Osamu Tezuka

Osamu Tezuka was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator who is widely regarded as the father of manga and the god of manga. He was born in Toyonaka, Osaka, in 1928, and showed an early interest in drawing and animation. He was influenced by Walt Disney, Max Fleischer, and the Takarazuka Revue. He graduated from Osaka University with a degree in medicine, but chose to pursue a career as a manga artist. He made his debut in 1946 with Diary of Ma-chan, and achieved fame with his 1947 work New Treasure Island, which sold over 400,000 copies. He went on to create many influential and popular manga series, such as Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Princess Knight, Phoenix, Dororo, Buddha, and Black Jack. He also founded two animation studios, Mushi Production and Tezuka Productions, and produced many anime adaptations of his works, as well as experimental and feature films. He was known for his prolific output, his innovative techniques, his diverse genres, and his humanistic themes. He received many awards and honors, both in Japan and abroad, for his contributions to manga and anime. He died of stomach cancer in 1989, at the age of 60. His works have been translated into many languages and have inspired many other artists and creators. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of comics and animation.