Osamu Tezuka Publishes First “Graphic Novel”

Before there was anime, there was one defining voice in Japan who is considered a national treasure for his contributions to the definitively Japanese art form. They even gave him his own postage stamps. Osamu Tezuka is considered the pre-eminent manga artist, whose career has paralleled the Japanese cartoon and animation industry. His collected life works tally more than 170,000 pages of animation. He was also the founder of Mushi Studios, the first Japanese studio that fostered countless animators of note.

In terms of anime, his most influential event came early in 1947, when he published the first “graphic novel” titled Shintakarajim, or New Treasure Island. This longer form (a film-like structure told through still pictures and using only the characters’ dialogue) lent itself to the inevitable adaptation of future works from printed illustration to motion-based animation.

Energized expressions, epitomized by the larger-than-life Disney-influenced eyes, as well as minimal lines, defined a new school of ink on paper. While the influences are clear, Tezuka’s ability to incorporate enough of the Japanese tradition allowed him to identify with the interests of a growing audience. The year it was published, Shintakarajim sold 400,000 copies, making household names of the term manga and its earliest champion.

Published first in print in 1952, Tetsuwan Atomu (“Astro Boy”) was the first manga to be adapted into an animated television series in Japan in 1964. On the outstretched arms of this “Mighty Atom,” anime was born.


Jungle Taitei (“Jungle Emperor Leo”) follows the adventures of the young Leo the Lion, who tries to follow in the footsteps of his slain father. He became one of Tezuka’s most endeared characters, and in 1965 a 52-episode animated series based on this manga was released by Mushi Studios.

Osamu Tezuka died of cancer in 1989.



See also:

• Hayao Miyazaki
• Katsuhiro Otomo
• Leiji Matsumoto
• Mecha Arrives
• Osamu Tezuka
• Rumiko Takahashi