Tezuka’s Manga (1946-49)

The Early Years

New Treasure Island (1947)

The 1940s feature the works of Osamu Tezuka’s youthful exhuberance – those that pave the way for modern manga and show just a hint of his later genius.  While the artwork is still raw, not yet refined or free of his early Disney influences, it still shows the promise of his keen sense of cinematography.  It has an almost boundless energy that matches his somewhat frenetic storytelling style.

Tezuka was still only a student when his first work, the four-panel gag manga The Diary of Ma-chan (1946) was published in a magazine for children.  Only one year later, his first long-story manga, New Treasure Island (1947) was released and became an almost overnight sensation, quickly selling over 400,000 copies (a significant feat in a Japan still recovering from the ravages of the Second World War).  It introduced Tezuka’s cinematic storytelling techniques to the manga-buying public, cementing Tezuka’s status as a manga star, and arguably starting the entire story manga genre in Japan.

In 1948 Tezuka published the first installment, Lost World (1948), of what, along with Metropolis (1949) and Next World (1951), would become his celebrated science-fiction trilogy.  1948 also saw Tezuka’s first foray into the genres of fantasy with The Magic House (1948) and The Miracle Forest (1948), and more complex comedy with The Streamlined Case (1948).  In 1949 he also wrote his first western, Angel Gunfighter (1949).  By the end of the decade, and still only in his early twenties, Tezuka had tried his hand at nearly all of the great genres of manga.

Tezuka's Manga (1946-49)

The 1940s feature the works of Osamu Tezuka’s youthful exhuberance – those that pave the way for modern manga and show just a hint of his later genius.

Tezuka's Manga (1950-59)

The 1950s feature the first of Osamu Tezuka's works where the artwork, though still showing its Disney-esque roots, catches up to his storytelling.

Tezuka's Manga (1960-69)

The 1960s see Tezuka hit his artistic stride. Although throughout the decade much of his energy was devoted to getting his animation, both artistic and commercial, off the ground, in his manga work his storytelling and artwork show a maturity that only...

Tezuka's Manga (1970-79)

With the failure of the company he founded, Mushi Productions, much of Tezuka's work in the 1970s reflects his darker mood. Despite this, and indeed because of it, the 1970s really show Tezuka at his best.

Tezuka's Manga (1980-89)

Although Tezuka spent the last decade of his life primarily focused on his award-winning work in experimental animation, there are still several important manga series of note.