The Story Of Kohei Horikoshi – A Famous Japanese Manga Artist
My Hero Academia is a popular manga series about a boy in a world where 80% of the population has a superpower, while he is one of the unlucky 20% who are powerless.
The author, Kohei Horikoshi, was born in Aichi Prefecture and has always had a fascination with drawing and superheroes. In an interview at San Diego Comic Con, he states “Ever since I was a child, I've been drawing.” He mentions how when he was young he was an enormous fan of Dragon Ball, and tried to think about how what other characters would exist in that world and drew based on that. He even based a main character called All Might from his manga on Goku from Dragon Ball! He is also an avid fan of North American comics, which is evident in how there are elements of older Superman to All Might, having his attacks be named after American cities, such as his Detroit Smash, and dresses in American colors despite being Japanese. Horikoshi matched his style to be like that of classic North American superheroes, having All Might portray a bold, confident, and seemingly invincible character.
Also similar to North American heroes, All Might has his true form, and he takes on a totally new appearance. This is akin to the alter egos like that of famed heroes of DC and Marvel. Horikoshi’s interest in heroes like characters from DC, Marvel, and Dragon Ball likely played a substantial role in his inspiration for the series, his interest in drawing, as well as a source of ideas. My Hero Academia is published in Weekly Shonen Jump, the world’s most popular manga magazine. Horikoshi got started in Jump when in college he submitted work to one of Jump’s many submission contests. He was accepted after just one submission, which shows just how talented he is. Horikoshi’s passion for drawing led him into design school. In design school, Horikoshi realized he wasn’t learning skills applicable to being a manga artist, but still graduated. He did part time work as an illustrator during college as well. After college he freelanced for a little.
Horikoshi authored several other mangas, such as Tenko, My Hero, Shinka Rhapsody, Ōmagadoki Dōbutsuen, and Barrage, but none have reached the outstanding popularity My Hero Academia has achieved in a mere 4 years, becoming a worldwide sensation. It has over 13 million copies in print worldwide, an anime adaption currently on its third season, and a movie which is already climbing up the box office ranks. Horikoshi gets to practice his passion, something we all desire and envy. Not only does he get to do what he loves for a living, but he also found ways to incorporate all his other interests into it. When he was younger, he would read manga, which unknowingly taught him lessons he can utilize now as a professional manga creator.
