Tetsuya Chiba, Creator of the Manga Rocky Joe, Dies at 87

Japanese manga artist Tetsuya Chiba, creator of boxer Joe Yabuki in Rocky Joe (Ashita no Joe), died in Tokyo on October 22 at the age of 87. His longtime publisher Kodansha announced his death on October 27 and said his funeral was held privately, with a memorial ceremony under consideration. Launched in 1968 with a story by Asao Takamori, the series sold more than 20 million copies and made a mark on Japanese society; in 1970, a real funeral was held for a character who died in the manga. The first manga artist to receive Japan’s Order of Culture, in 2024, Chiba continued drawing until health issues led to the suspension of his Hinemosu Notari Nikki series in September.