Favorite Artists: Ryuichiro Kutsuzawa

A long time ago, when I first discovered Katsuya Terada, I used to search the web for pictures of his works, at the time I did not own any of his artbooks and I discovered a magazine called Comickers, with a wonderful cover, it did not look much like Terada's style, but he was credited in the magazine so I just kept wondering who the cover artist may have been.

Then some years later, I started collecting the magazines called SMH and DDD, and there he was, the mystery artist, featured on the magazines with comics and illustrations. Ryuichiro Kutsuzawa!

I then got the Comickers issue with his cover and there was some more works inside; Terada was also there with some older drawings and a photo of LOTS of his sketches scattered around, but Kutsuzawa totally shocked me, on every magazine that had his work published.

 

I love his style, the blend of realistic drawing, ethnic imagery, sci-fi armors and crazy weapons, some of his characters had huge pliers as weapon, he's one of my top artists and a constant inspiration to do better.

He took part in many projects, worked on some games for Saturn, like Panzer Dragoon and Wachenroder, PSX's Front Mission Alternative and PC's Rasetsu Xan and made some comics and novel covers; then he disappeared, there hasn't been new works and as far as I understood he now teaches at university, in Osaka.

I managed to get almost all of his published work, but I wish that something new will pop out, maybe a full collection of his works, an artbook, some new character design, it's a pity that a talented artist like he is doesn't have the chance to do something, man, if I were a game designer I would make a game with Kutsuzawa as character designer! He's great, period.

 

Here is the infamous Comickers' cover, my first contact with his work, how cool is that?

One thing I really like is that he tends to draw common people with those fantastic outfits that make them look like workers from a not so far future, he's like a socialist sci-fi artist.

The other picture is the last one I found, it's a cover for a fantasy novel.

Ryuichiro, please come back! We love you!