Origin of Kamen Rider

In 1971, the first Kamen Rider series aired as a tokusatsu television series in the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV(now known as TV Asahi). Kamen Rider is created by a japanese mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori (1938-1998).

Shotaro Ishinomori (his real name is Shotaro Onodera)

The first Kamen Rider series are basically based on a 100-page one-shot story known as Skull Man. Shotaro Ishinomori who created the Kamen Rider series together with producer Toru Hirayama, made this manga as his own personal version, which the producers at Toei Company Ltd. used as the basis for the show. However, some changes of the contents of this 100-page one-shot story are made, because of the story are too dark and gruesome for a children's show. Ishinomori and Hirayama also redesigned the main character to resemble a grasshopper, supposedly chosen by his son.

 

 The original Skull Man was one of manga's first anti-heroes, someone who would sacrifice the lives of innocents in his quest for vengeance. This darkness is what made the Skull Man so magnetic and successful. The Skull Man refers to the suit which grant superpowers and superhuman ability to anybody who wear it, while the Kamen Riders series emphasizes on henshin belt that grant superhuman ability and agility to those who possess it and transformed...

So, the Kamen Rider, which is based on Skull Man, is totally the opposite of him, except for their superhuman powers. And i can say that most of the Kamen Rider series gained their powers whatsoever from their enemies...for example, Kabuto zecter from ZECT, Den-O's various forms from the Imajins and so on. So, the Kamen Rider is basically the bad guy who turn into a good guy, or a gud guy who uses the bad guys' stuff to fight them(the bad guy) back...Ironic isn't it...

cool huh...the remake version from original idea of Ishinomori's 100-page one-shot manga

Kamen Rider 1 (1971) and Kamen Rider 1 (2005). Pretty much the same as Skull Man huh...especially the muffler...

 As a remembrance for his work, all of the Kamen Rider series made in the Heisei period credit Ishinomori as the creator. The Ishinomori Manga Museum named in his honor opened in Ishinomaki, Miyagi in 2001. Special trains in the Senseki Line were commissioned featuring his artwork generally leading to the museum. His work posthumously awarded him the Guinness World Record for most comics published by one author, totaling over 128,000 pages. (Info and pics from wikipedia.)