Yep. However they weren't as influential and didn't follow the formulaic pattern we see today: Defeat enemy -> stronger one comes along -> Defeat enemy etc. etc.
And judging by the mass of references towards it; you can see why I called it the 'Forefather', as it's clearly inspired a lot of famous Mangaka today (to the point where they pay tribute within their projects).
Influential is subjective term...And that means you are referring to a certain style of shonnen now common but not forefather of "all" as your title said- " The Forefather of all Shounen Action Manga"..
Kinikuman originally published in weekly Shōnen Jump from 1979 to 1987, and anime series broadcast from 1983 to 1986. Let's keep it simple. Kinikuman is a classic shonnen manga. There have been others too who influenced the trends.
Written in 1959^( from what I could find in wiki etc)
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Ninja the Wonder Boy started out life in 1979 on the Japanese Tokyo Channel 12 as Manga Sarutobi Sasuke. Set in Feudal Japan each week the brave but buffoonish young trainee ninja Sasuke would fight to defend his region and friends from the evil intentions of Master Ninja Hanzo and the rival Iga Clan.
Inspired by a novel by Kazuo Den which had already been animated into a TV series in 1968 titled Sasuke. The novel follows the same basic premise but in a far more serious and realistic tone, following the life of young Sasuke who is sent away by his father to learn the ways of the ninja and defend the country from the oppressive Shogunate.
Manga Sarutobi Sasuke's lead was a comedic take on a popular character of childrens literature made famous in the early 1900's. This character is believed to have been based on Kozuki Sasuke, a ninja legend from the Meiji era of Japanese history.
In the West Sarutobi Sasuke was shown in its entirety in Italy and in France on the Canale 5 network starting in 1981.
In the USA it was subject to yet another Jim Terry Kidpix video adaptation under the title Ninja the Wonder Boy. A number of episodes where condensed into one 90 minute story with all new music by Bullets and voices dubbed by the same cast as Crushers, Time Fighters etc. Whereas most of the characters original names were kept Sarutobi Sasuke becomes Duke Hayakawa and Hanzo's evil magician henchman is renamed Dragon although he is still referred to by his original name of Devilman on both the U.S. and U.K. video sleeves.
The Kidpix edit was released in America and Britain in 1985 by Paramount Home Video and My-TV respectively, as well as playing around the clock in Kidpix cinemas in shopping malls across the USA. Six years later a second feature length volume of the continuing adventures of Duke and Iron Mike was released entitled Ninja the Wonder Boy Part 2, also from Kidpix.
Sanpei Shirato has been one of the most influential magakas and not many people even know him outside of Japan. So much so that Kishimoto mentioned him as one of the major influence on his work and yet people only count DBZ and don't even mention the other name.
We may find some other work too I guess. It's just that with internet and globalization we get more aware of the older works- some of which are not even available outside Japan.
