Kentaro Miura, Creator of "Berserk", Dead At 54 & Why You Should Have Posthumous Plans For Your Work

If you're a regular here, then you already heard the news. If not, let me catch you up.

【三浦建太郎先生　ご逝去の報】
『ベルセルク』の作者である三浦建太郎先生が、2021年5月6日、急性大動脈解離のため、ご逝去されました。三浦先生の画業に最大の敬意と感謝を表しますとともに、心よりご冥福をお祈りいたします。
2021年5月20日　株式会社白泉社　ヤングアニマル編集部 pic.twitter.com/baBBo4J2kL

— ベルセルク公式ツイッター (@berserk_project) May 20, 2021

And if you don't read Japanese, then Dark Horse has you.

Kentaro Miura passed away on May 6, 2021 from acute aortic dissection. He was 54. Miura-sensei was a master artist and storyteller and we had the great privilege of publishing several of his finest works, including his masterpiece, Berserk. 1/

— Dark Horse Comics (@DarkHorseComics) May 20, 2021

That's the start of a tribute thread by Dark Horse. Pursue as your leisure. Fans across the world in multiple places, across all media, have their own grieving rituals.

In typical custom, this news was kept under wraps for a time so that family may grieve in private before the official announcement. It is, as of this post, unknown what will become of Berserk as it is now unfinished. This has not gone unnoticed, and colleages of Mr. Miura have been implored to check in on their own health and make plans for postumous publication in the case of unfinished work.

追悼。ちょっと描画真似してみたけど三浦先生はほんとに線が繊細だなあ。キャスカにはね…幸せになってほしかったんですよ… pic.twitter.com/LkCIu9WwfR

— 広江礼威 (@hiroerei) May 20, 2021

Translated: Vinland Saga manga creator Makoto Yukimura wrote: "I just learned about Kentaro Miura's death. At the same time, my fans are tweeting about my health. Thank you very much. I will take care of my health and will surely complete the Vinland Saga series. I'm very shocked. I can't put it into words. It was a tremendous job. I think drawing was his life."

This is not an uncommon concern. The creator of Hunter X Hunter, Yoshihiro Togashi, has had similar concerns said of him as his audience doesn't want to see what has now befallen Miura's audience--and Ken Ishikawa of Getter Robo before him--happen unto him. George R.R. Martin has had such conversations, wanted or not- especially after fellow author Robert Jorden's death left The Wheel of Time unfinished.

And I can confirm that question I've had that put to me, and not just today.

This being a blog about writing and the business thereof, I think you can see where I am going here.

Yes, I do think that plans should be drawn up regarding what happens to one's intellectual property after one dies. If it is decided to finish any unfinished projects after death, then resources should be secured and a successor hand-picked and read-in before the fact so they can seamlessly take over if you are disabled or dead. It is uncommonly done because few authors--whatever the medium--ever reach a position where that is actually a practical concern.

This is no longer something that should be left for others to decide. Authors should presume, for these purposes, that their creations are valuable and therefore should make the necessary moves to protect it after they are gone. It does not matter if they are now or not; the future is uncertain, and more than a few authors' works didn't achieve any fame, popularity, or respect until well after the fact. Ceading control to someone with little or no incentive to heed your vision and protect it is how you end up with heirs selling birthrights for pennies or worse, and the resulting defilement that follows.

We do not know what will become of Berserk. It is entirely possible that it will be left fallow for a time, only to later get a new anime adaptation that fills in gaps--this was the case for the unfinished Getter Robo Arc--and that may not receive the desired positive reception. These decisions should be made by you while you live, and not left to others who may not care about them whatsover. It is a necessary part of the business, and too few of us are prepared for this. That has to be fixed, now.