Masashi Tanaka is a Japanese manga artist best known for Gon, his acclaimed silent manga about a miniature dinosaur. The series ran without a single word of dialogue—a gimmick that became its defining feature and part of its charm. Gon exploded in popularity overseas after appearing as a guest character in Tekken 3 on PlayStation, introducing Western audiences to the wordless comic in a big way.

Tanaka grew up in Shimane Prefecture and studied at Osaka University of Arts, graduating in 1985. That same year, he published his debut one-shot, "Demon," while still in school—and immediately made waves, winning the Grand Prize at the Kodansha Tetsuya Chiba Awards. He moved to Tokyo shortly after and launched Gon in 1991.

His work earned significant recognition early on. At the 1988 San Diego Comic Convention, Gon took home the Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication and Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material. The same year brought another major win: Best French Edition of Foreign Material at the Manga Festival in France.