Yōji Kuri(久里洋二Kuri Yōji, born April 9, 1928) is a Japanese cartoonist and independent filmmaker. One of if not the most important figures in the history of Japanese independent animation, he was the unofficial leader and most prolific of the "Animation Association of Three"(アニメーション三人の会Animēshon Sannin no Kai) collective who kick-started the renaissance of modern-styled, independently-made, adult-aimed animation in early 1960s Japan. He is known internationally for the very black comedy of his films, with the typically naïve style of his cartooning often belying the surreal, obscene and disturbing situations they depict (though he has worked in a variety of styles and mediums, including pixilation); this made them a favourite among the fervently counter-cultural audiences, which included su