Died: August 2, 2008 (aged 72)

Fujio Akatsuka basically invented gag manga in Japan—he's widely remembered as the "Gag Manga King" for good reason. He actually started out drawing shoujo, but everything changed in 1958 when Nama-chan took off and he switched gears entirely into comedy. That move paid off. He won the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1964 for Osomatsu-kun, which became one of his defining works, and later grabbed the Bungeishunjuu Manga Award in 1971 for Tensai Bakapon.