Japanese Cartoonist Shigeru Mizuki, Creator of GeGeGe no Kitaro, Dies at 93

Shigeru Mizuki, the Japanese cartoonist renowned for his horror manga series GeGeGe no Kitaro, passed away in Tokyo at age 93. His career began after surviving World War II, during which he lost his left arm while fighting in New Guinea. Many of his works drew directly from these battlefield experiences, including the critically acclaimed Soin Gyokusai Seyo! (Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, 1973). That book later earned the Heritage Essential Award at the Angouleme International Comics Festival in France in 2009. Mizuki's characters and stories inspired numerous television and film adaptations. A museum dedicated to his work opened in his native region in 2003. The Japan Times reported his death on 30 November 2015.