On September 19th Yoshito Usui, creator of Crayon Shin-chan, was confirmed dead after he disappeared on a hiking trip.

His funeral was held yesterday, with over three thousand people in attendance. Alongside the mural seen in the header pic above, there were also exhibits showing off his work. Tetsuya Chiba (creator Ashita no Joe) said "Mr Usui unfortunately died, but the characters created by Mr Usui are still alive."

And live on they will, at least for a while yet. The last manga run of Crayon Shin-chan has been extended through February, after some last manuscript pages were discovered. The TV series will broadcast new episode, and is preparing to air the property's seventeenth movie adaptation in Spring 2010.

Rest in peace, Mr. Usui. You will be missed.

[Via AFP]