Ashita no Joe Creator Tetsuya Chiba Dies at 87
Anime News Network • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Manga creator Tetsuya Chiba passed away on October 22 at age 87 due to myelodysplastic syndrome, a blood cancer affecting the bone marrow.
- Chiba had recently put his autobiographical manga Hinemosu Notari Nikki on hiatus in September due to declining health and had undergone multiple surgeries since 2021, including heart and eye operations.
- Best known for his influential boxing manga Ashita no Joe (1968-1973), Chiba's work inspired several anime adaptations and the 2018 sci-fi re-imagining Megalobox, with its sequel airing in 2021.
- In 2022, Chiba became one of the first manga creators nominated to the Japan Art Academy and served as chair of the Japan Cartoonists Association.
- He was the first manga artist to receive the prestigious Order of Culture award in 2024, recognizing his outstanding contributions to Japanese culture.
