Backbeard is a boogeyman youkai (sometimes known as a demon or ghost) originating in Japanese popular culture that is commonly portrayed as being American in origin. The first known appearance of Backbeard was in "100 Ghosts and Hauntings of the World" in the August 1965 issue of Shonen Book. It was popularized by the Japanese manga series GeGeGe no Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki, where Backbeard is depicted as one of Kitaro's main opponents as well as the leader of "Western Youkai," a group that includes classic horror movie monsters, witches and gremlins. Mizuki's depiction of Backbeard is possibly based on Odilon Redon's paintings, which often featured eyeball motifs, or on Masatoshi Naitō's collage Shinjuku Phantom Chimera.
The name is likely derived from the European "Bugbear," another term for the boogeyman, and first appeared in some Japanese publications in the early 1960s.
"Origin: Europe. A monster of European descent. Theories say it was a root of an ancient tree. It is often depicted as a giant eyeball with tentacles."
