Tanaka, Masashi 1962–

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Tanaka, Masashi 1962–

PERSONAL: Born 1962, in Japan.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Paradox Press, DC Comics, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

CAREER: Writer and illustrator. Creator of "Gon" comic strip.

WRITINGS:

COLLECTED COMIC STRIPS

Gon, Paradox Press (New York, NY), 1996.

Gon Again, Paradox Press, (New York, NY), 1996.

Going, Going, Gon, Paradox Press (New York, NY), 1996.

Here Today, Gon Tomorrow, DC Comics (New York, NY), 1996.

Gon Swimmin, Paradox Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Gon Wild, DC Comics (New York, NY), 1998.

Gon Color Spectacular!, Paradox Press (New York, NY), 1998.

Gon Underground, Paradox Press (New York, NY), 1999.

Gon on Safari, Paradox Press (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Erez Yakin) The Remarkable Worlds of Professor Phineas B. Fuddle, Paradox Press (New York, NY), 2001.

Creator of "Gon," "Flash," "Unidentified Prince Object," "Samurai Daibouken," and "Bouken Victoriagou" comic strips.

ADAPTATIONS: The character Gon has appeared in Tekken 3, a Playstation game.

SIDELIGHTS: Masashi Tanaka is the creator of "Gon," a comic strip featured in Japan's Weekly Morning magazine that has been collected and translated for fans worldwide, a relatively easy process, since the strip contains few words. The foot-high dinosaur that first appeared in 1991 travels the earth causing mischief, cavorting with other creatures, and protecting the weak from predators.

A writer for Madcool.com wrote that "each new volume offers the possibility of new locales for Gon to venture into, new ways to get into trouble, and new vistas to be beautifully rendered in Tanaka's unique art style." According to Todd VerBeek, in Beek's Books online, "the art is beautiful…. The stories range from hilarious to poignant, with forays into charming."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

ONLINE

Beek's Books Online, http://www.rzero.com/ (February 16, 2004), Todd VerBeek, review of "Gon" series.

Madcool.com, http://www.madcool.com/ (February 16, 2004), review of "Gon" series.