Final Draft for Submission

'In the Expanding world of Modern Manga, What remains of Osamu Tezuka's legacy and how has he influenced others?'

Academic Report

By Sophie Woollard

GAD Year 3

1100199

• Introduction

• Chapter One - Osamu Tezuka: An Artist from Childhood

• Chapter Two - After WWII: Changing the face of Manga

• Chapter Three - His Work, and its Influence on Modern Manga

• Chapter Four - Leaving his Mark on Modern Manga and Animation

• Conclusion

• Bibliography

Introduction

Japanese Comics, or Manga, are one of the biggest forms of storytelling in Japan. Used for both everyday reading and educational purposes, Manga occupies an extraordinarily large part of Japanese society and culture. Although, It was not until 1945, the year in which America took control of Japan after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings during WWII, that the modern manga was born. From the initial small panel comics found in the newspapers and magazines in Japan, they developed into something much bigger due to the western influence brought in by the Americans. This included the import of Western cinema and comics, and both had a major impact on artists at this time. It was during the years following the end of the war when modern manga was developed and distributed in society, and integrated forever into Japanese culture. ‘They have taken the fundamentals of American comics, the relationships between picture, frame and word, and by fusing them with their own traditional love for popular art that entertains, have ‘Japanized’ them into a storytelling vehicle with its own distinctive form.’ (Gravett, (P) 2004, pg. 10) Manga is now the biggest form of media in Japan, larger than Television and Film. In Japan, most animations, live-action films or television programs derived from a narrative in a manga. (Gravett, (P) 2004, pg. 5) But how is it that manga developed so quickly from small comics in newspapers, to millions of books sold worldwide? The answer to this question begins in 1947, when one artist created the first ever manga book, pushing Japanese comics into the next generation. This artist, also known as ‘The God of Manga’ was Osamu Tezuka. It is known across Japan that ‘without Dr Tezuka, the post-war explosion in comics in Japan would have been inconceivable’ (Gravett, (P) 2004, pg. 24) The scale of the boom of comics in Japan was due to his innovations in both comics and animation, and they ‘continue to influence both platforms to this day.’ (Gravett, (P) 2004, pg. 24) It was Tezuka who led the way in transforming Japanese comics, and this was all due to his passion for manga, as well as being strongly influenced by Western influences such as ‘Walt Disney and the Fleischer Brothers’ (Koyama- Richard, (B) 2007, pg. 148). He was the first manga artist to take advantage of a major shift in Japan after the war. Because of strict censorship laws in place, artists had no expressive freedom, however after the war, Japan lifted these laws, which enabled Tezuka to use his imagination and express himself freely in his creative field. It was this expression and freedom that separated Tezuka from the comic artists at this time, as his imagination led him to experiment with different techniques and styles to create something new and unique. ‘He led the way in transforming manga’s image through the sheer range of genres and subjects he tackled, his nuanced characterizations, his kinetic layouts and above all his emphasis on the need for a compelling story - one that was unafraid to confront the most basic human questions of identity, loss, death and injustice.’ (Gravett, (P) 2004, pg. 24)

Chapter One - Osamu Tezuka: An Artist from Childhood

Osamu Tezuka was born in 1928 in Toyonaka, Japan. At the age of 5, his family moved to Takarazuka in Japan, where he was raised. Tezuka had a privileged childhood in comparison to many at the time, being able to watch ‘8-millimeter prints of Disney and other American and European films in his own home’ (Kelts, (R) 2007, pg. 41), which was very rare for families at this time. His father was an avid reader of comics, both Japanese and American, giving Tezuka the opportunity to experience comics and take influence from them at an early age. His father also had a hobby of trying to replicate comics, drawing his own copies of them. This hobby was taken up by Tezuka, sparking his passion for drawing his own comic panels. His mother was also a key influence on Tezuka as she would regularly take him to attend shows at their local theatre, the Takarazuka theatre. This theatre however was run by women, so all of their shows contained actresses. The piece of work by Tezuka where the theatre was a clear influence is his first shojo manga, Princess Sapphire. ‘His famous heroine, Princess Sapphire, complete with those characteristic shining stars in her huge eyes, resembles those of the Takarazuka Theater as much as she does Disney animation.’ (Koyama- Richard, (B) 2007, pg. 152). The theatre gave Tezuka a feel for drama and instilled a sense of cinematic wonder. This went on to grow with the introduction of cinema in Tezuka’s life, especially animations by Walt Disney. Tezuka spent much of his childhood in the cinema, watching Disney movies and even taking a sketchbook and drawing some of the images. ‘He loved movies in general. And he loved the natural world.’ ‘He loved Bambi so much that he claimed to have seen it eighty times, memorizing the film from start to finish.’ (Kelts, (R) 2007, pg. 42) It is greatly noticeable throughout Tezuka’s work the influence Walt Disney animation had on his art style.

It was cinema, above all the other influences during his childhood, where Tezuka gained most of his influence. It was through amateur filmmaking with his father that he began to look at comics in a different way, and tried to create movement using flipbooks. From watching so many films in his lifetime, Tezuka asked himself, ‘how can I draw comics that make people laugh, cry and be moved, like that movie?’ (Gravett, (P) 2004, pg. 26)

Tezuka’s style was completely new, as he created his Manga in a style of a movie, creating a unique page layout with a ‘clever use of sound effects, and a lavish spread of frames to depict a single action’. (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. 62) It was this unique style of drawing comics which enticed readers to want to see more from the artist, thus beginning an era of manga and animation which transformed both mediums.

Chapter Two - After WWII: Changing the face of Manga

After the war, Tezuka began to experiment with the limits of manga. He strongly felt that ‘existing comics were limiting… Most were drawn as if seated in an audience viewing a stage, where the actors emerge from the wings and interact.’ (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. 63) He sought to create something new and engaging, and wanted readers to experience ‘tears, grief, anger and hate and I created stories where the ending was not always ‘happy’.’ (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. 63) It was after the war and with the import of Western comics and cinema into Japan, that Tezuka began to take influence from Western media. Tezuka’s new way of creating comics grew immensely in popularity, through his first manga book ‘Shintakarajima’ (New Treasure Island), and it is estimated that this book sold between 400,000 and 800,000 copies with no publicity. (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. 62)

Chapter Three - His Work, and its Influence on Modern Manga

Through comics in childrens magazines and manga books, Tezuka developed his style and modern manga. He soon became a household name in Japan, but it was in 1950 that Tezuka’s work transformed with the release of ‘Kimba the White Lion (also known as The Jungle Emperor), with its touching animal character, brought him an international reputation.’ (Koyama- Richard, (B) 2007, pg. 150) It was, however, Astro (Testuwan Atomu) or Astro Boy which has been his most famous manga. It was this comic, along with the masses of others Tezuka released, that influenced the next generation of artists and gave birth to gekiga. This style of creating manga is defined as drawing realistic panels and stories, featuring violence and gore. This movement began in the Kansai region in the 1950s, and their mangas contain dramatic images, ‘bereft of humor, their stories offer a bleak reflection of everyday life and social problems.’ (Koyama- Richard, (B) 2007, pg. 154) With the expansion of his popularity, Tezuka began experimenting with ‘his new style in a spate of productivity, creating science fiction, detective stories, historical works, and romances for girls.’ (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. 64) Continuing his expansion of works, It was in the 1960’s where Tezuka began to create comics for adults, containing ‘satires for consumerism, eroticism and ambition.’ (McCarthy, (H) 2009, pg. 162) It is in this experimentation, Tezuka created ‘new cinematic techniques’ which ‘allowed a level of character and plot development that had been previously unimaginable.’ (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. 64)

Chapter Four - Leaving his Mark on Modern Manga and Animation

Tezuka’s life work led him to be known as ‘The God of Manga’, with his place in history being regarded as equivalent to ‘that of D.W. Griffith in the history of cinema.’ (Gravett, (P) 2004, pg. 24) He is regarded as a remarkable 20th century figure, and even has his own museum in his home town of Takarazuka to celebrate his long career in manga and animation. Tezuka’s passion for animation led him to create many short animated films and television shows of his manga stories. It can also be said that Tezuka was a strong influence on Walt Disney, with ‘Kimba the White Lion’ having striking similarities to Disney’s ‘The Lion King’. A close friend of Tezuka claims that if he were alive when ‘The Lion King’ was released, ‘“and if he knew about even the rumor that Disney might have copied elements of his work, he would have been proud.”’(Kelts, (R) 2007, pg. 45) The legacy of Tezuka can be seen in all modern day manga, with their uses of sound effects and unique panel structures and characters. Through the birth of gekiga, brought new forms of manga, such as dark comics, adult erotic comics, as well as comics containing horror and violence. These all derived from Tezuka’s works, with his influence strongly present in every manga on sale to this day.

Conclusion

Osamu Tezuka is internationally known for his work and transformation of manga and animation. ‘Tezuka is where today’s anime style starts.’ (Kelts, (R) 2007, pg. 41) He was the beginning of ‘ interrelations between Japanese and American artists-a cross-pollination of influences that traverses the realms of computer-generated images (CGI), limited or two-dimensional animation, and live action.’ (Kelts, (R) 2007, pg 42) Tezuka’s passion for manga stemmed from his attempt at crossing national boundaries, claiming that ‘comics are a bridge between all cultures.’ (Gravett, (P) 2004, pg. 30) It was this passion that led the artist through an extensive career in manga and animation. He explains how he has seen ‘ all the twists and turns that mark the extraordinary growth of Japanese comics over the last nearly forty years.’ (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. 11) His life's work was to ‘further peace and goodwill among nations’ (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. 11) through comics and animation. He was successful in his goal, with manga and Japanese animation (Anime) being a large part of culture in both Japan and across the world. This was because of Tezuka’s hard work and dedication that this was all possible. Most nights, only sleeping for a few hours, Tezuka created his work, fueled by his passion for comics. Although he died young, he had produced 150,000 pages for 600 manga titles as well as 60 animated titles, as well as lectures, essays and film reviews, enough to last lifetimes as well as influence generations to come.

Bibliography

Gravett, P. (2004) Manga: sixty years of Japanese comics. London: Laurence King.

In text citation: (Gravett, (P) 2004, pg. )

Kelts, R. (2007) Japanamerica : how Japanese pop culture has invaded the U.S. New York; Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

In text citation: (Kelts, (R) 2007, pg. )

Koyama-Richard, B. (2007) One thousand years of Manga. Paris: Flammarion.

In text citation: (Koyama-Richard, (B) 2007, pg. )

McCarthy, H. (2009) The art of Osamu Tezuka : god of manga. Lewes: Ilex.

In text citation: (McCarthy, (H) 2009, pg. )

Schodt, F.L. (1986) Manga! manga!: world of Japanese comics. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd.

In text citation: (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. )