TOKYO -- Fujiko A. Fujio, the creator of classic Japanese manga like "Ninja Hattori-kun" and "Kaibutsu-kun," was driven by boundless curiosity during his seven decades in the industry. He died Thursday at age 88.
The artist, whose real name was Motoo Abiko, drew on his love of golf for "Pro Golfer Saru," about a monkey-like boy who becomes a professional golfer. The darkly comedic "The Laughing Salesman," which centers on a mysterious figure who helps people get what they wish for in ways that ultimately end in disaster, came from a request by an editor to "make something you've never made before."
