After initially studying painting, Sugiura became an assistant to the manga artist Suihō Tagawa.
Sugiura closely followed popular culture and thus his manga were also influenced by such contemporary fads as Godzilla, pro wrestling, and American science fiction films.
[2] The philosophy of his manga "is of yukai, pleasure and amusement, pursuing the path as far from seriousness as possible.
The praxis of yukai is essentially the body in free motion, and Sugiura’s characters are defined by an excess of movement.
[6] Enthusiastic fans include such figures as the novelist Yasutaka Tsutsui and the musician Haruomi Hosono.