THE OSAMU TEZUKA STORY is a wondrous, red brick of a book. It is a life-spanning yet intimate biography [in long-form manga] of the man who would become post-WWII Japan’s manga no kami-sama, “God of Manga”, in order to finance his experimental and commercial anime which went on to win film festival prizes globally for more than a decade.
Originally collected and published in 1992, three years after Tezuka’s death, writer/artist Toshio Ban builds his 866 page epic in stages:
Part 1: Osamu to Osamushi (1928 – 1945);
Part 2: Dreams of Manga (1945 - 1959); and
Part 3: Dreams of Anime (1960 – 1989).
The reason the byline on the cover reads “Toshio Ban and Tezuka Productions” is the degree of unlimited access Ban had to Tezuka’s family, friends, editors, assistants, and staff. As his narrating avatar, Toshio Ban speaks through one of earliest characters Tezuka ever created: Shunsaku “Mustachio” Ban.
Using Osamu Tezuka’s own words and the words of those who had known him, we can see what skills and strengths Tezuka absorbed within the environment of his loving family which allowed him to survive and be shaped by his cultural environment. As viewed through samples of his life-long artwork, we can see Tezuka form his manga dreams into rising manga reality from the ashes of 1945’s Post-war, Occupied Japan.
It was the cinematic pacing of Tezuka’s manga which allowed me to “read” volumes of HIN NO TORI even without knowing Japanese when I discovered his manga in the mid 1960’s. It wasn’t until 2008 that I could read PHOENIX in English. Throughout those years and beyond, I sought as much of Osamu Tezuka’s work as I could find. One of the main reactions I had while reading THE OSAMU TEZUKA STORY was wishing that more of his work existed in easily obtainable English editions.
[The same yearning for more struck me while reading about his work in animation. Thirteen of Tezuka experimental films can be found on THE ASTONISHING WORK OF TEZUKA OSAMU DVD still available on Amazon. The only one of his feature-length commercial films I could find as a DVD on Amazon is HIN NO TORI 2772 as ANIME STARS: SPACE FIREBIRD 2772.]
Despite its length, THE OSUMA TEZUKA STORY is a compulsive page turner. Frederik L. Schodt’s translation moves smoothly through Toshio Ban’s art which channels the best of Tezuka’s techniques. Following the biography are appendices into which I have yet to delve in fear of desiring too much not yet available in English.
I have room on my bookshelves for more of Tezuka’s translated manga [maybe PAPER FORTRESS and THE CRATER]. If you too young to have soaked up KIMBA or ASTRO BOY from TV you might find how much of Tezuka’s work was inspired by American popular culture fascinating.
THE OSAMU TEZUKA STORY is an inspiring study in curiosity, hope, perseverance, and skill. I recommend it to any long time or new enthusiast for Tezuka’s art and his message of that all life is connected.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2016
Originally collected and published in 1992, three years after Tezuka’s death, writer/artist Toshio Ban builds his 866 page epic in stages:
Part 1: Osamu to Osamushi (1928 – 1945);
Part 2: Dreams of Manga (1945 - 1959); and
Part 3: Dreams of Anime (1960 – 1989).
The reason the byline on the cover reads “Toshio Ban and Tezuka Productions” is the degree of unlimited access Ban had to Tezuka’s family, friends, editors, assistants, and staff. As his narrating avatar, Toshio Ban speaks through one of earliest characters Tezuka ever created: Shunsaku “Mustachio” Ban.
Using Osamu Tezuka’s own words and the words of those who had known him, we can see what skills and strengths Tezuka absorbed within the environment of his loving family which allowed him to survive and be shaped by his cultural environment. As viewed through samples of his life-long artwork, we can see Tezuka form his manga dreams into rising manga reality from the ashes of 1945’s Post-war, Occupied Japan.
It was the cinematic pacing of Tezuka’s manga which allowed me to “read” volumes of HIN NO TORI even without knowing Japanese when I discovered his manga in the mid 1960’s. It wasn’t until 2008 that I could read PHOENIX in English. Throughout those years and beyond, I sought as much of Osamu Tezuka’s work as I could find. One of the main reactions I had while reading THE OSAMU TEZUKA STORY was wishing that more of his work existed in easily obtainable English editions.
[The same yearning for more struck me while reading about his work in animation. Thirteen of Tezuka experimental films can be found on THE ASTONISHING WORK OF TEZUKA OSAMU DVD still available on Amazon. The only one of his feature-length commercial films I could find as a DVD on Amazon is HIN NO TORI 2772 as ANIME STARS: SPACE FIREBIRD 2772.]
Despite its length, THE OSUMA TEZUKA STORY is a compulsive page turner. Frederik L. Schodt’s translation moves smoothly through Toshio Ban’s art which channels the best of Tezuka’s techniques. Following the biography are appendices into which I have yet to delve in fear of desiring too much not yet available in English.
I have room on my bookshelves for more of Tezuka’s translated manga [maybe PAPER FORTRESS and THE CRATER]. If you too young to have soaked up KIMBA or ASTRO BOY from TV you might find how much of Tezuka’s work was inspired by American popular culture fascinating.
THE OSAMU TEZUKA STORY is an inspiring study in curiosity, hope, perseverance, and skill. I recommend it to any long time or new enthusiast for Tezuka’s art and his message of that all life is connected.
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You'll learn a lot and you'll want more of Tezuka's manga
By R. P. Glass on July 18, 2016
THE OSAMU TEZUKA STORY is a wondrous, red brick of a book. It is a life-spanning yet intimate biography [in long-form manga] of the man who would become post-WWII Japan’s manga no kami-sama, “God of Manga”, in order to finance his experimental and commercial anime which went on to win film festival prizes globally for more than a decade.By R. P. Glass on July 18, 2016
Originally collected and published in 1992, three years after Tezuka’s death, writer/artist Toshio Ban builds his 866 page epic in stages:
Part 1: Osamu to Osamushi (1928 – 1945);
Part 2: Dreams of Manga (1945 - 1959); and
Part 3: Dreams of Anime (1960 – 1989).
The reason the byline on the cover reads “Toshio Ban and Tezuka Productions” is the degree of unlimited access Ban had to Tezuka’s family, friends, editors, assistants, and staff. As his narrating avatar, Toshio Ban speaks through one of earliest characters Tezuka ever created: Shunsaku “Mustachio” Ban.
Using Osamu Tezuka’s own words and the words of those who had known him, we can see what skills and strengths Tezuka absorbed within the environment of his loving family which allowed him to survive and be shaped by his cultural environment. As viewed through samples of his life-long artwork, we can see Tezuka form his manga dreams into rising manga reality from the ashes of 1945’s Post-war, Occupied Japan.
It was the cinematic pacing of Tezuka’s manga which allowed me to “read” volumes of HIN NO TORI even without knowing Japanese when I discovered his manga in the mid 1960’s. It wasn’t until 2008 that I could read PHOENIX in English. Throughout those years and beyond, I sought as much of Osamu Tezuka’s work as I could find. One of the main reactions I had while reading THE OSAMU TEZUKA STORY was wishing that more of his work existed in easily obtainable English editions.
[The same yearning for more struck me while reading about his work in animation. Thirteen of Tezuka experimental films can be found on THE ASTONISHING WORK OF TEZUKA OSAMU DVD still available on Amazon. The only one of his feature-length commercial films I could find as a DVD on Amazon is HIN NO TORI 2772 as ANIME STARS: SPACE FIREBIRD 2772.]
Despite its length, THE OSUMA TEZUKA STORY is a compulsive page turner. Frederik L. Schodt’s translation moves smoothly through Toshio Ban’s art which channels the best of Tezuka’s techniques. Following the biography are appendices into which I have yet to delve in fear of desiring too much not yet available in English.
I have room on my bookshelves for more of Tezuka’s translated manga [maybe PAPER FORTRESS and THE CRATER]. If you too young to have soaked up KIMBA or ASTRO BOY from TV you might find how much of Tezuka’s work was inspired by American popular culture fascinating.
THE OSAMU TEZUKA STORY is an inspiring study in curiosity, hope, perseverance, and skill. I recommend it to any long time or new enthusiast for Tezuka’s art and his message of that all life is connected.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2016
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