Shinji Nagashima 永島 慎二 | |
|---|---|
 Nagashima | |
| Born | Shin'ichi Nagashima 永島 眞一 (1937-07-08)July 8, 1937 Kita, Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | June 10, 2005(2005-06-10) (aged 67) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Education | assistant toOsamu Tezuka |
| Known for | Manga |
| Movement | Shōnen manga,Seinen manga,Alternative manga |
| Awards | Shogakukan Manga Award Japan Cartoonists Association Award |
| Part of a series on |
| Anime andmanga |
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Shin'ichi Nagashima (永島 眞一,Nagashima Shin'ichi, July 8, 1937 – June 10, 2005), better known by thepen nameShinji Nagashima (永島 慎二,Nagashima Shinji), was a Japanesemanga artist born inTokyo, Japan. Hispseudonym came about due to a publisher's error when printing his name, and he continued using the pseudonym after that.
His oldest son is classical guitaristShiki Nagashima.
From the time he was injunior high school, Nagashima aspired to become a manga artist. After dropping out of school during junior high, he worked as apaperboy and atofu salesman. He made his professional debut as a manga artist in 1952 with his storySansho no Piri-chan (さんしょのピリちゃん).
After becoming acquainted withOsamu Tezuka due to occasionally living atTokiwa-sō, he became Tezuka's assistant. While there, he formed the group Musashi Production with artists including Atsushi Sugimura (who was working under the pseudonym Kontarō), Kyūta Ishikawa and Kuni Fukai (who was working under the pseudonym Hirō Fukai).
He soon became friends with several members of theGekiga Kōbō, includingYoshihiro Tatsumi andTakao Saito, while living in aprovincial temple. After the breakup of Gekiga Kōbō, Nagashima began working forSaitō Production and his work began to reflect a more cinematic and dramatic feel. During this time, he began a somewhat wandering lifestyle living inShinjuku.
In 1961, Nagashima publishedThe Harsh Story of a Manga Artist (漫画家残酷物語,Mangaka Zankoku Monogatari), a story which showed the "other side" of the manga industry and which brought Nagashima to the forefront of that industry.[1]
He continued publishing new works in a variety of magazines such asCOM andGaro, and due to his unusual style began to be called the "father ofseinen manga". From 1964 to 1966, he worked atMushi Production working onanime television series such asJungle Taitei, and later again worked for Mushi as a character designer onWansa-kun (1973).
Nagashima won theShogakukan Manga Award for hisHanaichi Monme (花いちもんめ) in 1972.[2] Two years later, he won theJapan Cartoonists Association Award forManga Lunch Box (漫画のおべんとう箱,Manga no Obentō Hako).[3]
Beginning in the 1980s, he began releasing fewer series, and went into semi-retirement. He was diagnosed withdiabetes, which subsequently caused him to begin havingdialysis treatments in 2000. Nagashima died ofheart failure on June 10, 2005, at aTokyo hospital.[4]
