Leiji Matsumoto

Leiji Matsumoto
Matsumoto signing books at the Geneva book fair in May, 2014.
Native name	松本零士
Born	Akira Matsumoto (松本晟, Matsumoto Akira?) (1938-01-25) January 25, 1938 (age 79) Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Known for	character design, illustration
Notable work	Space Battleship Yamato, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999
Awards	Order of the Rising Sun Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Leiji Matsumoto (松本零士, Matsumoto Reiji^?, born Akira Matsumoto (松本晟), January 25, 1938 in Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan) is a well-known creator of several anime and manga series. His wife Miyako Maki is also known as a manga artist.

Matsumoto is famous for his space operas such as Space Battleship Yamato. His style is characterized by tragic heroes; tall, slender, fragile-looking heroines with strong wills and in some cases, god-like powers; and a love of analog gauges and dials in his spacecraft.

Matsumoto made his debut under his real name, Akira Matsumoto, in 1953. His wife is shōjo manga artist Miyako Maki (better known as the creator of the doll Licca-chan, the Japanese equivalent of Barbie).

Matsumoto had his big break with Otoko Oidon, a series that chronicled the life of a rōnin (a young man preparing for university entrance exams), in 1971. Around the same time he started a series of unconnected short stories set during World War II, Senjo Manga Series, which would eventually become popular under the title The Cockpit.

He was involved in Space Battleship Yamato (1974) and created the highly popular series Space Pirate Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999 (both 1977). In 1978, he was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen for Galaxy Express 999 and Senjo Manga Series. Animated versions of Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999 are set in the same universe, which spanned several spin offs and related series, most notably Queen Emeraldas and Queen Millennia.