Kazuo Kamimura

上村一夫

Birth: March 7, 1940

Death: January 11, 1986

Age: 45

Hometown: Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Years Active: 1967 ~ 1985

Kamimura studied at the Musashino Art University and worked then as an illustrator. He made his debut in 1967. His illustrations adorned a huge amount of books and record covers. He attempted to go against existing taboos—e.g. in 1972, he created a scandal with "Dousei Jidai" (showing a swinging cohabitation of a unmarried couple). In the 70's and 80's, he became highly sought after as a gekiga artist. He was very productive and drew approximately 400 pages per month. On January 11th, 1986, he died of a tumor in his pharynx.