Shunsaku Ban

Easily recognizable by his huge bristly mustache Shunsaku Ban also affectionately known as Higeoyaji and/or Mustachio is one of Tezukas longestrunning characters. Most often cast in the role of a spirited if not particularly sophisticated middleaged man he has appeared in many of Tezukas most important series including but not limited to: Lost World 1948 Metropolis 1949 Next World 1951 Astro Boy 195268 The Adventure of Rock 195254 Lion Books 195657 Black Jack 197383 The ThreeEyed One 197478 MW 197678 Rainbow Parakeet 198182 among many others. Shorttempered and rough he is also warmhearted with a burning sense of justice perfect for his usual occupation as a plucky detective. It is interesting to note that even though Shunsaku Ban appears in so many of Tezukas series he didnt really create him. As Tezuka confesses in his book I am a Manga Artist Higeoyagis character design is in fact based on a doodle that a good friend of Tezukas drew of his own father when both were in middle school. Tezuka swiped it and used it in Old Man Detective one of his early amateur works and he soon became an indispensable part of Tezukas work. Dont miss a rare appearance by Shunsaku Ban as a young man with jetblack hair and sans his famous mustache in the Lion Books 195657 chapter entitled The Green Cat 1956. Source: Tezuka in English