There will be a dark future awaiting the hit "High School of the Dead" series as its creator, Daisuke Sato passed away last Wednesday, March 22 from ischaemic heart disease. Aside from the zombie apocalypse manga series, he is also known as a board game designer and a novelist. He is also behind the game "Red Sun Black Cross" and novel "Seito."

According to Anime News Network, the 52-year-old artist was already given a funeral service with his younger sister Yuko Shinmyo leading it. His work with illustrator Shoji Sato is what made him really popular. It is about a bunch of young students fighting off and surviving a zombie apocalypse.

Sadly, the hit manga series was not finished and underwent a hiatus from 2008 up to 2010. Fans have patiently waited for the series to continue, however, only one chapter was managed to be released in a brief comeback in April 2013. All in all, the series spawned 7 volumes and 30 chapters prior to Sato's death.

A 12-episode anime series was released under the Madhouse Studios and directed by Tetsuro Araki. The anime series runs from July 5 to September 20, 2010 while the OVA was bundled together with the Blu-ray release a year later in April 2011. In North America, "High School of the Dead" was licensed by Sentai Filmworks and was simulcasted in at the Anime Network.

His other prominent work is the "Koukoku no Shugosha" or "Imperial Guards" in the collaboration with Yuu Itou as reported by Crunchyroll. The alternative history war novel-turned- manga was nominated in the prestigious Manga Taisho and Osamu Tezuka Cultural Awards where it won the Japanese Media Awards Festival prizes during 2005 and 2006.

It is really unfortunate for the fans of the "High School of the Dead" anime series. Many are hoping that after all the wait a season 2 will still be possible. It seems that the series will be put on hiatus indefinitely.