Baron Yoshimoto

Baron Yoshimoto (バロン吉元, born in November 11, 1940) is a Japanese manga artist and painter. 
== Early life ==
Baron Yoshimoto was born to Japanese parents in Mukden (now Shenyang), in northeast China, in the former Japanese colony of Manchukuo.
He moved with his family to Japan after the war, and was raised in Ibusuki, in Kagoshima prefecture. As a boy, he discovered a 10-cent "Batman" comic book in a boarding house for American occupying forces near his parents' home, and it affected him greatly.
== Career ==
=== Early work and success 1959–1980 ===
He made his debut as a manga artist in 1959. 
Though both were still young, he and Monkey Punch became the pillar artists of the new, young adult “Gekiga” magazine Weekly Manga Action upon its inauguration in 1967. Incorporating influences from American comics and French and Belgian bande dessinee, Baron was a leading pioneer in the late ‘60s of so-called “Nouvelle Comics,” at a time when strong influences from foreign comics were rare. Katsuhiro Otomo and Yoshito Usui would later debut in the same magazine.
As one of the architects of the gekiga boom, Baron created such famous series as Jukyōden (1970-80, Weekly Manga Action), Dongame Yarō (1972-74, Big Comic Original), and Seventeen (1970-74), among many others. 
=== Moved to The United States, Early 1980s ===
In the late 70s, he went to the San Diego Comic-Con International with Osamu Tezuka, Monkey Punch, Go Nagai and others. 
In 1980, at the height of this fame, Baron wrapped up all of his series and moved alone to the United States. He met Stan Lee and Jim Shooter, then he became the first Japanese artist to draw for Marvel Comics. Also he deepened his friendship with Larry Hama and Rocky Aoki. 
=== Return to Japan and Begin his career as a painter 1985-2014 ===
After returning to Japan, he continued drawing manga, though spent most of his energy painting, using a different pen name "Manji Ryu".
=== 2015-present ===
Only in 2015 did he begin using “Baron Yoshimoto” for both practices. He has continued creating new works in both media to the present day. 
In 2019, commemorating sixty years of artistic activity, Baron was awarded the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Award through the Japan Cartoonist Association Award. In recent years, book collections of his paintings and drawings and new editions of his manga have been published not only in Japan, but also in the United States and Europe, as a part of a general reevaluation and increased appreciation of his achievements as an artist.
== Exhibitions ==
==== 2016 ====
* Baron Yoshimoto Purse! Purse! Purse!, Tokyo Arts and Space, Tokyo, Japan
==== 2017 ====
* Baron Yoshimoto / Katsuya Terada [BATEIRA], Atsukobarouh Arts Drinks Talk, Tokyo, Japan
* Solo Exhibition "Gakyo-ten", Kodai-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan
==== 2018 ====
* Baron Yoshimoto / Katsuya Terada [BATEIRA], Kodai-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan
==== 2019 ====
* The Birth of Baron Yoshimoto, a celebration of 60 years as an Artist, Yayoi Museum, Tokyo, Japan
* Solo Exhibition, Ginza TSUTAYA Books, Tokyo, Japan
* Tribute Exhibition "Baron Yoshimoto's Imoni Party: 60th Anniversary Celebration", Void, Tokyo, Japan
** Artists: Toshinao Aoki/[Sekaiichi Asakura/Hitoshi Odazima/Shinichi Sugimura/Katsuya Terada/Noriko Nagano/Yusaku Hanakuma/Hiroko Matsuda&Satoshi Seita/Suehiro Maruo/Hiromi Morishita/Sansuke Yamada/Naito Yamada/Baron Yoshimoto
== Recent books ==
* Yoshimoto, Baron/Editor:Yamada, Sansuke/Director:Yoshimoto, Emily "Baron Yoshimoto GAKYODEN Artwork Archives" (2018) 
* Yoshimoto, Baron/Director:Yoshimoto, Emily "The Art of Baron Yoshimoto" (2019) 
* Yoshimoto, Baron "Jukyoden" Special Edition,(2019) Vol.1 Vol.2 
== Awards ==
* 2019: Won the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Award through the Japan Cartoonist Association Award.
==In the media==
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== References ==
==External links==
* The Art of Baron Yoshimoto (9784756251718 ... - Amazon.com
* BARON Yoshimoto on instagram
* Review of The Art of Baron Yoshimoto
* The Troublemakers by Baron Yoshimoto | Avery Hill Publishing
* The Troublemakers by Baron Yoshimoto - Goodreads
* BARON Yoshimoto - Baka-Updates Manga
* THE ART OF BARON YOSHIMOTO - Bud's Art Books
* The Art of Baron Yoshimoto – GiantRobotStore
* The Art of Baron Yoshimoto - Walmart.com
* Baron Yoshimoto | Fresh Comics
* The Art of Baron Yoshimoto by Baron Yoshimoto ... - Booktopia
	
Category:1940 births
Category:Japanese painters
Category:Japanese artists
Category:Japanese manga artists by prefecture
Category:Manga artists
Category:People from Shenyang
Category:Comics awards