Meet Kenta. Boy Detective.
Starring the power team-up of Shunsaku Ban as Dr. Thrill and Rock Holmes as his son Kenta, Tezuka’s mystery detective series, Dr. Thrill (1959) certainly lived up to its billing when it began serialization in the very first edition of Weekly Shonen Sunday (週刊少年サンデー).
Assassination plots, drug smugglers dressed up as giant insects, international conspirators, this one’s got it all.
Siddhartha finds out that a soul can be a tricky thing to hold on to. This existential adventure comes courtesy of Buddha (1972-83), Osamu Tezuka’s fictionalized biography of Siddhartha Gautama.
Interesting to note, Buddha (1972-83) was published by Ushio Shuppan, who originally wanted to take over publication of Phoenix (1967-88) after it was left homeless with the demise of COM in 1972. A masterful epic, eleven years in the making… not bad of a “consolation prize”. ;)
“Garon, Kenichi, help meeeeee!”
Pick and Garon succeed in getting a volcano to erupt and blow up Kairyu-O Island, but are caught in the ensuing whirlpool. The action comes from Tezuka’s tale of the giant alien robot with (quite literally) the heart of a young boy, The Devil Garon (1959-62).
More innovative panel design by Osamu Tezuka, this time, courtesy of his samurai epic General Onimaru (1969).
The son of a Roman soldier and a Japanese mother, Onimaru was hated and feared as a monster (or Oni) by the local village people because of his blue eyes and blond hair. Captured and tortured, Onimaru escapes with the help of the legendary swordsman, Kojiro Soma and his flashing blade…
Hint: tilt your head to the right. ;)
“It all comes crumbling down…”
It’s 1982, and when former-sumo-wrestler-turned-salary-man, Hitoshi Himito, finds himself being appointed as the head of Edo Shoji Corp.’s new South American office, he’s quite happy with the big promotion. However he soon finds out not all is fair in love, war and the manufacturing of electronics.
Osamu Tezuka’s sweaty tale of political drama and corporate intrigue, Gringo (1987-89) was one of his last works, and, unfortunately, remains unfinished with his untimely death.
Say what you will, but Shunsaku Ban sure knows how to take a punch…
Continuing with our look at how to draw manga according to Osamu Tezuka, here he shows us how to ramp up the action. A single punch, depending on the narrative requirements, can result in “various overreactions”.
Love… Osamu Tezuka shōjo style!
Sapphire sprouts wings and plays a harp while day-dreaming about her very own prince, Franz Charming. This scene comes from Tezuka’s classic shōjo gender-bending romance/adventure tale, the original Princess Knight (1953-56).
It’s good to remember that even a butt-kicking, swashbuckling princess can have a Prince Charming… even if he thinks she’s a boy… and her fancy golden wig is her own worst rival for his affections. There’s hope for us all!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Want to be able to draw manga like Osamu Tezuka?
According to him, this is everything you’ll need… just add some ideas, talent and a TON of practice!
| — | Asahi Shinbun (February 10, 1989) |
Love knows no bounds…
In 2482 A.D., young Leon dies in a car accident. Resurrected through the miracle of technology, his cyborg brain makes him see all living things as distorted clay figures, while be sees machines and robots as beautiful creatures.
Falling in love with the worker robot, Chihiro, Leon finds he is willing to fight for his new-found, yet forbidden, love.
From the chapter of “Resurrection” (1970-71), part of Osamu Tezuka’s masterwork Phoenix (1967-88).
