Japanese manga artist Fujiko Fujio A, known for popular children’s cartoons such as “Ninja Hattori” and “Little Ghost Q-Taro,” died on Thursday at the age of 88, local media reported.
TBS and many others reported that the artist was found dead near his home outside Tokyo last Thursday. His real name was Motoo Abiko.
According to AFP, the police declined to confirm the reports, but other artists and publishing professionals tweeted tributes to Abiko.
As a high school student, he met Hiroshi Fujimoto, who would go on to create Japan’s much-loved cartoon “Doraemon”, and the pair began working together.
In 1951, they began collaborating under the pen name “Fujiko Fujio”. They lived with famous manga artists, including Osamu Tezuka, in a Tokyo apartment.
In one of the duo’s earliest works, “Q-Taro” tells the story of a mischievous ghost child who moves in with a human family, gaining popularity both in Japan and overseas.
Abiko has also written manga by himself, including “Ninja Hattori”, about a ninja who becomes best friends with a regular kid, as well as other works for adults.
