was born on May 26, 1937 in Hamanakka, Hokkaido, Japan. He loved drawing from an early age, but didn’t start drawing manga strips until he was in junior high school, where his artwork was featured in the school newspaper. When he graduated he moved to Tokyo in search of work and drawing became a hobby. He then started studying at a technical school for electronics.
It was through his association as part of a Dōjinshi (the Japanese term for self-published work) group that he started working at the publishing company, Futabasha, which saw him drawing yonkoma manga. In 1965, Katō started writing for Playboy School under the pen name Eiji Gamuta. The editor of the magazine suggested changing his pen name to Monkey Punch for his next assignment, which was set to be a three-month project. However, this name continued for Katō throughout the rest of his career following the success of “Lupin the Third” two years later.
“Lupin the Third” was first published in Weekly Manga Action and became a huge success for Katō, running for 94 chapters with a sequel called “Shin Lupin III” running from 1977 until 1981. The “Lupin the Third” franchise then went on to spawn multiple anime series, as well as animated and live-action films.
In addition to his involvement in the “Lupin” franchise, Katō also spent time as a professor Manga Animation at Otemae University. Katō was honoured with the Inkpot Award in 1981. Katō’s legacy will endure with the “Lupin the Third” franchise, with the latest entry in the anime film series, Lupin the IIIrd: Fujiko Mine’s Lie being released in Japan on May 31.
