ANIME PEOPLE INTERVIEW

Geki Katsumata (artist)

My encounter with Yamato was an encounter with a great staff.

Katsumata has just completed Queen Millennia. He spoke candidly about this phantom work and even shared behind-the-scenes stories about his signature work, Yamato. He also commented on his participation in the highly anticipated Yamato Part 4.

Establishing a production company at age 19

Interviewer: What are you currently working on?

Katsumata: I just finished a feature film production of Queen Millennia, so I’m taking a breather. The schedule was tight, and I barely made it in time. There were some parts that needed color adjustments at the last minute.

Interviewer: When did you start working on it?

Katsumata: I joined last October (1981). Since then, I’ve been working on this project nonstop until yesterday (March 14, 1982). Thanks to that, this sofa (pointing to the sofa he’s sitting on) has turned into a bed. (Laughs)

Interviewer: So you stayed here (Studio Cosmos) to work?

Katsumata: Yes. Not every day, but I was able to go home once every two days or so…

Interviewer: How long has Studio Cosmos been established?

Katsumata: It was established in 1964, so this year marks its 18th anniversary.

Interviewer: Really?

Katsumata: Well… 18 years makes me sound pretty old, but I was only 19 when I started, so I’m not that old. (Laughs)

Interviewer: Starting a studio at 19 means you must have built up quite a track record in the years leading up to that.

Katsumata: No, no, not at all. I could say I had almost no track record. (Laughs)

Interviewer: So how did you end up starting an anime studio?

Katsumata: Originally, I wanted to paint oil paintings, so after graduating high school, I applied to Tokyo University of the Arts. But I failed miserably. If I’d had the financial means, I would have probably become a ronin (someone who fails the entrance exam and studies for it again), but my family wasn’t very well-off, so I thought I needed to find some part-time work.

My older brother was studying to be an accountant in Tokyo at the time, and he happened to have a friend who was involved in anime.

Interviewer: So that was how you got into anime.

Katsumata: Yes, that person was working at Tokyo TV Film, which was an outsourcing company for Tokyo Movie. I wanted to do some kind of drawing work, so I joined the company through his introduction. That was in 1964.

Interviewer: What kind of work did you do at Tokyo TV Film?

Katsumata: Back then, work wasn’t divided into different departments like it is now. One company, or one production team, would do everything from planning to shooting, the entire anime production process. So I drew animation, traced, colored, and even assisted with shooting when things got busy. I had to do everything.

Interviewer: Didn’t you get tired of doing all those odd jobs?

Katsumata: No, I was determined to become an oil painter, so no matter what I was asked to do, it never bothered me.

Interviewer: What kind of work did you do there?

Katsumata: I worked on various projects for about half a year, and then I got the opportunity to work on a Japanese TV series called Submarine 707. We managed to complete about six episodes, but then it was suddenly canceled. Unfortunately, it never aired on TV. But for me, this unfinished work was my first project as an art director, so it was very disappointing. Perhaps that also had an impact, since the company was small. Shortly after that, Tokyo TV Film went bankrupt.

Interviewer: And then what happened?

Katsumata: I still remember it clearly. The company went bankrupt right before the end of the year, and even though it was almost New Year’s, all we had to eat was 20-yen instant ramen every day. (Laughs) It was a very bleak situation. But looking back now, it’s become a good memory. Even so, I kept working, helping out at a production company I knew, taking on jobs here and there.

Interviewer: Then you quickly started Cosmos, right?

Katsumata: Yes. I think it was around February, right after the new year. At the time, I had a friend who was working at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation and writing poetry, and the two of us just casually decided, “Let’s start a company,” and we did it on a whim.

Interviewer: You didn’t think much about the future or how to run the company.

Katsumata: That’s right. We were young and full of energy. Looking back now, it was pretty scary (laughs), but at the time, we didn’t worry at all about whether we could make it work. We just wanted to give it a try.

Interviewer: What did you do first?

Katsumata: The two of us created a sample and went around pitching it to various places. Then, one of them surprisingly accepted us right away. (Laughs) That was the Japanese TV show Fight! Osper (1965-67). We worked on it for about a year.

Interviewer: Did the two of you continue working together after that?

Katsumata: We worked on Osper together, but my friend was also working a full-time job as a salaryman, so as things got busier, it became difficult to balance both. After Osper, we joined another Japanese TV series called Jump out! Batchiri (1966-67), but he decided to focus on his main job and left the project.

Interviewer: So you ended up working alone.

Katsumata: Well, I quickly hired an assistant to get by, but it became too much to handle, so I decided to hire about ten staff members. Even now, a regular series really requires a lot of hands.

Interviewer: What did you do after that?

Katsumata: Around that time, I bought a house in Kodaira (Tokyo) and used it as a workplace. There, I worked on collaborative projects with America, such as Johnny Cypher (1967), and works for Ryu no Ko Productions.

The first work for Ryu no Ko was I am Guzura Dado (1967-68). After that, it became a situation where I was working exclusively for Toei Animation, starting with Ataro the Great followed by Tiger Mask, Primitive Boy Ryu, Devilman, Mazinger Z, Babel II, Getta Robo, Steel Jeeg, Machine Hayabusa, Yamato 2, Josefina the Whale, Don Quixote, and so on, which brings us to the present.

Holding an oil painting exhibition with fellow anime artists

Interviewer: I understand that you still aspire to be an oil painter, but did you have an interest in drawing since you were a child?

Katsumata: Yes, I loved it and drew a lot.

Interviewer: When did you start drawing?

Katsumata: Hmm… It was before I entered elementary school, so I think I was about six years old. There’s one memory I’ll never forget. My dad bought me a set of push-out crayons. I was so happy. I grew up in Kurosaki, Niigata Prefecture, and back then, no one had push-out crayons. They were like diamonds to me. I treated them like a precious treasure, holding them close to me every night when I went to sleep. I drew pictures every single day with those crayons.

Interviewer: People who draw or aspire to be artists often have it in their blood. Was that the case for you? Did anyone else in your family draw?

Katsumata: Yes, my older brother likes to paint watercolors, and my father paints as well. There are a few people in my extended family who like to draw or paint.

Interviewer: What did you draw when you were a child?

Katsumata: I would draw people or close-ups of trees. It’s hard to say this about myself, but I tended to draw things with a bold touch, like Van Gogh. When I was in elementary school, I often won first prize at town and city exhibitions, so I was confident that I was the best at drawing.

Interviewer: Did you also attend high school in your hometown?

Katsumata: Yes, I went to Niigata Commercial High School.

Interviewer: Did you join the art club or start studying art seriously in high school?

Katsumata: I did join the art club, but I have a naturally hot-headed temperament. I ended up getting into a fight with a senior right after joining and was quickly expelled. So I ended up going at my own pace, drawing on my own terms, and frequently submitting my work to exhibitions.

Interviewer: Was it around that time that you decided to apply to an art university and make a living through painting?

Katsumata: Yes. Well, I had that foundation, but when I was in my third year of high school, my art teacher told me, “You should paint,” and I got into it. So I thought, “Okay, I’ll try applying to art school,” and the result was as I mentioned earlier.

Interviewer: Did you give up on your dream of attending art school after that?

Katsumata: Yes, after failing the entrance exam once, I lost the desire to try again. It wasn’t so much that I gave up, but rather that I encountered anime during that time, and my perspective on art changed. I started to think that you don’t necessarily have to go to art school to study art, and that it’s strange to think you can’t draw unless you go to art school.

Interviewer: Are you still painting oil paintings now?

Katsumata: Yes, I am. Actually, there are about 15 staff members at Cosmos, and quite a few of them are like me, studying art while working on anime. That’s why we started holding exhibitions last fall and are planning to make it a regular event.

Interviewer: It seems that there are many people like that in this world.

Katsumata: Yes, this spring, there will be an exhibition called Ryokugakai, organized mainly by Kazue Ito and other people from Toei Animation, and I plan to exhibit my work there. I intend to continue challenging myself whenever I have the opportunity.

Interviewer: It must be difficult to find time to paint while working on anime. What other hobbies do you have?

Katsumata: Music and travel.

Interviewer: What kind of music do you like?

Katsumata: Right now, I’m really into jazz. Other than that, I listen to rock, classical, and various other genres.

Interviewer: What is it like to work while listening to music?

Katsumata: I don’t mind it, and I always have music playing while I work.

Interviewer: Are there any songs that get you in the mood?

Katsumata: Hmm. I change it depending on my mood. For example, when I’m on a deadline, I listen to up-tempo rock. (Laughs)

Interviewer: Who are your favorite musicians?

Katsumata: For rock, I like Pink Floyd and have almost all their tapes. I also have a lot of Bob Dylan, and for classical, I like Italian music.

Interviewer: Your other hobby is travel. There are many kinds of travel, but what kind do you like?

Katsumata: Lately, I’ve been treating myself to trips abroad. Last year, I went to Greece. I actually prefer spontaneous, carefree solo trips without any plans. In the past, when I had a sudden break from work, I would just hop on my bike and ride all the way to Kyushu without even changing out of my work clothes.

I’ve always dreamed of cycling around the world, but I’ve been practicing karate for a long time, and after pushing myself a bit too hard, I injured my back, so it hasn’t happened yet. Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit better, so I’m hoping to make it happen someday.

A) Submarine 707 from Tokyo TV/Film, which became my favorite.

B) Background for Primitive Boy Ryu. This work earned Katsumata the nickname “Katsumata of Nature.”

C) A scene from Getta Robo

D, E, F) Backgrounds for Josefina the Whale. (F) in particular is said to reflect Katsumata’s personal tastes.

G, H) Backgrounds for Galaxy Express 999

Katsumata’s works list

See a more updated list at Anime News Network here