What Makes the "God of Manga" Great?
- Maple Lam
- Sep 26, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 10
A Look Into the Depth of Osamu Tezuka's Comics
Disclaimer: Some artworks shown in this newsletter can be graphic.
I only read two of Osamu Tezuka’s comic series when I was young.
It wasn’t until my adulthood that I caught up with some of his other famous works.
And they are absolutely mind-blowing.
Tezuka was extremely prolific. During his lifetime, he had produced more than 450 comic books. (Some say 700. But at that level, who is counting, really?)
The most impressive thing about Tezuka’s comics is the philosophy behind his work. He was a solider in World War II and almost died during an air raid in Osaka. This near-death experience made him weave a theme into all his books: the dignity and values of being alive.
The work that amazed me most is his epic series Phoenix.
(Sadly, he died before could finish it.)
I was struck by the story’s depth. The series pinged back and forth in time, from ancient Japan to the future in outer-space. All of them carry the same theme: war, pain, what it means to survive, and what it means to be human.
It’s like a reading companion to Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind.
Part of me wonder: if someone today pitches a series like this, would it ever get picked up by an American publisher?
For starter, it’s a lengthy story. Tezuka had not even finished it, and it is already 12-books long. This means it’s a pretty risky investment from a publisher’s perspective.
The topic is heavy, which means the market might be small.
The drawing style leans young – by today’s standard. But content-wise, it gets gory. An art director might (rightfully) ask, “Who is the target audience?”
I personally have no problem with artwork that looks like they’re for a younger audience but contains adult themes, but this is something you have to consider when you pitch to publishers.
Keep in mind, you have the freedom to create whatever work you want, but the publisher also has the freedom to invest in whichever work makes the most business sense. (Of course, one can always self-publish!)
In the end, as a reader and a fan, I am grateful Phoenix exists.
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Have you read any of Tezuka’s work? What’s your favorite series to recommend? I look forward to your thoughts on the comments section below.
I really resonate with your insight into Osamu Tezuka's profound philosophy, particularly how his near-death experience during WWII shaped the core theme of 'the dignity and values of being alive' across his vast body of work. The depth you describe in *Phoenix*, especially its time-spanning narrative, truly highlights Tezuka’s mastery of visual storytelling. His genius for conveying intricate narratives across so many works, often through unique panel layouts and character expressions, underscores the importance of thoughtful graphic design in visual narratives. It's inspiring to see how his prolific output utilized such strong design principles to communicate such powerful messages.