Who was Fujiko Fujio A? Tributes pour in as famed manga artist and Doraemon co-creator dies aged 88

On Thursday, April 7, Japanese media reported that the renowned manga artist Fujiko Fujio A (Motoo Abiko) passed away at the age of 88.

As per local reports, his death was confirmed by the Tokyo police. The reports stated that the late cartoonist reportedly died at his home in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, near Tokyo and was found outside his house. However, the cause of his death is not publicly known at the moment.

While Abiko passed away at 88, his childhood friend and former writing partner Fujimoto Hiroshi died in 1996 from liver failure.

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What is known about Fujiko Fujio A?

Fujiko Fujio A was the pseudonym of Motoo Abiko, while Fujiko F Fujio was Fujimoto Hiroshi's pen-name. Abiko was also the eldest son of his father, who was a priest in a temple in the central Toyama region. Following the demise of his father, while he was in fifth grade, Abiko reportedly met Fujimoto Hiroshi. The duo formed their legendary partnership in 1951.

The two artists were collectively known as Fujiko Fujio, which they had adopted in 1954. Fujiko A. Fujio, aka Motoo Abiko, was known for manga works like Ninja Hattori-kun (Ninja Hattori) series, Kaibutsu-kun (The Monster Kid), Urutora B (Ultra B), and more.

Fujiko Fujio A and Fujiko F Fujio shifted their base to Tokyo in 1954 after collaborating on multiple mangas throughout the 1950s. A decade later, the duo formed their own manga production house, Fujiko Studio Co., Ltd. At the time, the two reportedly focused on adventure comics that catered to the pre-teenage audience. In the 1970s, the partnership focused on comics with more mature content catering to adults. Numerous works by them were turned into cartoon series in the 1970s and later.

Motoo Abiko and Fujimoto Hiroshi's firm Fujiko Studio Co Ltd. were responsible for iconic manga and projects like Astro Boy and Doraemon, which have become a global phenomenon amd changed the course of Japanese manga culture. The introduction of such comics ended up having multiple animated projects on them, which later became uber-popular all over the globe.

Prior to the creation of Doraemon, Abiko got married in 1966 at the age of 32. Later, in the early 1970s, the iconic robotic cat was brought to the TV screen, which ushered the duo into new-found popularity.

Following the massive success of Doraemon anime projects, Fujiko Fujio A and Fujiko F Fujio ended their creative partnership to focus on their solo projects. After their official separation from the partnership, the two artists adopted their respective pseudonyms.

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Condolences rush in for the late manga artist,

After Japanese media reported the news of his demise, tributes about the late artist rushed in online. Numerous tweets stressed the legacy left behind by Fujiko Fujio A (aka Motoo Abiko).

In the late 2010s, the Fujiko Fujio museum was opened, which showcased the duo's former works. As per reports, Fujiko Fujio A last contributed to PARman no Jōnetsuteki na Hibi (PARman's Passionate Days) and was associated with the project from 2007 to 2015.