In Japan, some mangaka (漫画家) or manga creators are millionaires with fame and prestige. Manga creators are often called ‘sensei’ (先生), which is a title usually reserved for teachers and white collar professionals like doctors.

One such famous manga creator is Leiji Matsumoto (松本零士); who is best known for his Captain Harlock (キャプテンハーロック) series. Leiji Matsumoto’s works often take place in the future, with spacecrafts, space battleships, aliens etc. Matsumoto’s mangas were released in the 1970s and 1980s, when Japan was transitioning into an ultra hi tech society. Readers identified with Matsumoto’s works and the fears of living in such a rapidly modernized world.

Although Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎駿) is renown as an anime film director, he was originally a manga illustrator. He has illustrated several mangas, one of which is titled “Kaze no Tani no Naushika” (風の谷のナウシカ) or “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind”. Miyazaki’s works often deal with warfare, the innocence of children, and man’s relationship with the environment. His works especially resonated with the children of postwar Japan.

Shotaro Ishinomori (石ノ森章太郎) is probably best known for his Kamen Rider Series (仮面ライダーシリーズ). His works generally deal with the genre of science fiction. Unlike Miyazaki’s morally ambiguous characters, Ishinomori’s characters are either strictly good or bad. The reason why fans love his works is because his heroes kick butt and are always able to defeat the evil characters in a cool cyborg or android outfit.

Go Nagai (永井豪) is best known for creating works like Cutie Honey (キューティーハニー), Devilman (デビルマン), and Mazinger Z (マジンガーＺ). Before Nagai, mangas were pretty much kid friendly stories with limited violence. However, Nagai changed the perception that manga was just for kids. His manga Harenchi Gakuen (ハレンチ学園) was one of the first mangas to introduce eroticism. He is now considered one of the main creators of modern erotic manga.

Osamu Tezuka (手塚治虫) is sometimes called the “manga no kamisama” (漫画の神様) or the “god of manga”. He is famous for works like “Astro Boy” (鉄腕アトム) and “Black Jack” (ブラックジャック). Tezuka was the original creator of the “large eyes” effect that can still be seen in today’s manga. The “large eyes” effect refers to anime characters that have disproportionately large eyes and have the effect of making the character look adorable or cute.