Last Monday, the 13th, Makiko Matsumoto announced to the BBC the death of her father, Leiji Matsumoto, aged 85. The artist, known for his work with “Captain Harlock: Space Pirate”, died of heart failure in a hospital in Tokyo.
Makiko, Matsumoto’s daughter and representative, made a statement on Twitter with the following message:
“Manga artist Leiji Matsumoto set out on a journey to the sea of stars. (…) He always said, ‘We will meet again at this place where the wheels of time intersect.’ We believe in those words and hope that day will come.”
His daughter thanked the support of fans, all the people involved in the publication of her father’s works and the entire medical team, who “helped him prepare for this trip“. The family funeral honors have already been celebrated.
The Life of Leiji Matsumoto
On January 25, 1938, in Kurume, in the Fukuoka region of Japan, Akira Matsumoto (the mangaka’s birth name) was born.
His first contact with drawing was at the age of 6, and at 9 he came across the work “Shin Takarajima” (New Treasure Island, 1947), by author Osamu Tezuka, considered the father of modern manga. It was through this contact that Akira discovered his vocation as a mangaka.
At age 15, now as Leiji Matsumoto, he published his first work, “Mitsubachi no Boken” (Adventures of the Honey Bee), in the magazine Shonen Mage. The artist began to gain prominence in the manga market in 1970, with “Otoko Oidon”, which tells the story of a poor young man preparing for university exams.
However, the work that made Matsumoto’s name was “Captain Harlock: Space Pirate.” This work paved the way for a rich universe that includes “Space Battleship Yamato,” “Galaxy Express 999,” and “Queen Emeraldas.”
Leiji Matsumoto’s career has gone beyond the pages of manga and anime. The author collaborated with the duo Daft Punk on several music videos for the album “Discovery”.
Due to his contributions to artistic development and achievement, the Japanese government presented Matsumoto with the Purple Ribbon Medal in 2001. He was also honored in 2010 with the Gold Ribbon with Scarlet Rays of the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure.
