Shirow Masamune

Name In Native Language: 士郎正宗

He studied oil painting at Osaka University of Arts. While in college, he developed an interest in manga, which led him to create his own complete work, Black Magic, which was published in the manga fanzine Atlas. His work caught the eye of Seishinsha President Harumichi Aoki, who offered to publish him. The result was Appleseed, a full volume of densely-plotted drama taking place in an ambiguous future. The story was a sensation and won the 1986 Seiun Award for Best Manga. After a professional reprint of Black Magic and a second volume of Appleseed, he released Dominion in 1986. Two more volumes of Appleseed followed before he began work on his best-known work Ghost in the Shell. Won the Seiun Award for Best Art in 1992.

Presently publishes hentai artboks like Greaseberries, Pieces and W-Tails under his own name.