Gosaku Ota, Manga Artist Behind Goldrake and Mazinga, Dies at 74

Gosaku Ota, the manga artist who brought to life the iconic robots Goldrake and Mazinga Z, died on December 12 at a hospital in Gunma Prefecture due to pneumonia caused by COVID-19. He was 74. Ota was the longtime right-hand man of Go Nagai, transforming Nagai's fantasy visions into legendary drawings. Born in 1948 in Kaminoyama, Yamagata Prefecture, Ota began his career as an assistant to Shotaro Ishinomori, creator of the Power Rangers. In the 1970s, he became one of Nagai's closest collaborators, co-creating Mazinga Z and Goldrake. He also worked on the second half of Machine Saurer and launched the fishing manga Tsuri Baka Taishō in 1981. In Italy, his manga were published by Fabbri in the 1980s and later reprinted by Granata Press. The news of his death was announced by his family and confirmed by Haruka Takachiho, co-founder of Studio Nue.