To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Weekly Shonen Jump, Shueisha ran a creator spotlight called “Great Jump!!” (すごい ジャン!!) to get some thoughts of their current artists about Jump. The creator spotlight started in the 1998 Weekly Shonen Jump issue 29 and continued through issues 33 with various different creators being highlighted.
The fourth part of this spotlight series continued with the 32nd Weekly Shonen Jump issue in 1998 with the following creators:
- Hirohiko Araki (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)
- Yuko Asami (Wild Half)
- Hajime Kazu (Meiryōtei Gotō Seijūrō)
- Shou Makura & Takeshi Okano (Hell Teacher Nube)
- Takehiko Inoue (Slam Dunk)
- Makoto Niwano (Base Boys)
This issue also featured 9 page timeline of the major milestones of the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine since 1968. It also featured a “Special Guest” interview with Hiroshi Motomiya as well as with Go Nagai.
The manga series Hell Teacher Nube (地獄先生ぬ～べ～) was currently serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump by the mangaka duo of Takeshi Okano (岡野剛) with the art and Shou Makura (真倉翔) with the story. Prior to this series, Shou Makura created Tengai-kun no Kareinaru Nayami (天外君の華麗なる悩み), which only ran for 16 chapters from issue 41 in 1991 to issue 6 in 1992. The issue which had this article printed, contained the 236th chapter of the Hell Teacher Nube manga series. The series would later conclude in the 24th issue in 1999 with the 276th chapter. The duo would later return to the magazine with Tsurikkizu Pintaro (ツリッキーズ ピン太郎) starting in issue 12 in 2000, but would only last a short 19 chapters.
The article begins with asking the artist, Takeshi Okano, about his memories of Weekly Shonen Jump, which have been roughly translated below:
ジャンプの本誌はあまり読んでなかったのですが･･･(笑)、コミックスでいろいろ読んでましたね。そうだ、『魁!!男塾』で出てくる民明書房っていうのがあって、本当にあると思って図書館に行って探しました(笑)。今の僕にとってジャンプはやっぱり戦場ですね。かろうじて生き残ってる･･･って感じです(笑)。これからもがんばらなくちゃ。
I didn’t read the Jump magazine much growing up… (laughs), But I did read a lot of comics. You know, in “Sakigake!! Otokojuku” there is a place called Tamemyo Bookstore and I thought it really existed back then, so I went to the library to try and find it (laughs). Even now, Jump is still a battlefield for me. I’m barely surviving… (laughs). So I have to keep doing my best.
Sakigake!! Otokojuku (魁!!男塾), also know by Charge!! Men’s School by Akira Miyashita (宮下あきら) ran from 1985 (issue 22) through 1991 (issue 35) for a total of 313 chapters in Weekly Shonen Jump. The entire series has been officially translated into English and is available on Manga Planet.
Next in the article, the artist, Takeshi Okano, provides his top 3 manga recommendations along with his thoughts which have been roughly translated.
Barefoot Gen
作者の広島での被爆体験をもとに描かれた衝撃作。戦争の恐しさを知りました。インドやパキスタンの人に読んで欲しいっ!
This is a shocking series based on the author’s experience with the atomic bombing in Hiroshima. You learn a lot about the horrors of war. I hope people in India and Pakistan read this story!
Professor Toilet
親にコミックスを買ってもらったという記憶があります。“7年殺し”をよくマネして友だちにやってました(笑)。
I remember my parents buying me this comic. I used to imitate the “Seven Years ‘Til Death” with my friends (laughs).
Ring ni Kakero
必殺パンチをよくマネしてやってました。よくマネしてやってたのばっかりですね･･･。
I used to imitate that special punch. I imitated a lot from that back then…
Barefoot Gen (はだしのゲン) is a manga series by Keiji Nakazawa (中沢啓治) that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1973 (issue 25) through 1974 (issue 39) for 55 chapters.
Professor Toilet (トイレット博士) was a gag manga drawn by Kazuyoshi Torii (とりいかずよし) which ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1970 through 1977 for a total of 319 chapters. “Seven Years ‘Till Death” was the shorthand for an attack name from Professor Toilet that was inspired from the prank Kanchō (カンチョー). The full attack name is ” Secret Technique Seven Year ‘Til Death” (秘技7年殺し). The concept of the attack would be clasping your hands together and with your pointer fingers sticking out, inserting them into your opponent’s butt. Then once inserted then spreading out the fingers when inside, which would then slowly kill the person after 7 years. The base portion of this attack (sticking into people’s butts), did become popular among younger children as well as on TV broadcasts as a result of this series.
Ring ni Kakero (リングにかけろ) by Masami Kurumada (車田正美) was published in Weekly Shonen Jump and ran for 242 chapters between 1997 and 1981. Masami Kurumada would later go on to create Saint Seiya in 1986.
Takeshi Okano also included an illustration which depicts the gag from Professor Toilet in the article:
The article then shifts to the author, Shou Makura, about his memories of Weekly Shonen Jump, which have been roughly translated below:
ジャンプで始めて読んだマンガは『ハレンチ学園』です。小学生でコミックス買えなかったので床屋で読みましたね。女の子がかわいいかどうかが、マンガを読む基準でした(笑)。『ウイングマン』も女の子がかわいくて好きでした(笑)。週刊少年ジャンプは『弱肉強食のオリ”って感じですよね。昔も今も。見てる読者は、すごくおもしろいだろうなぁ(笑)。
The first manga I read in Jump was “Harenchi Gakuen.” I was in elementary school and couldn’t buy comics yet, so I read it at the barber shop. My criteria for reading manga was whether the girls were cute or not (laughs). I also liked “Wing-Man” because the girls were cute too (laughs). Weekly Shonen Jump has that “survival of the fittest” vibe, both then and now. I bet the readers who follow it now are even more engaged (laughs).
Harenchi Gakuen (ハレンチ学園) by Go Nagai (永井豪) ran from 1968 (issue 11) through 1972 (issue 41) for a total of 119 chapters in Weekly Shonen Jump. Wing-Man (ウィングマン) by Masakazu Katsura (桂正和) ran from 1983 (combined issue 5-6) through 1985 (issue 39) for a total of 113 chapters in Weekly Shonen Jump.
Next in the article, the author, Shou Makura, provides his top 3 manga recommendations along with his thoughts which have been roughly translated.
Dragon Ball
マンガで次の週が楽しみだったのはこれが初めて。タモリもいいともで「フリーザが死んで･･･」と次の週を楽しみにしてた記憶がある。
This is the first time I always looked forward to reading the next chapter every week. I remember Tamori’s Iitomo show, when “Frieza died…” and I had to watch the next episode.
Wing-Man
腰のくびれ、下半身のエッチなライン･･･桂正和先生のマンガっぽい絵のころって、本当に魅力でした･･･こればっか。
The curves of the waist, the sexy lines of the lower body… Masakazu Katsura-sensei manga drawings were truly attractive… it stands out.
The Gutsy Frog
実は『ぬ〜べ〜』の広と響子は『ど根性ガエル』のひろしと崇子から名前もらいました。
You know, both Hiro and Kyoko from “Nube” were named after Hiroshi and Takako from “The Gutsy Frog.”
Morita Kazuyoshi Hour Waratte Iitomo! (森田一義アワー 笑っていいとも!) was a hour-long TV variety show hosted by Tamori that ran every weekday from October 1982 through 2014 by Fuji Television and had 8054 episodes. Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール) was drawn by Akira Toriyama (鳥山明) and ran from 1984 through 1995 in Weekly Shonen Jump.
The Gutsy Frog (ど根性ガエル), by Yasumi Yoshizawa (吉沢やすみ) ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1970 (issue 31) through 1976 (issue 24) for a total of 297 chapters across 27 volumes.
