'Cobra' Manga Author Buichi Terasawa Dies at 68

by Vindstot
Sep 11, 2023 10:23 PM | 26 Comments

Manga author Buichi Terasawa, best known for his manga Cobra (Space Adventure Cobra), died on September 8 due to a myocardial infarction. He was 68 years old.

The announcement was made Monday on Terasawa's work official Twitter by Manabu Furuse, representative of Terasawa Productions Inc. "Buichi Terasawa had survived three brain tumor surgeries with the same vitality as Cobra himself, but this time, he was caught off guard. It was a myocardial infarction," Furuse said. "We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your kindness during his life and respectfully inform you of his passing. The funeral will be held by family members only. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Buichi Terasawa."

Terasawa was born in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido Prefecture, in March 1955. He debuted in 1977 with the Cobra one-shot in the extra issue of Weekly Shounen Jump. The magazine began regular serialization of Cobra in 1978 where it ended in 1984.

In 1985, he began serializing Black Knight Bat in Weekly Shonen Jump. He founded Terasawa Productions In 1987 and became its president. In the same year, he serialized Midnight Eye Gokuu in Comic Burger magazine.

Terasawa announced on his official website in 2003 that a physical examination in 1998 revealed a malignant brain tumor for which he underwent surgery. Despite undergoing radiation and anticancer drug treatment, the tumor returned, and after the second surgery, he developed paralysis on the left side of his body. He used a wheelchair due to the side effects of the surgery. He began serializing a sequel to his original Cobra manga in November 2019 titled Cobra: Over the Rainbow.

VIZ Media licensed and published Cobra in English until the 12th issue. Creek ＆ River Co. licensed 15 volumes in digital format, including the original manga and various chapters from the sequel series.

The Space Adventure Cobra anime movie premiered in July 1982, which was followed by a television anime adaptation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha in Fall that year. The latest installment, Cobra The Animation, aired in Winter 2010.

Source: Livedoor News

News submitted by Doshigatai

Mangaka Life Event

20 of 26 Comments Recent Comments

@EcchiGodMamster Das a based lifestyle... Wut a total legend!!!

Sep 14, 2023 2:57 PM by Tighnnari

@Dakajkdjas

smoking, drinking, lack of exercise, sitting down all day, not going outside, theyre just asking for a heart attack/cancer, blood clot, carpel tunnel, etc

Sep 14, 2023 11:03 AM by EcchiGodMamster

R.I.P another legend 😢

Sep 13, 2023 8:57 PM by bethao1976

I was a little surprised that the author is not as old as I thought he would be.

Cobra... I remember watching this anime for some reason, thinking it was an old anime, and I found it very interesting. Also, unusually, my sister and I agreed that the main character was cooler before the surgery...

I've seen the anime version and would like to see the manga version.

RIP.

Sep 13, 2023 6:34 PM by kihel

Rest in peace sir.

Sep 13, 2023 12:44 PM by Hirax

@Lucifrost

oh ofc, im just saying ones that do

Sep 13, 2023 12:24 PM by EcchiGodMamster

EcchiGodMamster said:
the ones making it to their 80s are obviously people from a time when anime wasn't nearly as huge as it is now so theyre probably no longer doing the same amount of work as the younger ones dying far earlier or thats what i'd speculate

Tezuka and Ishinomori both died at 60. I think it's always been rare for mangaka to live past 80.

Sep 13, 2023 11:00 AM by Lucifrost

RIP

I'll always remember learning about Space Cobra through some one-off Gintama gag.

Sep 12, 2023 8:07 PM by Ochimusha

RIP. I wish this series was better known in America.

Sep 12, 2023 7:55 PM by malvarez1

@Kuma

i know its not at all exclusive to mangaka/animators, BUT those are particularly bad as theyre constantly sitting down inside hunched over all day

doesn't change what i said about them needing to slow it down cause regardless, that kind of lifestyle only increases risk of cancer

Sep 12, 2023 5:55 PM by EcchiGodMamster

@EcchiGodMamster mangaka job in general live average is not much different than other hard labor job in japan. just majority of people in japan didn't work on hard labour. we just exposed more because it's involved with our interest.

Sep 12, 2023 5:15 PM by Kuma

@Kuma

idk man, this shit is happening multiple times a year so its kinda hard to believe hes not another victim

Sep 12, 2023 4:33 PM by EcchiGodMamster

@EcchiGodMamster as far as i know, cobra author didn't have overwork history. his most popular works didn't run that long and he diagnosed with disease years after. his works since cobra also mostly has irregular slower schedule.

Sep 12, 2023 4:29 PM by Kuma

@Sondo

I didn't even know about Leiji Matsumoto... i was thinking Kimura Takahiro who died in March at 58 so another relatively young death... i guess that makes 4 this year

the ones making it to their 80s are obviously people from a time when anime wasn't nearly as huge as it is now so theyre probably no longer doing the same amount of work as the younger ones dying far earlier or thats what i'd speculate

i had mentioned this before but Kohei Horikoshi of Boku no Hero said his arm hurt so bad he wanted to amputate it.. so if he suddenly dies are people just gonna be like

OMG SO SAD, LEGEND, RIP or are they actually going to start encouraging mangaka to slowtf down?

Sep 12, 2023 8:53 AM by EcchiGodMamster

RIP
I've never read Cobra, but I've always been fascinated by this manga.
Terasawa was also a big supporter of the young Hirohiko Araki, without him Jojo might not exists.

EcchiGodMamster said:
At this point it seems we lose like 2-3 mangaka a year.. and that's 3 this year, ppl just say RIP and kinda just forget about it later as if that changes this bullshit

Do you mean Leiji Matsumoto and Nami Sano?
Matsumoto died at 85 and Sano died very soon after her cancer diagnosis.

Sep 12, 2023 7:53 AM by Sondo

@Kuma

But would he have had developed them without being overworked? I know of someone who died of a brain hemerage from overworking

At this point it seems we lose like 2-3 mangaka a year.. and that's 3 this year, ppl just say RIP and kinda just forget about it later as if that changes this bullshit

Sep 12, 2023 7:13 AM by EcchiGodMamster

RIP No doubt he was an OG

Sep 12, 2023 6:03 AM by KitsuFrost

RIP, haven't read any of his works but he was a OG of the industry no doubt!

Sep 12, 2023 5:22 AM by Ramkec

didn't he just announce new cobra project last year? RIP.

Sep 12, 2023 3:43 AM by Kuma

@EcchiGodMamster he diagnosed with brain tumor and cancer 30 years ago. of course overworking is an issue, but not for this one.

Sep 12, 2023 3:42 AM by Kuma

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