Skull Man

Skull Man
Cover of the Skull Man tankōbon, as published in Japan by Kodansha
スカルマン
(Sukaru Man)
GenreSuperhero[1][2]
Manga
Written byShotaro Ishinomori
Published byKodansha
English publisher
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Magazine
DemographicShōnen
PublishedJanuary 1970
Volumes1
Manga
Written byKazuhiko Shimamoto
Published byMedia Factory
English publisher
Magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original runApril 7, 1998May 2001
Volumes7
Live-action television film
Directed byMakoto Yokoyama
StudioIshimori Productions
Original networkFuji TV
ReleasedApril 21, 2007
Runtime30 minutes
Anime television series
Directed byTakeshi Mori
Produced byKōji Yamamoto
Yūki Mori
Masahiro Yoshida
Makoto Watanabe
Jinichirō Koyama
Written byYutaka Izubuchi
Music byShirō Sagisu
StudioIshimori Entertainment
Bones
Licensed by
Original networkFuji TV
English network
Original run April 28, 2007 July 22, 2007
Episodes13
Manga
Written byMeimu
Published byKodansha
MagazineMagazine Z
DemographicSeinen
Original runMay 2, 2007October 24, 2007
Volumes2

Skull Man (Japanese: スカルマン, Hepburn: Sukaru Man) is a shōnen manga series created by Shotaro Ishinomori which first appeared in Weekly Shōnen Magazine in 1970. The hero of the story, whose parents have been murdered, grows up to use his peculiar powers to take revenge. The original Skull Man was one of the first antiheroes to be seen in manga, someone who would sacrifice the lives of innocents in his quest for vengeance.

While developing the Kamen Rider (Masked Rider) TV series along with producer Toru Hirayama, Ishinomori created this manga as his own personal version, which the producers at Toei Company Ltd. used as the basis for the show.[which?] They made several changes to the content, as Ishinomori's original 100-page one-shot story was too dark and gruesome (even cerebral) for a show for all ages at the time.[citation needed]

In the late 1990s, after he had fallen ill, Ishinomori contacted manga artist Kazuhiko Shimamoto to do a remake (ambiguously a continuation) of his original one-shot manga.[3] This remake boasted an extensive, continuing storyline and more complex artwork (along with a tribute to Ishinomori in the final issue, with several of his famous characters gathered together).[citation needed] This was the manga that was presented in the US by Tokyopop. The original 1970 version was digitally released in English by Ishimori Productions in 2012.[4] An animated TV series adaptation, produced by Ishimori Productions and animated by Bones, was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 28, 2007 to July 22, 2007.[citation needed]

  1. ^ "Skull Man Manga from Tokyopop".
  2. ^ "Tokyopop Licenses Skull Man Manga – AnimeNation Anime News Blog".
  3. ^ Shimamoto, Kazuhiko (2002). The Skull man. Ishinomori, Shōtarō, 1938-1998., Yoshimoto, Ray. Los Angeles, Calif.: Tokyopop. ISBN 9781931514651. OCLC 52120460.
  4. ^ "Skullman". Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2013.