Kazuki Motoyama, the Japanese manga artist behind the long‑running Super Mario series, passed away at 69. His sister, Lisa Motoyama, announced the news on social media, thanking fans for their support and sharing a brief tribute that quickly resonated across platforms.
The announcement sparked an outpouring of grief from the gaming community, which remembers Motoyama as a creative force who helped shape a generation of Mario fans.From December 1988 to September 1998, Motoyama wrote and illustrated the Super Mario manga in Kodansha’s Comic BomBom, producing 183 stories that adapted titles ranging from Super Mario Bros.
3 to Super Mario 64 and even spin‑offs like Super Mario Kart. His work was celebrated for expressive art, self‑referential humor, and playful reinterpretations of Nintendo’s universe, earning a devoted readership that still cherishes the volumes today.
He later expanded the Mario mythos with projects such as the self‑published Kinoppe‑chan Forever (2019) and supervised 336 episodes of the television program “Fukuoka Chronicle” for RKB Mainichi Broadcasting.
Despite health challenges including diabetes and heart surgery that led him to relocate to Nagano for recovery, Motoyama’s creative spirit remained undiminished.
His sister’s occasional 4‑koma strips kept the family’s artistic legacy alive, and fans continue to honor his contributions, noting how his manga introduced many to Mario’s world and cemented the plumber’s status as a cultural icon. Guardian Nigeria will continue to follow the story and document his lasting impact.
