Former Team Ninja lead and head of Valhalla Studios, Tomonobu Itagaki, has a role model you may not know about — Leiji Matsumoto, author of manga series such as Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999 and Captain Harlock.
A few months ago, Matsumoto visited Itagaki and his team at the Valhalla offices, for an interesting chat that covers everything from his childhood to his early works to what he’s been up to in recent years. Part 1 of the chat is up on Itagaki’s Valhalla blog.
It’s an interesting read if you’re curious to learn more about both men and even more so if you’re into absurd stories. Early in the conversation, Matsumoto mentions peeing on his watch (I won’t ruin the surprise) and later, how he once tore his Achilles’ tendon and swung his loose foot around in a circle to show it off.
In case you haven’t kept up with news of Itagaki, his next game is Devil’s Third, an upcoming third-person shooter to be published by THQ on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
