Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most highly regarded directors/animators/comic artists in Japan. His movies are beloved by all generations of Japanese people, and have enjoyed huge successes both commercially and critically. He started his career as an animator at Toei Animation Studios in 1963 and was involved with such popular TV series as "Heidi" and "Future Boy Conan." In 1979, he directed his first film, "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro." He went on to direct the 1984 feature, "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," a highly sophisticated film that was as popular with adult audiences as it was with children. The success of "Nausicaa" led Tokuma Publishing to establish Studio Ghibli, a new animation studio for Miyazaki and his longtime colleague, Isao Takahata.