Last we looked at Shonen Jump's 19-year run of yearly covers featuring various mangaka in all their photographed glory, we saw Shueisha slowly expand its horizons with the concept. After a few years of simple "New Years kimono" covers, we saw the mangaka dress like spacemen, American football players, ready to attend a matsuri, Warring States period daimyo, & even futuristic high-flyers. We've seen the "full runs" of mangaka like Hiroshi Motomiya, Shinji Hiramatsu, & Yoshihiro Takahashi, while the likes of Masami Kurumada, Yudetamago, Akira Miyashita, & Yoichi Takahashi have stuck in there, though we all know that their most iconic works are nearing their respective ends. Likewise, mangaka like Osamu Akimoto & Akira Toriyama are already feeling like evergreen mangaka in that they'll never leave these covers, and with the second half of the "Golden Age of Jump" left to cover, we'll be sure to see even more iconic names.
So let's get straight to this latter half & start with the end of the 80s!
After a four-year stint of single-numbered issues for these mangaka covers, we break the streak with 1989's combined Issue #5+6, which features 19 mangaka. So, after seeing everyone fly in the sky the previous year, it only makes sense that Shueisha would do something similar the next, so for this cover we have everyone donning power suits as literal "Cosmo Warriors"! No, this has no relation to Saint Seiya, though Masami Kurumada is definitely "front & center"... though not literally in the center, as those would be Hirohiko Araki & the only appearance we'll see of Kazushi Hagiwara (Bastard!!). Due to the non-standard grouping, it's tough to really say that anyone's on the "front row", but the most prominent (i.e. the largest) are easily Kurumada, Osamu Akimoto, Akira Toriyama, Akira Miyashita, & (arguably) Yoichi Takahashi, who had ended Captain Tsubasa the previous year & was now doing tennis manga Sho no Densetsu. Likewise, Tetsuo Hara is still making an appearance, even though Fist of the North Star had now ended, & in its place is Cyber Blue. Motoei Shinzawa also returns with new manga Boku wa Shitataka-kun, while Masaya Tokuhiro returns after a four-year cover hiatus with the manga he'd become most well known for, Jungle King Tar-chan; Shinji Imaizumi, who had previously appeared in 1987, also returns with his major work, Kami-sama wa Southpaw. As for newcomers, the main one is definitely Masanori Morita (Rokudenashi BLUES), who'd be on every single mangaka cover from here on out, though we shouldn't ignore Tatsuya Egawa (Magical Taruruuto-kun). Finally, though Yudetamago is nowhere to be seen anymore due to the quick end of Yurei Kozou ga Yattekita!, the duo still are in the issue, due to the original one-shot for Scrap Sandayu, which would also wind up being a really short series in the end. This is kind of the only mangaka cover that one can call a "sequel" to a previous one, and while it's not quite as memorable as 1988's weirdness, it's still a cool one, nonetheless.
We finally enter a new decade with 1990's Issue #6... And, no, the 20 mangaka seen here are not all dressing up like characters from Saint Seiya, which itself would be ending later the same year. No, the theme here is "Great Braves", though I'd just say that they're all spearmen. This cover is notable for a few reasons, two of which are due to the composition itself. First, it's easily the most regimented cover of them all, as everyone's lined up neatly in five rows of four (or four columns of five, if you're feeling pedantic), making it very easy to identify who's seen & which manga they're currently making. Second, due to the headpieces, no one is allowed to wear any sort of eye wear, making this the only cover in which Akira Toriyama is seen without glasses, not to mention the only time you can actually see Tsukasa Hojo's eyes! Third, this marks the final time Masami Kurumada would appear on a mangaka cover, as aside from 1984 he's appeared on every single cover so far, alongside Osamu Akimoto; Kurumada would remain with Jump until 1992, but is done with for this retrospective. Third, we have a trifecta of mangaka named "Koji" here, with Koji Koseki, a returning Koji Maki (The Green Eyes) for his last cover, & newcomer Koji Inada (Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken)! Fourth, this cover marks the return of Masakazu Katsura (Video Girl Ai), while it's also the debut of a young man named Yoshihiro Togashi (Ten de Showaru Cupid); yes, Yu Yu Hakusho was NOT his debut manga. Beyond all of that, it's just a really well done & unique cover, especially in how serious every generally looks, though some manage to sneak in some amusing faces, like Masaya Tokuhiro looking semi-bored, Akira Miyashita looking a little confused, & Hirohiko Araki (JoJo: Stardust Crusaders) looking like he's just happy to be there. A really good way to start the 90s, honestly.
Up next is 1991's Issue #5, in which all 19 mangaka have become F1 Champions! If this sounds weird, even though we've definitely seen weirder, this one at least actually has an explanation for it. You see, F1 racing legend Ayrton Senna was a super big name in Japan, so in 1990 Shueisha was able to make a sponsorship deal with Senna's McLaren team, resulting in the Shonen Jump logo appearing on the very front tip of Ayrton's MP4/5 during the 1990 season (you can just barely see it on the cover), and Akira Toriyama even drew some Dragon Ball artwork as a bit of cross-promotion. Coincidentally enough, Senna would actually win the 1990 & 1991 championships, before a freak accident during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix resulted in Senna's death at the young age of 34; fellow race driver Roland Ratzenberger died in a separate accident during qualifiers the day prior. Still, this cover is three years before Senna & Ratzenberger's deaths, so let's have some fun looking at it. We have a five-man front row this time around, with Tsukasa Hojo, Akira Toriyama, Osamu Akimoto, Akira Miyashita, & Yoichi Takahashi (Ace!), while Tetsuo Hara (Hana no Keiji) finally makes it near the front for once; Hara actually wasn't a part of 1990's cover, so it's also a return for him. We also see Yudetamago (Kickboxer Mamoru) in the second row, in what would be the duo's final appearance on a mangaka cover. This cover also has a lot of first-time appearances, though the major ones would be the infamous Gataro☆Man (Chinyuki) & Takehiko Inoue (Slam Dunk), both of whom are in the top row. Finally, a couple of mangaka have switched to other manga since last time, namely Masaya Tokuhiro (New Jungle King Tar-chan) & Yoshihiro Togashi (Yu Yu Hakusho). This is definitely one of the best mangaka covers of them all, everyone holding plaques of their lead characters is a nice touch, but today it also makes for a good remembrance for Ayrton Senna.
Oh boy, have I been looking forward to looking at this cover, because it sure is a doozy. Allow me to introduce you to 1992's Issue #5, which sees all of the mangaka dressed up like a bizarre group of... "Space Pirates", according to the cover itself. In terms of a "front row", it's tough to really identify one due to everyone's positioning, but there's no doubt that Osamu Akimoto, now sporting a stylish eyepatch, is the main attraction, while Akira Toriyama is the closest thing to being "right next to" him. Meanwhile... There's Hirohiko Araki over on the very bottom left, who is armed with a giant axe & a face that simply says "I'm off to kill some b----es," in the most unnervingly calm fashion possible; it's without a doubt the greatest visual you'll ever find across all 19 mangaka covers. Right next to Araki is Koji Koseki (Pennant Race: Yamada Taichi no Kiseki), looking very happy to be sitting next to a cold-blooded killer in the making, while Tetsuo Hara & Masakazu Katsura make their most prominent appearances yet. Beyond the wild motif & Araki's amazing reaction, though, this cover is really notable for its newcomers, as we have four notable ones to cover. There's Kazuki Takahashi (Tennenshoku Danji Buray) on the top right, at the time using the name Kazumasa Takahashi, who's still a good 4+ years out from the debut of his biggest work; yes, Takahashi was in manga for a LOOOOOONG time before he hit it big. Next to him is Yuko Asami (Ten yori Takaku!), who is the first (of only two) female mangaka to ever appear across the entire 19-year history of these covers; like Takahashi, she's here a fair bit prior to her biggest work. Then we have Shin Mitsuhara (Outer Zone), who would actually go on to marry Yuko Asami later in life, so that's cool! Finally, we have the mangaka cover debut for the legendary Takeshi Obata, who at the time was drawing... Majin Boukentan Lamp Lamp!
What, haven't you ever heard of Arabian Lamp Lamp? Yeah, me neither, but it's still Obata right in dead center of this cover, giving easily the most enthusiastic reaction of all. Simply put, this cover is just amazing, and it's the last time Shueisha would go all out with the insanity like this.
Really, after dressing up like space pirates, it's pretty much impossible to outdo that, so it's completely understandable that 1993's combined Issue #5+6 goes for something more subdued & classy, namely an award show motif; fitting for Jump's 25th Anniversary year. Also, we see the return of the main character's accompanying their respective mangaka, which would become a regular thing going forward until near the end. Moving on, out front row (or would that be "biggest winners"?) is made up Akira Toriyama, Osamu Akimoto (now having truly taken Hiroshi Motomiya's old "front & center" position), & Akira Miyashita (Baramon no Kazoku), with second place going to Hirohiko Araki (JoJo: Diamond Is Unbreakable), Masaya Tokuhiro, Yoichi Takahashi (Chibi), & Tetsuo Hara. Much like the previous year, though, this cover's biggest appeal is in the sheer amount of noteworthy newcomers, this time being five. From left to right on the top row, we start with Tsunomaru (MonMonMon), followed by Ryu Fujisaki (Psycho+), Keishu Ando (Kyukyoku!! Hentai Kamen), Haruto Umezawa (Hareluya II BØY), & below & to the left of Fujisaki we see Yutaka Takahashi (Bonbonzaka-Koukou Engeki-bu); of these, Tsunomaru & Fujisaki have yet to debut their most iconic works. Meanwhile, Takeshi Obata appears a second time, now making another iconic classic of his... Rikito Densetsu -Oni wo Tsugumono-? Beyond all of them, it's pretty much all returning mangaka this time around, of those who did return, and though Masakazu Katsura isn't there in person, he does have a short one-shot, Woman in the Man, inside the issue. Overall a fun cover, and I hope the mangaka got to keep those trophies as keepsakes.
It's 1994's combined Issue #5+6, and the 19 mangaka featured have all decided to become competitive skiers! Our "winners" this time around are Akira Toriyama, Osamu Akimoto, & a returning Tsukasa Hojo (Komorebi no Moto de...) after missing the previous two covers. We also see the return of Masakazu Katsura (D·N·A²), Shinji Imaizumi (Kurayami o Buttobase!), & Tadashi Sato (Melinda Fight), all after various "hiatuses", though this is the final cover for all three mangaka; this is also the final appearance for Shin Mitsuhara. Meanwhile, we have yet another cover with some notable "debuts", namely that of Hiroshi Gamou (Tottemo! Luckyman), Koji Kiriyama (Ninku), & Takeshi Okano (Hell Teacher Nube), though Nube writer Sho Makura had his own mangaka cover appearance back in 1992; there's also Kazutoshi Yamane (Choudokyu Senshi Justice), but he wouldn't be with Jump for long. Unfortunately, Takeshi Obata is nowhere to be seen on this cover, and he sadly wouldn't appear on a mangaka cover ever again. Also, Yoshihiro Togashi is gone after this cover, reminding you of just how short Yu Yu Hakusho wound up running for. Honestly, this is a pretty standard cover when compared to everything that had come in just the previous few years, though putting the main characters on their respective mangaka's ski vests is a clever touch. I guess the only other notable thing to say here is that this marks the end of Jump being sold for only 200 yen, after starting at 170 in 1979, followed by 190 in 1981, & switching over to 200 in 1990. The magazine will jump slightly in price two more times in just the next three years, and today it's currently at 290 yen. Not much else to say here, especially since the next one is going to be a super notable one.
We're nearing the end, so here's 1995's combined Issue #5+6 & it's the first "New Years kimono" in nearly an entire decade, but this one is easily the best of them all. Aside from being multi-colored (much like 1986), they're also two-piece outfits, giving them more of a unique flavor, and then there's the fact that all 20 mangaka (all organized in a 4x5 fashion, like a supersized game of a Hollywood Squares) are not only holding an image of their respective main characters, but also an ink brush; a returning Tsunomaru's (Midori no Makibao) eating his, resulting in another all-time best visual. As for why this mangaka cover is "super notable", it's simply because of how this marks the final cover for a fairly large amount of mangaka. In no order, we are saying farewell to Tsukasa Hojo (Rash!), Akira Miyashita (Bakudan [no relation to Hiroshi Motomiya's manga]), Tetsuo Hara (Kagemusha Tokugawa Ieyasu), & Akira Toriyama, who have all had long runs, as well as it being the final cover for both Koji Kiriyama & Yutaka Takahashi, who had smaller runs. Meanwhile, this cover also marks the return of a major name... As in a manga series. After giving multiple other series chances, Yoichi Takahashi has since brought back his most iconic work by starting Captain Tsubasa: World Youth, which hadn't been seen since ending in 1988. As for newcomers, we have Hajime Kazu (Mind Assassin), the second & final female mangaka to appear on these covers, Kokichi Naniwa (Ou-sama wa Roba) &... *sigh* Nobuhiro Watsuki (Rurouni Kenshin); there's apparently a rumor that this cover lost Watsuki many fangirls, since he wasn't as handsome as they thought. Moving on, this is a fun little cover in its own way, but it's relevance as a final farewell for so many mangaka, both long-running & more recent, is undeniable.
The penultimate mangaka cover, 1996's combined Issue #5+6, is yet another "New Years kimono" motif, but this time it hearkens all the way back to 1982's cover by having a more frenetic feel to it. This is a notable cover in that it's the last mangaka cover of the "Golden Age of Jump", as Akira Toriyama & Dragon Ball are nowhere to be found here since it ended the previous year, while Takehiko Inoue's Slam Dunk is less than 20 issues from finishing at this point, which essentially marks the end of that Age. With no "front row" to speak of, we have to focus on who gets the largest appearances, and in that case it'd have to be Osamu Akimoto, followed by Hirohiko Araki (JoJo: Golden Wind), Yoichi Takahashi, Takehiko Inoue, & Masanori Morita, who's now sporting some fiery red hair; it was kind of noticeable in 1995, but blatantly obvious now. This is the last cover for Koji Inada & Masaya Tokuhiro (Mizu no Tomodachi Kappaman), while we also see the return of Yuko Asami (Wild Half) & Makoto Niwano (Jinnai Ryujujutsu Butouden: Majima-kun Suttobasu!!). Meanwhile, in terms of newcomers, we have the debut of future gag manga legend Kyosuke Usuta (Sexy Commando Gaiden: Sugoi yo!! Masaru-san) all the way in the top left corner of the cover, while for smaller names we have a fair amount, with Gin Shinga (Oni ga Kitarite), the first mangaka to debut on a cover since 1982 (& the last to do so, in general), Ken Yagami (Hisoka Returns!), Ton Okawara (Kaosu Kanburiya), & Kokichi Naniwa (Ou-sama wa Roba). Finally, while Yoshihiro Togashi is not on the cover itself, it does advertise that a new chapter of Level E is included, which debuted at the end of 1995 & would make intermittent appearances throughout 1996, before ending at the start of 1997 after 16 chapters; "Togashi-ism" already makes its presence known. As what would become the penultimate mangaka cover, it's a decent one & maybe the best of the "New Years kimono" motif.
And now we have made it to the final mangaka cover in the history of Weekly Shonen Jump, 1997's combined Issue #5+6. As for the motif, it's actually surprising that it had never been done before, because it's simply celebrating the New Year as if all 18 mangaka were at a swanky party, complete with tuxedos (or a dress for Yuko Asami... or a cow outfit for Tsunomaru) & Osamu Akimoto opening a bottle of champagne (or maybe it's just generic sparkling wine). For our final front row we have Yoichi Takahashi, Osamu Akimoto, & Hirohiko Araki (you can make your own conclusions about how no mangaka who debuted in the 90s are up front), with Yukata Takahashi (Majokko ViVian), Nobuhiro Watsuki, Masanori Morita, & Makoto Niwano backing them up; this is the closest Yukata Takahashi & Niwano have ever gotten to the front. We also have two returning mangaka here in the form of Ryu Fujisaki (Hoshin Engi) & Kazuki Takahashi (Yu-Gi-Oh!), both of whom are now making their most iconic works. As for out final set of newcomers, there aren't a lot this time around, which include Kaoru Tsugishima (Shinri Sousakan Kusanagi Aoi) & Takashi Noguchi (Be Takuto!!). This issue also technically marks the return of Akira Toriyama, who was making three-chapter short series Tokimecha at the time, & Kazushi Hagiwara, who was returning with Bastard!! from the now-cancelled Shonen Jump Seasonal Specials, but neither are on the cover itself. Finally, this issue also marks an early appearance by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, as one of his early Seikimatsu Leader Gaiden Takeshi! one-shots appeared here. To be honest, while this might not have been known to be the final mangaka cover at the time of its publication, the motif it went with acts as a nice sendoff to the nearly two decades of tradition Jump had at this point, with everyone toasting to the reader who's about to open the pages of this issue... everyone except for newcomer Yasuaki Kita, who's very blatantly eyeing daggers at Hiroshi Gamou, who seems to know this is happening. For proper context, we must segue into a manga called Makuhari.
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| They say "if looks could kill"... Well, Yasuaki Kita REALLY wants Hiroshi Gamou dead. |
I have absolutely no idea how I completely forgot to include Makuhari during The Ages of Jump, both in the Dark/Heroic Age article & in the Ages of Jump Redux Part 1 article, because it's definitely something to know about. In short, Yasuaki Kita is a mangaka known for being very heavy on parody & making jabs at other works, and Makuhari is his first serialized work, debuting in early 1996. It told the story of a group of friends who went to Makuhari Minami High School, where they eventually settle on joining the baseball club... because there was already both a basketball club & Sexy Commando club in Jump. Please note that this isn't a sports manga, because no one ever plays baseball, but instead was a manga that seemingly just liked to tell jokes & riff on other manga being serialized at the time; for whatever reason, Kita loved to relentlessly tease fellow newcomer Kaoru Tsugishima & his manga. At the same time, Kita & Hiroshi Gamou would coyly insult on each other in the authors' comments section of the Table of Contents in various issues of Jump, with Kita implicating that Gamou hated his artwork, while Gamou implicated that Kita had no "love" in his manga. At the end of 1997, Makuhari would come to an abrupt end after nine volumes, with the final chapter infamously revealing that the main character was actually Hiroshi Gamou all along(!), & the final page stating that it was the end of the "Gamou Chapter". Kita's comment in the TOC of that issue was simply "I'm free!!", while in the final volume Kita revealed that Makuhari got cancelled because he "couldn't poop". Kita also insinuated that, had he not quit, Yu-Gi-Oh! (which had not moved over to being solely about a card game yet) would have been cancelled instead, since he & Kazuki Takahashi shared the same editor.
Yeah, so the final mangaka cover certainly is memorable solely because of that glare from Kita to Gamou.
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Still, I figure we should end this with something fun. After all, it was a lot of work to compile every cover in the best quality I could find online, & catalog every single mangaka who was on each cover, plus what manga each one was making at the time of each cover. Therefore, let's end this with the "Top 10" mangaka who appeared on the most covers, and if multiple ones appeared the same amount of times, priority went to the ones who had fewer manga series represented.
2. Akira Toriyama (16 Covers for 2 Manga, 1980-1995)
Posts like this is why I love your blog so much
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind comment!
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