Reiji Matsumoto
Leiji Matsumoto (1938–2023), born Akira Matsumoto in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, was a Japanese manga artist best known for science-fiction works such as Space Battleship Yamato and Galaxy Express 999. He debuted in 1954, at 15, with a submission to the magazine Manga Shōnen, and had his first major hit with Otoko Oidon from 1971. His Kōsoku Esper appeared in Shōnen Book in 1968–69 and then in Shōnen Jump in 1969–70.