To celebrate Weekly Shonen Jump‘s 25th anniversary, Shueisha decided to create a new style event to promote it’s history for the fans. The name of the event was called “Weekly Jump Multi World” and was a exhibition that was held in the Tokyo Dome Prism Hall between July 28th through August 15th, 1993. The event cost 700 yen for admission and guests were able to receive as special booklet which highlighted some of the items on display. The booklet was never available for sale directly. Over 48 authors provided new illustrations and congratulatory messages for this anniversary and are documented in this booklet and this is one of them. To help provide context to this profile that was captured in 1993, we have included some additional information to supplement the transcription and rough English translation.
| Name | Fumihiko Ota (おおた文彦) |
| Date of Birth | November 29, 1971 |
| Birthplace | Shiga Prefecture |
| Blood Type | O |
| Debut Work | “Paint-Man” in 1992 ’92『ペイントマン』 |
| 1st Jump Serialization | “Genshoku Chojin Paint-Man” 『原色超人PAINT-MAN』 |
| Additional Info | “PAINT-MAN” is an action story based around the unique concept of transforming with color! 『PAINT-MAN』は色で変身するというアイデアが秀逸なアクション作だ! |
To celebrate Weekly Shonen Jump‘s 25th anniversary, Fumihiko Ota provided this illustration, shikishi, and comment, which have been roughly translated below:
週刊少年ジャンプ
創刊25周年
おめでとうございます!!
By PAINT-MAN
Weekly Shonen Jump
25th Anniversary
Congratulations!!
By PAINT-MAN
創刊25周年、おめでとうございます。僕なんかは、自分のマンガがジャンプに載っていても、ただの一読者のような気がしていました。
ただただ25年間、支えてきた作家の先生方と編集部の皆さんに、お祝いを申し上げ、さらなる躍進を期待しております。
Congratulations on the 25th anniversary. Even though my own manga was published in Jump, I still feel like I’m just another reader.
Over these last 25 years, I would like to congratulate all of the creators and editorial staff who have supported the magazine, and I look forward to your continued success.
The remaining portion of the article gives a summary of the Genshoku Chojin Paint-Man manga which ran in Weekly Shonen Jump starting in issue 14 and concluded with issue 25 in 1993.
The following is some additional context and information not included in the article:
While the original magazine publication only had 11 chapters, for the print volume release, Genshoku Chojin Paint-Man included an additional 12th chapter which focused on the final battle to complete the story.
The print release of volume 2 also contained the original oneshots for the concept of the story. Within the volume, the author’s handwritten note about the first oneshot was listed (with a rough English translation provided below):
からの作品は、第79回HS賞で佳作をいただき平成4年度のSSとHS賞S にも掲載された初めて描いたペイントマンです。
設定とかも、まだ不充分で勢いのみで描いたよーな作品ですが一生懸命描きました。
しかし、この時は、この作品がまさか連載まで、いくとは、夢にも…。
The work after this was the honorable mention for the 79th Hop Step Award and was published in the [Weekly Shonen Jump] Spring Special in 1992 and in the Hop Step Award Selection [print volume]. This was the first PAINT-MAN I drew.
The setting and other aspects were still unrefined so it may feel like I was just drawing on impulse, but I worked really hard on it.
Even during that time, I never dreamed that this story would have been approved to make it to a serialization…
A second oneshot was published in the Weekly Shonen Jump Summer Special in 1992, which was also included in the print volume release. The author provided this introduction along with an additional background note (also with a rough English translation provided below):
えー… それで、次から、はじまるのが、その年(平成4年)のS・Sに掲載されたペイントマンです。
この作品では、色々な方にご協力とご迷惑をおかけいたしまして、たいへん思い出深い作品となりました。
特に「右手と左手、ごっちゃにしてンじゃねーよ事件」は、今でも、キョーレツに覚えております。
反省….。
So… Next is the PAINT-MAN that was published in the [Weekly Shonen Jump] Summer Special later that year (1994).
I received both assistance from many people as well as putting up with my mistakes, which made this a very memorable work.
The “Don’t mix up the right and left hand incident” is still burned into my mind.
I regret that….
※「右手と左手、ごっちゃにしてンじゃねーよ事件」1992年、夏、サマースペシャル掲載予定の「ペイントマン」にて、本来、右手であるはずのカ…トが、左手となっていることが、発覚。
それが、印刷直前だったため、編集部の一部で、一時騒然となった事件…。
• The “Don’t mix up the right and left hand incident” of Summer of 1992, was when “PAINT-MAN” was scheduled to be published in the [Weekly Shonen Jump] Summer Special, a discovery was made that the character was supposed to be using his right hand, actually was using his left hand.
This happened just before the issue was printed, so it caused a temporary uproar among some in the editorial department.
Included at the end of volume 1 of Genshoku Chojin Paint-Man was a two page afterword written by Masanori Morita (森田まさのり). Fumihiko Ota was an assistant to him while the Rokudenashi Blues manga ran in Weekly Shonen Jump. Rokudenashi Blues started in issue 25 in 1988 and ended in issue 10 in 1997 for a total of 421 chapters. Masanori Morita also had a profile earlier in the Jump Multi World booklet as well.
運命的なものがありまして･･･
漫画家 | 森田まさのり
奇妙なめぐり合わせというのは、こういう事をいうのであろう。『ろくでなしBLUES』絶頂期に彼はやってきた。漫画家のアシスタントというのは、無口で人見知りが定番だったが彼は違った。生来の人当たりの良さと天性のギャグセンスにより、彼はいち早く仕事場にとけ込んでいったのだ。私にとっても彼の関西弁は他人とは思えなかった。そして何より驚くべき事には、私も彼も学生時代、時は違えど同じ恩師に教わっていたのだ。まさに運命的といえよう。高校出たての彼に、いきなりチャイナ帽をかぶせ、ひげをつけてみた。似合う。あっという間に場の雰囲気を盛り上げてくれた時には、「あっ、こいつは笑える」と思ったものだ。
とにかく、言葉の端々にうかがえる絶妙のギャグセンスは、漫画ほんにんせいかく家のイキを超えている。しかし、本人の性格はいたって真面目で、作品に対する姿勢も実にプロらしいものを持っている。残念なから『原色超人PAINT MAN』は、彼の魅力を引き出す間もなく終わりを迎えてしまったが、じっくり読んで欲しい。
きっとスゴイオ能を感じる筈。
何十万人という漫画家志望者がいる中、現在少年漫画誌の頂点である週刊少年ジャンプに、同じ恩師を持つ二人が同時に連載まで持つ事になったのだ。私と彼は生涯、師弟として、よきライバルとして、そして兄弟として付き合っていくだろう。読者のみんなも、これからのおおた君を大いなる期待を持って見守ってくれ。彼は必ず、素晴らしい作品をひっさげて帰ってくる。
It was something like fate…
Manga Artist | Masanori Morita
When speaking of strange twists of fate, this would be one of them. He joined right at the peak of “Rokudenashi Blues.” Most manga assistants tend to be quiet and shy, but not him. He had a natural sociable personality and sense of humor that helped him quickly blend into the workplace. His Kansai dialect also reminded me of home too. And the most astonishing thing of all was that we both studied under the same mentor back in our student days, albeit at different times. This was a truly fateful encounter. Just like highschoolers, I suddenly gave him a Chinese hat and drew a beard on him. He ran with it. He instantly livened up the atmosphere and I though “Yeah, this guy’s funny.”
His sense of humor extends to every word he says and goes well beyond the amount needed to be a manga creator. But he is still a very serious person and when talking about his work is a true professional. Unfortunately “Genshoku Chojin Paint-Man” concluded before he could bring out his full potential. I still encourage you to take the time to read it. You can still see his incredible talent.
With the hundreds of thousands of aspiring mangakas, there were two individuals who had the same mentor be able to have simultaneous serializations in Weekly Shonen Jump, the pinnacle of shonen manga magazines. Both of us will be friends for the rest of our lives as both student and teacher, friendly rivals, and as brothers. I hope all readers will continue to watch Ota with great anticipation. He will definitely return with another wonderful series.
Following the release of Genshoku Chojin Paint-Man, Fumihiko Ota does not have any other manga titles listed under his name. However the original manga is available for purchase in Japanese via the MangaZ website and can also be read for free (with ads).
