Gosho Aoyama

Educational background

Aoyama was talented in drawing even at an early age. When he was in Grade 1 in elementary school, his painting of "Yukiai War" won a competition and was displayed at the Tottori Daimaru Department Store.

He graduated from high school at Yuraikuei High School. He then went on to study in Nihon University College of Art in Tokyo. In winter of 1986, Aoyama joined a comic contest for freshmen students. He won the contest, and it became a stepping-stone for his career as a manga artist and author, as well as a turning point for his life.

Manga career

Aoyama made his debut as a manga artist with the work Chotto Mattete which was published in the weekly magazine Shōnen Sunday on winter of 1987. Shortly after that, another work by Aoyama, Magic Kaito, was published on the same magazine. Magic Kaito protagonist Kaito Kuroba/Kaito Kid then stars in the Case Closed franchise, as a character. His first appearance is volume 16, file 6 in the Case Closed manga, and episode 77 in its anime adaptation.

In the early 1990s, another story done by Aoyama named Yaiba came out; the manga series was released in 24 volumes. Later, he would release other manga series in volumes (tankōbon), such as Third Baseman No.4, Gosho Aoyama's Collection of Short Stories, and Detective Conan.

Awards and recognition

Aoyama has won two awards for his work as a manga artist. In 1992, he won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen for the Yaiba manga series. He would then go on to win the same award for a second time in 2001, this time for Detective Conan.

Additionally, his hometown Hokuei has done several machi okoshi (town revitalization) projects in honor of his contribution as a manga artist and resident of the town. The first projects were the Conan Bridge across the Yura River and the Conan statues in the town; both of these structures pay tribute to Conan Edogawa, Aoyama's most popular character from Detective Conan. On March 18, 2007, the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory, a museum that celebrates Aoyama's career as a manga artist, was opened in the same town.

Personal life

On May 5, 2005, he was married to Minami Takayama, a singer and voice actress who gave the voice of Conan in the original Japanese anime adaptation of Aoyama's Detective Conan. On December 10, 2007, the two were divorced.

Manga works

Wait a Minute (ちょっとまってて, Chotto Mattete) (1987)

This is Aoyama's first manga story. It was published in Shōnen Sunday. It tells the story of a boy genius named Yutaka Takai, whose time machine jetpack sends his love interest through time for two years.

Magic Kaito (まじっく快斗, Majikku Kaito) (1987–present)

It is a, currently, four-volume manga series that tells the adventures of Kaito Kid, a gentleman thief who uses his magic skills and mastery of disguise to commit robberies. The first two volumes of the manga series were released in 1988, the third in 1994, and the fourth in 2007; two more chapters were published in 2011. Although the manga series is on hold, Kaito Kid still appears regularly in Detective Conan, another manga series by Aoyama.

Yaiba (1988–1993)

It is a 24-volume manga series about the adventures of a young samurai named Yaiba Kurogane. It was later adapted into a 52-episode anime series.

3rd Base 4th (4番サード, Yonban Sādo) (1991-1993)

It is a one-volume manga that tells the story of a boy named Shigeo Nagashima, a mediocre baseball player on his high school team. One day, he buys a magical bat from a sporting goods store that allows him to hit every pitch. However, he has to pay the mysterious store for each pitch he hits.

Gosho Aoyama's Collection of Short Stories

Various short works written over the years:

Detective Conan or Case Closed (名探偵コナン, Meitantei Konan) (1994–present)

It is an ongoing manga series that tells the story of a genius high school detective who one day is turned into a young boy by mysterious men. While trying to track down these men, he often encounters complicated mysteries, most of which only he can solve. This series is Aoyama's most well-known creation.

Tell Me a Lie (〜私にウソをついて〜, ~Watashi ni Uso o Tsuite~) (2007)

This is a one-shot manga about a girl named Terumi Arai (新井輝海, Arai Terumi), who can read people's minds when she looks them in the eyes.

Appearances

Gosho Aoyama appeared in Singapore for the Singapore Writers Festival on 12 and 13 November 2016 and gave fans a chance for phototaking during the autograph session.