Kazuo Umezu
- Writing
- September 3, 1936 · Kōya, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
- October 28, 2024
Biography
Kazuo Umezu or Kazuo Umezz (楳図 かずお, Umezu Kazuo, birth name 楳図一雄; born September 3, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist, musician and actor. Starting his career in the 1950s, he is among the most famous artists of horror manga and has been vital for its development, considered the "god of horror manga". In 1960s shōjo manga like Reptilia, he broke the industry's conventions by combining the aesthetics of the commercial manga industry with gruesome visual imagery inspired by Japanese folktales, which created a boom of horror manga and influenced manga artists of following generations. He created successful manga series such as The Drifting Classroom, Makoto-chan and My Name Is Shingo, until he retired from drawing manga in the mid 1990s. He is also a public figure in Japan, known for wearing red-and-white-striped shirts and doing his signature "Gwash" hand gesture.
Known for
Filmography
- Kaidan. Strange Stories of Japanese Ghosts · Self
- My Name is Shingo · Story
- 吉祥寺だけが住みたい街ですか？ · Kazuo Umezu
- Tales of the Bizarre 25th Anniversary Spring Special: Popular Manga Artist Competition · Comic Book
- Why Horror? · Self
- Mother · Director, Screenplay
- Orochi - Blood · Comic Book, Story
- Gu Gu, the Cat · Umezu
- Tamami: The Baby's Curse · Comic Book
- Cat-Eyed Boy · Comic Book
- God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand · Novel
- Tokyo Zombie · Akiyama / Prince
- Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Snake Girl · Story
- Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Death Make · Story
- Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Present · Writer, Story
- Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: The Wish · Story
- Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: House of Bugs · Story
- Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater: Diet · Story
- Yaji & Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims · Old Man
- Gaki no Tsukai No Laughing Batsu Game · Guest
- Gozamareji
- Long Love Letter · Novel
- Baptism of Blood · Story
- Drifting School · Author
- Kazuo Umezu's Terror Zone: Horror! · Comic Book
- Monster Heaven: Ghost Hero
- The Curse of Kazuo Umezu · Story
- The Drifting Classroom · Policeman C (special guest), Novel
- Monster Heaven
- Monday Drama Land: Akuma-kun
- Evil Heart · Writer
- Gal 10 Island · Self, Director
- Makoto-chan · Creator, Comic Book
- Cat-Eyed Boy · Writer, Comic Book
- A Remodeled Beauty · Story
- The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch · Taxi Driver, Story
- Hoodlum Soldier