Shotaro Ishinomori (石ノ森章太郎 Ishinomori Shōtarō), (1938-1998) was an influential figure in manga and anime who created several long-running series such as Cyborg 009 and The Skull Man. His real name was Shotaro Onodera (小野寺章太郎 Onodera Shōtarō), and he was also known as Shotaro Ishimori (石森章太郎 Ishimori Shōtarō),
Ishinomori also designed the characters of many human-size tokusatsu superhero television shows produced by Toei, such as Kamen Rider, Kikaider, Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and their numerous derivatives.
Kazuhiko Shimamoto , a young and up and coming manga-ka was contacted by an increasingly ill Shotaro Ishinomori and asked if he would complete the arc for a series featuring The Skull Man. Ishinomori - who had been one of Shimamoto's boyhood heroes - faxed the younger man copies of the proposed story and his plot notes. Shimamoto was astounded that he had been chosen to work upon his idol's final, great work.
Shimamoto had already been involved in the revival of one of Ishinomori's other earlier works (Kamen Rider, a thematic precursor to The Skull Man) but little did he dream that, as only one of many who Ishonomori had inspired, he would be chosen for final collaboration and resurrection of The Skull Man.
