Have you folks notice that Sapphire looks like Audrey Hepbur

[Tetsu Deinonychus]

Oh that's quite true!

Isn't it interesting that Betty Boop and Mickey Mouse were the visual inspiration for a comic about a robot superhero?

Anyway, I'm not denying Disney's influence, but I am saying not to count out the Fleisher influence.

Storywise, the inspiration for Tetsuwan Atom was Pinocchio and Superman.
Disney didn't invent the story of Pinocchio but they pretty much defined him in animation.
And, likewise, Fleisher didn't create Superman, but they pretty much defined him in animation (most modern versions of Superman have more in common with the 30s cartoons than the original comics).

Sidenote: Let's not forget Fleisher's Superman cartoons were probably the first true action/adventure animation. And where would anime be without action stories?

Again, he drew from both Disney and Fleisher.

Of course, both Disney (and Ub Iwerks, Disney's top artist), and the Fleisher Bros. modeled their style after Otto Messmer (creator and animator of Felix the Cat), and I would be shocked and amazed if Tezuka wasn't aware of Messmer himself, so Otto Messmer was probably also a role model to Tezuka.

I do wonder if Tezuka was a fan of Winsor McCay, however.

[TempuraTokei]

O>O I have no idea who those people are, but I'll just take your word for it. >3<

[Manetoys]

I'm pretty sure he DID see some Felix The Cat. It's interesting how everyone manages to mold their own style based on someone else's. Makes me feel a little better about so many of my anthro characters looking like something out of Sonic the hedgehog

[Kevin]

From all the elements I've seen in Tezuka's work, I am confident he experienced every single animator / cartoonist of his time and before his time.

^_^

[Manetoys]

[Princess Sapphire]