Kojima, Goseki

Personal Information

Goseki Kojima (November 3, 1928 – January 5, 2000) was a Japanese manga artist who shared his birthday with Osamu Tezuka. Following his junior high school graduation, he supported himself by painting advertising posters for movie theaters. In 1950, Kojima relocated to Tokyo, where the post-World War II atmosphere fostered manga aimed at impoverished audiences. During this period, he produced artwork for kamishibai, or "paper play" narrators, before transitioning to creating works for the kashi-bon market. His first manga published in a magazine, Dojinki, appeared in 1967. In 1970, he teamed up with writer Kazuo Koike to create Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), which became their most renowned work; the pair were subsequently known as "the Golden Duo." Kojima passed away on January 5, 2000, at the age of 71.