Writing
45
Man
Sep 3, 1936 (88)
Kōya, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
Kazuo Umezz
Kazuo Umezu or Kazuo Umezz (楳図 かずお, Umezu Kazuo, birth name 楳図一雄; born September 3, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist, musician and actor. Starting his career in the 1950s, he is among the most famous artists of horror manga and has been vital for its development, considered the "god of horror manga". In 1960s shōjo manga like Reptilia, he broke the industry's conventions by combining the aesthetics of the commercial manga industry with gruesome visual imagery inspired by Japanese folktales, which created a boom of horror manga and influenced manga artists of following generations. He created successful manga series such as The Drifting Classroom, Makoto-chan and My Name Is Shingo, until he retired from drawing manga in the mid 1990s. He is also a public figure in Japan, known for wearing red-and-white-striped shirts and doing his signature "Gwash" hand gesture.
| Year | Movie / TV show / Other | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Kaidan. Strange Stories of Japanese Ghosts | Himself |
| 2016 | 吉祥寺だけが住みたい街ですか？ | Kazuo Umezu |
| 2014 | Why Horror? | Self |
| 2008 | Gu Gu, the Cat | Umezu |
| 2006 | God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand | |
| 2005 | Tokyo Zombie | Akiyama / Prince |
| 2005 | Yaji & Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims | Old Man |
| 2003 | Gaki no Tsukai No Laughing Batsu Game | Guest |
| 2003 | Gozamareji | |
| 1993 | Kazuo Umezu's Terror Zone: Horror! | |
| 1990 | Monster Heaven: Ghost Hero | |
| 1986 | Monster Heaven | |
| 1980 | Makoto-chan | |
| 1968 | The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch | Taxi Driver |
| 1965 | Hoodlum Soldier |