Manga's grandfather Osamu Tezuka returns to English with classic story

Thanks to ABLAZE, the great manga artist Osamu Tezuka has finally released four works in English, including his last manga.

The legendary Osamu Tezuka, creator of the Astro Boy known by many as the "Godfather of manga," will finally see four of his titles released in English for the first time in the next few years, with the help of publisher ABLAZE.

Recent ABLAZE licensees include A Hundred Tales, an adaptation of the samurai-era Faust saga, and Shakespeare's Comics Theatre, which adapts many of Bard's most famous plays in comic form, both of which will be Released in 2023. Releases in 2024 include Tomorrow The Birds and New Faust, a sci-fi story about a future world where birds evolve to be as intelligent as humans, and New Faust. , the last comic he created before his death in 1989.

Osamu Tezuka is One of Manga's Most Influential Creators

Tezuka, known for creating many iconic series and characters such as Astro Boy, Black Jack, and Shiraishi Kimba, was a prolific creator who, in addition to the anime series he helped create, He also created nearly 700 comics. He is credited with inspiring hundreds of subsequent manga artists, including those who became legends themselves, such as Dragon Ball's Akira Toriyama, and his art style laid the foundation for what most people know today As "anime style". But with so many works to his name, many of which have never had an official English translation, some sure-fire classics have undoubtedly been lost in the shuffle.

This particular story choice is interesting, as most are adaptations of Western literature, allowing Tezuka to deliver unique interpretations of some of the most familiar stories and characters in the European literary canon. Therefore, these works may be especially valuable to schools or parents who are trying to introduce these stories to children and students for the first time. The Birds of Tomorrow functions as a moral allegory, designed to make readers think about how they treat people different from themselves, making it an excellent choice for younger readers as well. Shakespeare's comic strip adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, rumored to feature a guest appearance from Astro Boy himself!

Fans of classic anime and manga, regardless of age, will be thrilled with the news that ABLAZE is bringing more of the legendary Tezuka's works overseas. Fans can pick up the first of these, a hundred stories, in August 2023. ^More: Demon Slayer, Spy x Viz's new home releases and more