The gaming and manga communities are mourning the death of prolific Super Mario artist Kazuki Motoyama.
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Motoyama illustrated the fan favorite 1988 Super Mario manga, which ran for 10 years until 1998 in Kodansha’s Comic BomBom magazine, as well as Kinoppe-chan Forever.
His sister, Risa Motoyama, confirmed his death on her Instagram account.
“My brother passed away,” Risa explained on Instagram. “Thank you to everyone who helped me during my life. We apologize for causing you worry. I’ll be back on YouTube once I calm down a bit. I’d appreciate it if you’d wait.”
The exact date or cause of Kazuki Motoyama’s death is unconfirmed. However, his sister Risa’s Instagram post indicates he passed away in October.
He was 69.
— 本山一城 (@kazzuki2005) December 2, 2023
Motoyama’s death circulated on social media this week after a viral post on X. The Super Mario Wiki account shared the post with its nearly 16,000 followers.
Kazuki Motoyama, author of Comic BonBon's Super Mario manga (aka "KC Mario"), has passed away. https://t.co/chvQF98Hwg
— Super Mario Wiki (@SMWikiOfficial) November 10, 2025
“I had no idea that Mr. Kazuki Motoyama, who was drawing Mario comics for Bonbon, had passed away,” the post, originally written in Japanese, reads. “About 20 years ago, I discovered this comic when I found volume 2 of Yoshi’s Island at a used bookstore, and I collected the entire series. I loved the passionate, intense story developments. My condolences and prayers for his soul.”
Kazuki Motoyama, the artist of the Super Mario manga for Kodansha (KC Mario), has unfortunately passed away recently.
— Game8 | News & Reviews (@Game8_Reviews) November 11, 2025
He will always be remembered for his amazing work and dedication to his passion. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/Isy6khFf8u
From 1988 to 1998, Motoyama illustrated the Super Mario manga series published in Kodansha’s Comic BomBom magazine, as well as official game strategy guides, according to Comic Book Resources. The manga books were often named after the latest Nintendo game release, such as Super Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario 64. The final volumes were based on the 1997 N64 title, Yoshi’s Story, before Kodansha lost the license.
Super Mario Bros. Fans Take Social Media to Pay Tribute to Kazuki Motoyama
Super Mario fans took to social media to mourn the loss of Kazuki Motoyama.
“Rest in peace, Kazuki ‘Mototin’ Motoyama, the artist of the Super Mario manga for Kodansha (KC Mario),” one fan wrote on X. “I was always a huge fan of his erratic and wild art style, so this was very hard to process.”
“I really love the way he drew Daisy and always included her in these Mario mangas, even when they were about games she didn’t appear in,” another fan wrote.
Kazuki Motoyama the artist of the “KC Mario” mangas unfortunately passed away recently, I hope he rests in peace. I really love the way he drew Daisy and always included her in these Mario mangas, even when they were about games she didn’t appear in pic.twitter.com/Ly9lQNnABx
— ✿ Jay ✿ (@RoyalDeijiHimeX) November 11, 2025
“Aw damn. I used to see his artwork a lot when scrolling through the Mario Bros wiki when I was a kid. I really enjoyed his art. Sad that he’s gone,” a third fan offered.