Based on an early classmate of Osamu Tezuka, Akashi is the leader of a school gang. With the entire school terrified of him, he preys on the students who are weaker and smaller than he is. However, Akashi does have a secret love of manga and eventually becomes friends with Osamu Tezuka - especially after Tezuka draws him a picture of his beautiful fantasy girl, Kumiko.
Hiroshi Fujimoto is one half (along with Motoo Abiko) of one of the most prolific manga writing teams known as Fujiko Fujio - the creator of Doraemon. Born in Toyama on 1 December 1933, he passed away on 23 September 1996 at the age of 62.
Born in Aomori Prefecture in October 1927, Noboru Baba moved to Tokyo in 1949 to begin a career as a manga artist, soon making a name for himself drawing manga for young boys. However, in Tezuka's manga he seems to have fallen on hard times, and is most often cast in the role of a beggar or vagrant. Although he usually finds himself relegated to small, background roles, he is a specialist in dolling out bits of sage advice.
Azuma is a manga artist who made his professional debut in 1969 in the Akita Shoten manga magazine Manga King and made an appearance in Tezuka's Rainbow Parakeet (1981-83).
A real-life pioneer Japanese artist of comical manga known as the "Gag Manga King", Fujio Akatsuka was born in Rehe, Manchuria, as the son of a Japanese military police officer. After World War II, he grew up in Niigata Prefecture and Nara Prefecture. When he was 19, he moved to Tokyo.
The real-life mangaka, born in 1934 in Himi, Toyama Prefecture, Japan. Better known as "Fujiko Fujio A", the pen name he shares with his partner Hiroshi Fujimoto, Motoo is the co-creator of the popular character Doraemon.
Born on March 3, 1921 was the real-life manga artist of a popular judo-themed manga. Despite an occaisonally heated rivalry, he was a friend of Tezuka's who, somewhat infamously, died of karoshi ('overwork") on June 26, 1954 while putting the finishing touches on a manga supplement with a tight deadline.
Ongoing Serial: a series of episodes, published over a span of weeks/months/years where the story plot is connected from chapter to chapter and must be read in chronological order for it to be understood properly.
Chapter Serial: a series of episodes, published over a span of weeks/months/years where the story plot is self-contained to a single chapter. There may be an overarching plot, but the stories can generally be read in any order and be understood
Book: an all-in-one self contained story published as a one-off.
Supplement: an an all-in-one self contained story published as a stand-alone supplement to a regular weekly/monthly periodical.
Short Story: an all-in-one, self contained story that was published in a regular weekly/monthly periodical
Anthology: a collection of all-in-one, self contained stories that were published in a regular weekly/monthly periodical but are generally grouped together.