Monkey Punch, creator of Lupin III, dies at 81

Kazuhiko Katō, known as Monkey Punch, the manga artist behind the globally iconic character Lupin III, died at age 81 from pneumonia. Born on May 26, 1937, in Hamanaka, Hokkaidō, he initially worked as a radiologist at Kushiro Red Cross Hospital before being encouraged by the hospital director to pursue manga. He debuted in 1965 with Pureiboi Nyumon in Maga Action, and in 1967 created Lupin III for Weekly Manga Action. The series became a massive success, spawning five anime series, ten films, and numerous specials. Monkey Punch drew the manga until 1985, then handed it to collaborators. He later earned a degree in Communication Sciences and taught Manga Language at university until 2010. He maintained close ties with Italy's Kappa Boys (Andrea Baricordi, Massimiliano De Giovanni, Andrea Pietroni, Barbara Rossi), who oversaw Italian editions. They recall him visiting Italy in 1994 for Lucca Comics, where he created a special Lupin episode "Alis Plaudo," and again in 2001 for Romics. He also granted them permission to write new Lupin stories for the miniseries Lupin III Millennium. At the Angoulême International Comics Festival, he once struggled to get an author pass until the Kappa Boys showed his photo in their catalog. Monkey Punch was known for his enthusiasm, curiosity about technology (drawing on tablets and coloring on computer in the early 1990s), and generosity.