Fujiko A. Fujio dies at 88

Popular Japanese manga artist Fujiko A. Fujio dies at 88

Fujiko A. Fujio, a popular Japanese manga artist known for “Ninja Hattori-kun” and “The Laughing Salesman,” has died at his home near Tokyo, police said last Thursday. He was 88.

The cartoonist was also known for works such as “Kaibutsu-kun” (“The Monster Kid”), which has also been made into an anime series that’s available in some foreign countries. “The Laughing Salesman” is shown on video streaming giant Netflix.

Fujiko A. Fujio, whose real name is Motoo Abiko, worked with childhood friend Fujiko F. Fujio, the late creator of the famed cartoon series “Doraemon.” The duo went by the name Fujiko Fujio in a partnership that was later dissolved. Originally from Toyama Prefecture in central Japan, the duo moved to Tokyo in 1954 and went by the name Fujiko Fujio. They later found success with their hit series “Obake no Q-taro,” about a mischievous ghost. They ended the partnership in 1987.

“The Laughing Salesman,” now shown on video streaming giant Netflix, was considered one of his masterpieces. The story follows a mysterious salesman who offers to “fill the emptiness in people’s souls” and is notably darker than his other works.

Fujiko A. Fujio, whose real name was Motoo Abiko, worked with childhood friend Fujiko F. Fujio, the late creator of the famed cartoon series “Doraemon.”

Police were alerted Thursday morning that the cartoonist had collapsed at his home. In 2008, Fujiko A. Fujio was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.