Takehiko Itō

Before founding Morning Star Studio in his late 20s, Itō studied planning and editing at the design office Shindosha.[2] He began work as a manga editor, but found the job dull and began drawing manga himself.[3] Some of his earliest works, including Good Morning Althea (グッドモーニング アルテア), were created under the pen name "Black Point".[1] Many of Itō's animation works are credited to the name Hiroyuki Hataike (幡池裕行, Hataike Hiroyuki)

. Under this name he designed a transforming toy that would later become Unicron.

Itō's science fiction manga Uchuu Eiyuu Monogatari (宇宙英雄物語, lit. "Future-Retro Hero Story") started serialization in the monthly Kadokawa Shoten magazine Comic Comp in 1988 with five tankōbon (collected volume) releases between 1989 and 1991.[4][5][6] During that time, Itō came up with initial concept of the anime television franchise NG Knight Lamune & 40.[7] His next major manga series, Haō Taikei Ryū Knight (覇王大系リューナイト, lit. "Lord of Lords: Ryu Knight"), was serialized in the Shueisha magazine V Jump beginning in 1993.[8] Three tankōbon were published between 1994 and 1995.[9][10][11] Uchuu Eiyuu Monogatari was shortly thereafter picked up by Shueisha and was published in a total of eight volumes throughout 1996.[12][13][14] He is also known as the creator of Outlaw Star (星方武侠アウトロースター, Seihō Bukyō Autorō Sutā, lit. "Starward Warrior Knight Outlaw Star"), a manga and anime television series set within the "Toward Stars Era" universe of Uchuu Eiyuu Monogatari.

Itō was eventually offered a job at Marvel Comics, but he was unsure he would be able to fit it into his schedule.[15] However, Itō joined Marvel after talking with C.B. Cebulski in 2002.[16][17]