The editorial department of manga anthology Big Comic announced the passing of Takao Saito, creator of the long running series Golgo 13, from pancreatic cancer at the age of 84.
Best known for his long running magnum opus, centered around the titular antihero assassin and his globetrotting adventures around the world (and often based in real world events), Saito’s work made up an artistic rebellion from the Disney-inspired manga design of Tezuka. He, alongside other likeminded artists, pushed a new style of design, focusing on more adult themes and realistic designs, which they referred to as gekiga, in order to further differentiate themselves from the then-current manga industry. This new art style would become influential in the manga industry, and would become a major influence in shaping the medium to what we know it to be today. (Interestingly, while Saito was disdainful of Tezuka’s design philosophy, his own relationship with his most famous creation echoed the latter’s “star system” with regards to treating their characters as actors being directed.)
While Golgo 13 was international in scope, its design philosophy was very much centered in Japanese culture and thought, as seen in an interview with Saito by the Financial Times in 2015. He was initially opposed to attempts starting in the 80s to bring his series to international markets, thinking that it would be too Japanese for Western audiences – and was surprised to find instead a receptive audience attracted to the dark, hard boiled world he had created.