Wikipedia

Shinichi Ishizuka

Shinichi Ishizuka (Japanese: 石塚真一, Hepburn: Ishizuka Shin'ichi, born 1971) is a Japanese manga artist. He made his debut in 2001 and began his first series, Gaku: Minna no Yama, a manga about mountain climbing, in Big Comic Original in 2003, where it was serialized until 2012. He also created Blue Giant, a manga about jazz, and its sequels, which have been serialized in Big Comic since 2013.

Shinichi Ishizuka
石塚真一
Ishizuka in 2023
Born1971 (age 52–53)
Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Area(s)Manga artist
Notable works
Awards

Ishizuka studied at universities in the United States, where he was introduced to mountain climbing and given an increased exposure to jazz. After returning to Japan and being laid off, he began working towards becoming a manga artist and published the one-shot The First Step in 2001. His works Gaku: Minna no Yama and Blue Giant have both received film adaptations and awards, including the Manga Taishō, Shogakukan Manga Award, and a grand prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival.

Biography

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Ishizuka was born in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1971.[1] After graduating from high school, he attended Southern Illinois University's Niigata campus, before moving to its main campus. He later transferred to San Jose State University to study meteorology.[1][2] During his time in the United States, a friend of his told him that he chose to study archeology abroad after reading Master Keaton by Naoki Urasawa. Ishizuka was surprised by this answer and desired to create manga with a similar impact.[3] One of Ishizuka's roommates during this time was fond of mountain climbing and introduced it to him.[3] He also gained an increased exposure to jazz music.[4] He described jazz and mountain climbing as "the two souvenirs I brought back [from the United States]".[2]

Upon returning to Japan, Ishizuka worked at an import company run by an acquaintance from the United States. However, the company went bankrupt within six months of him joining.[2] After being laid off, he decided to become a manga artist and began to draw manga in his spare time while working part-time teaching English.[5] In 2001, he submitted the one-shot The First Step to the Shogakukan Newcomer Manga Award [ja]; it won the award in the general category.[3] After winning the award, he began to pursue drawing manga full-time and quit his job, despite his boss at the time telling him it would be "absolutely impossible" to become a manga artist.[3] He initially worked as an assistant for six months.[5]

On September 20, 2003, Ishizuka began serializing Gaku: Minna no Yama, a manga about mountain climbing, in Shogakukan's Big Comic Original magazine. It completed its serialization on June 5, 2012.[6] It won the first Manga Taishō in 2008[7] and the 54th Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga in 2009.[8] It received a live-action film adaptation in 2011.[9] It also won an excellence prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2012.[6]

Ishizuka began serializing Blue Giant, a manga about jazz, in Shogakukan's Big Comic magazine on May 10, 2013.[10] It completed its serialization on August 25, 2016.[11] It won the 62nd Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category in 2007;[12] it also won the grand prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in the same year.[13] It received an anime film adaptation in 2023.[14] A second series, titled Blue Giant Supreme, was serialized in Big Comic from September 10, 2016, to April 25, 2020.[11][15] The third series, titled Blue Giant Explorer, was serialized in Big Comic from May 25, 2020, to May 10, 2023.[16][17] A fourth series, titled Blue Giant Momentum, began serialization in Big Comic on July 25, 2023.[17]

Influences

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Ishizuka has stated he learned to draw from the works of Urasawa and Kenshi Hirokane, before incorporating his own style.[3] Ishizuka has particularly cited Hirokane for inspiration, describing his works as being very easy to read.[3] He cited Shuichi Shigeno's manga Bari Bari Densetsu and Tetsuya Chiba's manga Notari Matsutarō for inspiration drawing movement and crowds, respectively.[3][18] Ishizuka also stated he was influenced by Tsuribaka Nisshi by Jūzō Yamasaki and Kenichi Kitami [ja].[18]

Works

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Series

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Title Year Magazine Notes Ref.
Gaku: Minna no Yama 2003–2012 Big Comic Original [6]
Sonde Yoshi! (そんでよし!) 2009 Big Comic Original Special Edition Based on a one-shot [19]
Blue Giant 2013–2016 Big Comic [10][11]
Hokurō: Last Hunter (北狼 ラストハンター, Hokurō Rasuto Hantā) 2013–present Big Comic Spirits Irregular serialization[20] [21]
Blue Giant Supreme 2016–2020 Big Comic [11][15]
Blue Giant Explorer 2020–2023 Big Comic [16][17]
Blue Giant Momentum 2023–present Big Comic [17]

Short works

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Title Year Magazine Notes Ref.
The First Step 2002 Big Comic Original Special Edition One-shot [3]
Tokyo Check In 2005 Big Comic Original Short series [22]
50 Years Later 2024 Big Comic Original One-shot; written by Number 8 [23]

Other

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References

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  1. ^ a b 石塚真一. Mangapedia [ja] (in Japanese). Voyage Group. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Ichishi, Haruo (May 22, 2017). 『BLUE GIANT』の石塚真一氏　遅咲きデビューまでの日々. News Post Seven [ja] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Tommy (February 26, 2021). 『BLUE GIANT』を描く漫画家、石塚真一が語る、創作表現とジャズへの想い. Tokion (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  4. ^ ジャズこそが"若者の熱く激しい音楽"だと思いたいんです。. Kobe Jazz (in Japanese). Denso Ten. August 4, 2016. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Yamashina, Kiyoharu (May 17, 2016). 担当編集者が語る、ビッグな名作が生まれる現場！『岳―みんなの山―』担当編集者 勝木 大 氏インタビュー. Ebigcomic4 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c 優秀賞 – 岳　みんなの山 (in Japanese). Japan Media Arts Festival. Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  7. ^ Loo, Egan (March 31, 2008). "Shinichi Ishizuka Wins First Ever Manga Taisho for Gaku". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  8. ^ Loo, Egan (January 21, 2009). "54th Shogakukan Manga Award Winners Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  9. ^ Bunao, Daryl (February 3, 2011). "News: Gaku, English Pokemon BW & SoraKake Promos Streamed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 5, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Nelkin, Sarah (April 29, 2013). "Gaku's Ishizuka Starts Blue Giant Manga About Jazz". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d Pineda, Rafael (August 24, 2016). "Blue Giant Jazz Manga Ends, But Sequel Series Begins in September". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  12. ^ Ressler, Karen (January 23, 2017). "Mob Psycho 100, More Win 62nd Shogakukan Manga Awards". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  13. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (March 16, 2017). "Blue Giant, 'your name.,' Shin Godzilla Win Media Arts Awards". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  14. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 21, 2022). "Blue Giant Anime Film Reveals Main Staff, February 2023 Opening". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 25, 2020). "Shinichi Ishizuka's Blue Giant Supreme Manga Ends". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 9, 2020). "Shinichi Ishizuka Launches Blue Giant Explorer Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d Cayanan, Joanna (May 9, 2023). "Blue Giant Manga Starts 'New York Arc' in July". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Maeda, Takahiro (July 2, 2021). 『BLUE GIANT』石塚真一先生にガチアンケート！. Manba (in Japanese). Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  19. ^ 「岳」の石塚＆「不安の種」中山、オリジナル増刊で新連載. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 12, 2009. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  20. ^ 石塚真一がハンター描く「北狼」新作、オリジナルに掲載. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 20, 2014. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  21. ^ 「岳」の石塚真一、狩人が命の重さ考える新作「北狼」開始. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 5, 2013. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  22. ^ TOKYO CHECK IN［東京チェックイン］ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  23. ^ 「BLUE GIANT」の石塚真一×NUMBER 8が描くSF読み切り、BCオリジナルに登場. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 20, 2024. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  24. ^ 「BLUE GIANT」の石塚真一、松田聖子ジャズアルバムのジャケット描き下ろし. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 8, 2017. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
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