Support NeoGAF

Hero of Legend · Mar 2, 2013

http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/ds/dsi/7/0

This was grouped with the rest in the new IW thread, but this one might get glossed over.

Ironically it's titled as essentially as an Iwata Asks about Flipnote, but the true treasure is about this man's beginnings, joining Nintendo, and so forth.

You may not know his name, but you've ALL seen his art. most recently in Super Mario 3D Land, and he's been retired from Nintendo for a while!

He's been at Toei, and even worked with Hayao Miyazaki!

He even worked on the Pokemon anime, likely not anymore.

Mario Wiki page:

http://www.mariowiki.com/Yoichi_Kotabe

Must read, I think it's fair to call him among the fathers of Mario himself.

Edit: Can a mod fix the spelling of his name please; it's Yoichi not Yoiche.

Tarsul · Mar 2, 2013

he's not that old, that Satoru.

rpmurphy · Mar 2, 2013

Truly, my knowledge about Nintendo is miniscule... this is some fascinating treasure trove of stuff that I never even heard of.

JoeFu · Mar 2, 2013

Man, what an awesome read. So much stuff in these Iwata Asks... They really need to make a book with all the Iwata Asks.

Watching Kotabe just drawing the person skipping, and the waves crashing down was awesome.

speedpop · Mar 17, 2013

His art was a fascination for me growing up. I always loved noting the drawings dotted here and there throughout the manuals, let alone the boxart.

Azure J · Mar 17, 2013

The Mario series is full of art I wish Nintendo would put out a legitimate concept art book for. Having something with Super Mario Bros 3 era sketches and the concept art behind Super Mario 64 and Galaxy is like the holy grail of game related art books for me.

Samurai_Heart · Mar 17, 2013

Man looking at his art makes me really want a Mario game that has the same visual in gameplay instead of the polygon Mario.

Christopher · Mar 17, 2013

His artwork is "classic" Nintendo...I wish there was more.

LeleSocho · Mar 17, 2013

Holy poop! He made Heidi? that's like super famous around here.

HolyBaikal · Mar 17, 2013

Hero of Legend said:
He's been at Toei, and even worked with Hayao Miyazaki!

That's a pretty great resume.

Spieler Eins · Mar 17, 2013

The art should have made the 3D Land cover.

Nemo · Mar 17, 2013

He was responsible for the game boy mario art? Cause that was the fucking best

speedpop · Mar 17, 2013

I like the fact that Hols kind of made Kotabe become what he is in a mental aspect. A walk through fire, as it were. Technically the same thing happened with Takahata and the movie helped serve as a quasi-guideline for Miyazaki on Laputa too.

Sis Focaccia · Mar 17, 2013

If NSMB looked like this nobody would complain!

('Cept for the music and the Toads.)

Dion Blaster · Mar 17, 2013

Lol at the footnote "Super Mario Bros.: A platform game released in 1985 for the NES."

Nocturnowl · Mar 17, 2013

No wonder 3D Land had such nostalgiarific art, I did not know this man until now but he's instantly in high esteem.

also I love this little exchange...

Miyamoto: And it's great how you can draw anywhere. The reason I doodled in the corners of my textbooks during classes at school was because I had so much time on my hands.

Iwata: Is that why you're still drawing caricatures during meetings at Nintendo?

Everyone: (laughs)

rpmurphy · Mar 17, 2013

Nocturnowl said:
No wonder 3D Land had such nostalgiarific art, I did not know this man until now but he's instantly in high esteem.

also I love this little exchange...

I guess Miyamoto's still like a kid! Never change.

chadderbox77 · Mar 17, 2013

I have always loved this guy's art! I used to copy it as a kid and drew so many pictures of Mario and all the other characters so many times.

thetrin · Mar 17, 2013

chadderbox77 said:
I have always loved this guy's art! I used to copy it as a kid and drew so many pictures of Mario and all the other characters so many times.

Me too. I adore his art, and copied it a lot as a child. I would love a Mario game whose whole mission was to replicate his art style completely.

SovanJedi · Mar 17, 2013

That was a nice read! It's good to finally know the name of the artist who drew all that classic Mario art over the years.

Must nab a copy of his animation art book too, at some point...

DrWong · Mar 17, 2013

He did stuff like that when he was at Toei: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1vwl6JuorU

Great movie, great animator who worked with genius (Takahata, Miyazaki, Otsuka, Miyamoto...) in his 2 professional lifes. His wife, Okuyama Reiko, was also an animator at Toei, a great one too (and one of the first women in the industry) who passed a away few years ago. Had the chance to meet both when they came to Paris.

DXB-KNIGHT · Mar 17, 2013

Put him on a new HD 2D Super Mario ASAP.

Platy · Mar 17, 2013

Always cool to see that you missed an episode of a series you love .. it is like a brand new episode =D

Hero of Legend · Nov 18, 2013

Bumping as it's obvious he's back in full force for 3D World, doing the life icons, stamps, among other things!

Mabase · Nov 18, 2013

This guy is a legend.

Log4Girlz · Nov 18, 2013

I loved Mario Art 64.

Rich! · Nov 18, 2013

Spieler Eins said:
The art should have made the 3D Land cover.

It did.

Here in the UK, at least.

SpacePirate Ridley · Nov 18, 2013

I love how 3D mario renders look more like Kotabe art with each itineration. The faces from SM3DW are nearly perfect.

Log4Girlz said:
I loved Mario Art 64.

Mario 64 art is the one that looked nothing like Kotabe.

DICKS AHOY · Nov 18, 2013

I swear there was an art book of Kotabe's work (spanning from his student, Toei and Nintendo days) I saw once and passed on, only to never find it again. Does anybody know what I'm talking about here?

Piccoro · Nov 18, 2013

Very cool, I never knew who the artist was, now I know! I love the stamps he made in SM3DW.
Also, I loved this drawing as a kid:

Hero of Legend · Dec 8, 2013

Well look at what I stumbled upon; Kotabe did at least ONE Pokemon card; Spikey-eared Pichu!

I'm trying to find more Pokemon art by him, no such luck.

Support NeoGAF

Old Iwata Asks: Yoiche Kotabe - The father of Mario art

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Has problems recognising girls

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Banned

Member

Will Eat Your Children

Has problems recognising girls

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion

provides useful feedback

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Similar threads