Related Program: SHITA COME Grand Prize 2010
Sensha YOSHIDA was born in Iwate in 1963. In 1985, he made his debut as a manga artist with an adult magazine. In 1989, he started his famous gag strip series of “Utsurun desu” for the Big Comic Spirits magazine and catapulted himself into one of the most distinguished gag-strip artists in Japan. His style is often quoted as “incongruous gag strip” for its creations of extraordinary bafflements by the gaps between/combinations of absurd wordage and depicted matters with seemingly harmless, cute characters. In 1991, he received the 37th Bungei Shunju Manga Prize. In 2009, “Utsurun desu”, was made into animation for a DVD release as well as into a live-action film for streaming via cell-phones. His other popular manga series include “Kaseida Machiko” (1993, Schola), “Demae Hime” (2010, Enter Brain) and many others. He is also known as the author of several publications including the travel writings, “Yoshida Jitensha” (2002, Kodansha) and “Yoshida Densha” (2003, Kodansya). He’s been active in publishing new works on magazines and via internet too.
Shusuke KANEKO was born in Tokyo on 8 June 1955. After his graduation from Tokyo Gakugei University in 1978, he was hired as an assistant director by Nikkatsu (current Nikkatsu Corporation) where he stayed until 1985. In 1984, his debut film as a director, Koichiro Uno's Wet and Shooting(84) and another film brought him the New Director Award at Yokohama Film Festival. He has since received awards including the Blue Ribbon Awards Best Director and the Director Award at Yokohama Film Festival with Gamera: Giant Monster Midair Showdown (95) and Nihon SF Taisho Award with Gamera 2: Attack of Region(96). He has also directed such films as Summer Vacation: 1999 (88), Yamada Mura Waltz (88), Who Do I Choose? (89), Hong Kong Paradise (90), All's Quiet on the Recruit Front (91), Everyday is Summer Vacation (94), Godzilla, Mothra & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (90), A Toast To Love (02), Death Note (06), Death Note: The Last Name (06), Left-hand of God, Right-hand of the Devil (06), Pride (09), Bakamono (10) and many others. His works comprehend numbers of TV dramas and commercial spots too.
Official Website: http://www.shusuke-kaneko.com/
Related Program: SHITA COME Grand Prize 2010
Keiko SOOTOME was born in Yamaguchi in 1974 and raised in Yokohama. She majored in Cinema Studies at university while experimenting with 8mm film cameras at the filmmaking club. After graduation, she became a self-taught illustrator. Her illustrations using manual-arts materials have great impact and loosen up viewers with a mere glance. In 2000, she was in charge of illustrations for “Atarashii Tan-i”, a component of a BS Fuji TV program. Later, these illustrations were published into a book which became a bestseller and sold thirty-thousand copies. Since then, she has produced 1,000 works each year for TV, advertisements, magazines, books, and more. Her recent publications include “Keiko SOOTOME’s Let’s Kojiki” (Kodansha). Her broad-range of activities covers designing undershorts, acting on the stage, “Danshi ha Damatte Nasai yo!”, appearing in the film, Instant Numa (directed by Satoshi MIKI), commenting on films on TV, writing columns, teaching drawing at illustration clubs, and many others.
Official Website: http://www.keikosootome.com/
Related Program: SHITA COME Grand Prize 2010
