Kazuo Koike (小池 一夫 Koike Kazuo?, born May 8, 1936 in Daisen, Akita Prefecture) is a prolific Japanese manga writer. Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito and served as a writer on the series. Koike, along with artist Goseki Kojima, made the manga Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), and Koike also contributed to the scripts for the 1970s film adaptations of the series, which starred famous Japanese actor Tomisaburo Wakayama. Koike and Kojima became known as the "Golden Duo" because of the success of Lone Wolf and Cub. Another series written by Koike, Crying Freeman, which was illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, was adapted into a 1995 live-action film by French director Christophe Gans. Kazuo Koike started the Gekika Sonjuku, a college course meant to teach people how to be mangaka. In addition to his more violent, action-oriented manga, Koike, an avid golfer, has also written golf manga.
Notable graduates of Koike's Gekika Sonjuku
- Rumiko Takahashi - manga artist: Ranma ½ , InuYasha , Urusei Yatsura , etc
- Akira Sakuma - game designer, freelance writer: Momotetsu series
- Hideyuki Kikuchi - horror writer
- Tetsuo Hara - manga artist: Fist of the North Star
- Yuji Horii - game designer, freelance writer: Dragon Quest series
- Keisuke Itagaki - manga artist: Baki the Grappler
- Naoki Yamamoto - manga artist: Dance Till Tomorrow
Selected works
- Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf and Cub), with artist Goseki Kojima, 1970-1976
- Hulk: The Manga, with artist Yoshihiro Morifuji, 1970-?
- Shurayuki-hime (Lady Snowblood), with artist Kazuo Kamimura, 1972-1973
- Kubikiri Asa (Samurai Executioner), with artist Goseki Kojima, 1972-1976
- Seishun Dobutsuen Zoo (Adolescent Zoo), with artist Hiromi Yamasaki, 1978-1981
- Hanzo no Mon (Path of the Assassin), with artist Goseki Kojima, 1978-1984
- Mad Bull 34, with artist Noriyoshi Inoue, 1985-1991
- Crying Freeman, with artist Ryoichi Ikegami, 1986-1988
- The script to the 1973 film Lady Snowblood, with artist Kazuo Kamimura
- The manga series Hannape Bazooka with Go Nagai.
