Osamu Tezuka

manga · animation · Japanese art · storytelling

Father of Manga. Osamu Tezuka created the style and techniques that became modern manga, the Japanese comic books read by millions today. He's so important to manga that people call him the Father of Manga, the Godfather of Manga, and even the god of Manga.

Walt Disney Inspired Him. When Tezuka was growing up, Walt Disney was his hero, and Disney's storytelling and animation style taught him how to create amazing visual stories. This influence shaped how Tezuka made his own incredible comics and cartoons.

Prolific Creator. Tezuka created so many manga and animated works during his lifetime that his output was incredibly prolific, meaning he produced an enormous amount of creative material. His hard work and constant innovation changed the entire manga and animation industry.

More Than Comics. While Tezuka is famous for children's manga, he also created serious, literary works called gekiga that showed manga could be a powerful art form for grown-ups too. These works proved that manga could tell complex stories just like novels.