Waku Yaniko

Waku Yaniko (Yaniko Waku, August 2, 1926-June 2, 2001) was a Japanese Manga Artist, Character Designer, Writer, Novelist, Musician, Director, Producer, Editor and Animator. He began his career as a musician at the age of 20 until he became a manga artist in 1950 until he died from a heart attack at the age of 74.

Early Life
Waku Yaniko was born in Tokyo, Japan to parents Taku Yaniko and Sakura Nakito. Yaniko was the oldest brother of Rikit Yaniko (1927-2010) and Harako Yaniko (1928-2019).

Personal Life
Waku married businesswoman Masako Marinoko (1927-2010) in 1957 and had four children: Manga artist and Anime producer Machiko Yaniko (born 1966), Writer Tarou Yaniko (born 1970), Record producer and musician Hacomimi Yaniko (born 1974) and Businessman Takashi Yaniko (born 1980).

Waku was the personal friend of many comic artists including Ziraldo (Creator of O Menino Maluquinho), Charles M. Schulz (Creator of Peanuts) and Akira Toriyama (Creator of Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump) but he had a special friendship with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, whom he met in 1959 and Akira Shigino, who worked on Chiro and Tamako and Tantan and Naoko and the Bakas.

Waku was fluent in English, German, Italian and Spanish, the languages he learnt from many of his friends and taught to Masako and his children.

Yaniko, despite most of the religious and political themes in his works, is actually agnostic and apolitical and even frequently accused his colleagues (including himself) of implying that people from minority groups only exist to talk about social issues.

Works
Bold = Created by Machiko Yaniko

Kaneta & Yumika

Yono Makitos

Asahi and Nippon and Co

Tantan and Naoko and the Bakas

Rikit

The Picomakos

Teena-Chan

Kuka

Our Sakura

Chiro & Yamako

Princess Nakatu

Karukangirl

Lolaneko

Masako Yaniko

Tajimo-Chan

Dandy

Onigiri

Miriri's Baddish Day

Psychic Sheep

Grumpu and Tippo

Waku Yaniko's Manga School

Mirrie the Witch

The Children

Narra-Chan

Nana

Paku

Airi

Tikus

Mara

Pogotaka

Bekiro Toris

The Gara Book

Pokie's Farm

Butako

Kedamono

Rumila

Alien Marī

Ferona Toni and the Evil Peas

Pippi II

Biino

Fujikata

Guro & Ruby

Tuba

Baba

NyaNya-Chan

Kunoichi Kasumi

Pumpko

Darya

World of Animals

Queen Dokano

Barupon

Witch Cat Suki

Chīsawa Ankā

The Magic Land

Gahminla

Narī

Himiko Nakino

Yoshi & Buta

Marīnume & Heidi

Itazura Zamaru

Naruma's Mama

Journey of the Monkey Queen

PowGirl

Taro's Gags

Makori & Nachira

Super Animals

Chisato-San

Hashire Miiko

Marru

Tooko the Dragon

Nariko

Umemura Tateoko

Dracuko

Catinia

Paraba Botos

Dragon Pig Rumiko

Night of Wishes

Alijects

The Con Artist and The Dwarf

Yokai Girl

The Yaniko Chorus

Pagachu

The Miss Westeria Show

Randel & Snitch

Naneta the Jungle Girl

Robo-Chan

Beekichan

Cluck, Buck and Muck

Discography
Yaniko Chorus

Little List

Witch Doctor

Strange

The Folklorino

Monster Town

Yokai Girl

Paku

Mimi

Princess Kaguya

Doroinu

Cowboy Toumo

Kayoko & Bada

Makaro

Zombies

The Christmas Song

Robo-Chan

Hashire Miiko

Mando is Coming to You

Trivia

 * Since Yaniko never liked three fingers (something which was inherited by his children), all of his non-human characters would either have five fingers or no fingers at all.
 * All of Waku's mangas (except Onigiri and Dandy) were always exclusive to both Shogakukan and Shueisha due to his families' ties with the Ōga family.
 * Unlike most Manga Artists, Waku, throughout his career, had worked on all of his Mangas by himself without an assistant.
 * Waku frequently added dwarf characters in his work due to the fact that he didn't like to see them as "strange creatures" instead of people.
 * Just like Stan Lee, he would often make cameos in many of his work.
 * Although he supported LGBT Rights, he has been very critical of Yaoi and Yuri works (especially in manga/animes taking place in high school) due to the fact that a majority of yaoi and yuri works involves rape as well as it just enforces stereotypes.