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Legendary "god of horror" manga artist Kazuo Umezu dies at 88 | He was the creator of The Drifting Classroom, Cat Eyed Boy, and many other classic works.

He was the creator of The Drifting Classroom, Cat Eyed Boy, and many other classic works

He drew comics from an early age, partially inspired by Osamu Tezuka's landmark New Treasure Island and made his professional debut as a manga artist in 1955 while still in his late teens. Mori no Kyōdai, published by Tomo Book, was based on the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, but Umezu soon shifted towards more adult themes in his work, aligning himself with the gekiga movement, which prioritized a more realistic tone and art style. He officially retired from drawing manga in 1995 and spent his later years working on other projects, including several film appearances and directing his own movie, the autobiographical Mother in 2015, while also continuing to paint.

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