Akio Chiba(ちばあきお or 千葉 亜喜生Chiba Akio, January 29, 1943 – 1984-09-13) was a Japanese manga artist born in Shenyang, Liaoning, China (part of Manchuria). Chiba was known for publishing his works in both shōnen and shōjo magazines. Chiba made his professional debut in 1967 with his manga Sabu to Chibi while working as an assistant to his older brother, Tetsuya. In 1977, he won the 22nd Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen for his work on Captain and Play Ball. Chiba committed suicide in late 1984 (at age 41) due to issues related to a bipolar disorder.