A prelude: The artist and his legacy.
To those knowledgeable about anything relating to manga, the name Shotaro Ishinomori needs no
introduction.
Born in 1939 in Tome, Japan, he is often regarded as one of the greatest manga artists of all time and a
pioneer of the medium. To his fans and admirers, he is often referred to as the King of Manga (漫画の帝王)
for
his dedication to the format.
After publishing his first work in 1954, he would become an assistant to an equally as legendary artist,
Osamu Tezuka, working on Astro Boy and Alakazam the Great. It wasn’t until 1964 when he had his
breakthrough
though, creating the long-lasting Cyborg-009 series still being published today.
He would soon become a household name in the early 70s and 80s when in 1971 he would create Kamen Rider,
a
series still running today, pioneering the tokusatsu genre for years to come. 1975 would also see the
release of Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, the first in the still-ongoing Super Sentai series, which would be
adapted internationally as the Power Rangers franchise. He would continue creating characters and
working in
manga until his unfortunate passing at age 60 in 1998, in which posthumously, he would be awarded a
variety
of accolades, including a Guinness World Record and a museum dedicated to his work in Ishinomaki, a city
in
Miyagi Prefecture.
As is true with most artists however, some of his creations were far less successful than others. Many
of
the franchises he tried to kickstart often times would fail due to low reception or negative feedback
from
fans. A majority of these series today lie dormant and abandoned, often neglected by the rights owners.
Many
unfortunately exist only as one show or short-lived manga series.
The purpose of this website is to take you on a tour of some of the lesser known creations of Ishinomori
and
to honor the legacy that they leave behind.
