Pop Japan

Known in real life as Kiyoshi Nagai, this mangaka here has made history when he created one of the well-loved mechas of all time, Mazinger Z. He actually got the credit for pioneering the Super Robot genre wherein the mechas were not merely robots but were complete with a cockpit wherein the pilot could jump in to control the giant robot.

Being one of the most revered figures in the animation industry, he chose to pay it forward to the new generation when he became a professor of Design of Osaka University of Arts in 2005.

Photo by Georges Seguin (Okki). Licensed under Creative Commons. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

Tags: kiyoshi nagai, go nagai, mazinger z, super robot genre, cockpit, piloted robot, design professor, osaka university of arts