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. Tezuka even claimed himself that ‘ he was unconsciously influenced by Mickey Mouse. Astro Boy resembles him. Mickey has two ears. Astro always has two horns. In fact they are not ‘horns’ at all, but licks of hair’ he claims that their similarities is where ‘the magic of animation resides.’ (Koyama- Richard, (B) 2007, pg. 150). He also went on to say that along with the two horns, Astro is always bare chested, such as Mickey Mouse was in the early animations where all he wore were shorts and shoes. Both also wear oversized shoes, and there is also a hole in Astros glove following Mickeys early design. Other western cinema which influenced Tezuka greatly, include Max Fleischer who was the creator of the widely known Betty Boop and Superman cartoons.
Along with cinema, another major influence on Tezuka’s art was his hobby of collecting and studying insects. Many other Japanese artists are known to also have been influenced by this as well. ‘Much of Japanese anime design emanates from this insect obsession. Think of Ultraman’s praying-mantis eyes, the beetlelike space ships in Battle of the Planets, and just about any Japanese sci-fi robot or monster, which often feature enlarged insect appendages that appear to have been magnified- or irradiated.’ (Kelts, (R) 2007, pg. 41) It is from studying insects throughout his childhood that influenced many of his character designs, however 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 childhood of attending the cinema on a daily basis was short lived, with the beginning of WWII. During the war, Tezuka was forced to stop drawing comics, however he drew over 3,000 pages in private during this time. He claims ‘his witnessing of Japan’s war-machine propaganda and the death and destruction of World War II’ (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. 24) influenced him in his work as well, having first hand experience of the aftermath of an air raid on Osaka. ‘This fired his conviction to teach peace and respect for all life through animation and the less costly comics.’ (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. 24) He believed he could create manga that was acknowledged as a valid part of culture in Japan.
Following the war, Tezuka studied Medicine, and became a licensed physician. Alongside this, he continued to create manga, and even had several books published. It was from these publications that his work grew immensely in popularity, and the modern manga was born. 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. ‘The strongest influence on him in so many ways seems to have been the narrative dramas, of which American movies were the great exemplars. Above all it was the motion and emotion of Hollywood that he sought to inject into his comics.’ (Gravett, (P) 2004, pg. 28) 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) 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) This is not where his influence on America ends. Tezuka was privileged with several awards for comic creation at the San Diego Comic Convention, with cosplayers in America portraying his characters and often ‘put their Japanese counterparts to shame.’ (Schodt, (F.L) 1986, pg. 155)
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) His passion for comics was greatly admired, and Tezuka claims ‘What I tried to express in my works can be summed up in the following message: “Love all creatures! Love every living thing!”’ (Gravett, (P) 2004, pg. 30) 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.
