Manga artist Monkey Punch, best known for megahit series Lupin III, died last week of pneumonia, his office said Wednesday. He was 81.Monkey Punch, whose real name was Kazuhiko Kato, depicted heists of master thief Lupin III and his gang -- Daisuke Jigen, Goemon Ishikawa and Fujiko Mine -- in the flavor of American comics. The series started in 1967 and became a decades-long hit seller.The cartoon has been adapted for television and movies on numerous occasions since 1971.The native of Hokkaido, who died last Thursday, made his debut as a professional manga artist in 1965 under another name…READ FULL ARTICLE
