
Kazuo Umezz
- Date of Birth: 1936-09-03
- Place of Birth: Kōya, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
Biography
Kazuo Umezu or Kazuo Umezz (楳図 かずお, Umezu Kazuo, birth name 楳図一雄; born September 3, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist, musician and actor. Starting his career in the 1950s, he is amon... Kazuo Umezu or Kazuo Umezz (楳図 かずお, Umezu Kazuo, birth name 楳図一雄; born September 3, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist, musician and actor. Starting his career in the 1950s, he is among the most famous artists of horror manga and has been vital for its development, considered the "god of horror manga". In 1960s shōjo manga like Reptilia, he broke the industry's conventions by combining the aesthetics of the commercial manga industry with gruesome visual imagery inspired by Japanese folktales, which created a boom of horror manga and influenced manga artists of following generations. He created successful manga series such as The Drifting Classroom, Makoto-chan and My Name Is Shingo, until he retired from drawing manga in the mid 1990s. He is also a public figure in Japan, known for wearing red-and-white-striped shirts and doing his signature "Gwash" hand gesture.

Gaki no Tsukai No Laughing Batsu Game
Comedy, Reality • 2003 July

吉祥寺だけが住みたい街ですか?
Drama • 2016 October

Makoto-chan
Comedy, Animation • 1980 July

Hoodlum Soldier
Action, War, Comedy • 1965 March

Gu Gu, the Cat
Drama, Comedy • 2008 September

The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch
Horror, Thriller, Mystery • 1968 December

Yaji & Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims
Action, Comedy, Fantasy • 2005 April

Why Horror?
Documentary • 2014 October

Monster Heaven: Ghost Hero
Science Fiction, Horror, Action • 1990 July

Tokyo Zombie
Comedy, Horror • 2005 December