Horror manga artist Umezu Kazuo died in October at age 88.

In the mid-1970s, Umezu won the Shogakukan Manga Award for "The Drifting Classroom," a story about a school that is transported to a world of devastation.

The manga series was later adapted into a movie and TV drama.

After that, he began working on the "Makoto-chan" gag series centered on a kindergartener named Makoto.

Makoto's trademark "Gwash" line accompanied by a hand gesture became a social phenomenon.

In 2023, Umezu was given the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize's special award for his contributions to manga culture.