The gaming and manga world mourn the loss of a beloved Super Mario artist today as news has begun to surface of Kazuki Motoyama's passing at the age of 69. Motoyama was the artist for 1988's Super Mario and Kinoppe-chan Forever manga, with the former running for 10 years until 1998 in Kodansha's Comic BomBom magazine.

The news of this passing was confirmed by Risa Motoyama on Instagram before it began to surface recently for fans around the world. A part of Mario's earliest years as the franchise rocketed to global recognition, Motoyama was a crucial figure in the Japanese zeitgeist for the mascot character, and he will be missed.

Super Mario Manga Artist Kazuki Motoyama's Passing Leaves Behind a Loving Family

Risa Motoyama, author of Start With A Happy Ending, posted

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