More on the Art of Osamu Tezuka

Author Helen McCarthy brings us more information on her highly anticipated new book, the Art of Osamu Tezuka.

There is what's called a "blad", basically like a conceptual brochure of the book, available here. "Blad" is a funny sounding word, but judging just from these small morsels, the book is looking quite extensive already. I've already ordered a copy and I'm really looking forward to finally getting my hands on it. I highly recommend ordering a copy as soon as you can, because this book may just wind up being a sought-after collectible item some day. If you order from Amazon here, you'll help support AstroBoy World in the process!

For even more information on this book, you can also check out the Press Release here or by clicking the link below for an archived version.

The Art of Osamu Tezuka
God of Manga

By Helen McCarthy

Publication date: 1 November 2009
Price: £25.00, Hardback PLC + DVD
272 pages, 350 colour illustrations
ISBN: 978 1 905814 66 4
The Ilex Press

Osamu Tezuka has often been called the Walt Disney of Japan, but he was far more than that. Tezuka (1928―1989) was Disney, Stan Lee, Alan Moore, Tim Burton and Carl Sagan, all rolled into one incredibly prolific package, and he changed the face of Japanese culture forever. Tezukaʼs work - especially his Astro Boy animation and comics, and the phenomenally successful TV series Kimba the White Lion - achieved worldwide acclaim.

The Art of Osamu Tezuka reveals what makes Tezuka one of the key figures of 20th century pop culture. Packed with stunning images, many never before seen outside Japan, the book pays tribute to the work of an artist, writer, animator, doctor, entrepreneur, and traveller, whose insatiably curious mind created two companies, dozens of animated films and series, and more than 150,000 pages of comic art in one astonishingly creative lifetime.

With a foreword by Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo, and including a unique 45-minute DVD documentary never aired outside Japan, this is the most comprehensive tome on Tezuka ever produced. Like Tezukaʼs own work, this book is an amazing adventure for the manga and anime neophyte, an essential reference for the confirmed fan, and a visual treat for anyone who loves art.

The bookʼs accessible style, clear chronology, and references to other Asian and world events will enable the general reader to place Tezukaʼs work in its wider context, while the bibliography and indices will be invaluable to animation and comics scholars.

Film: In Spring 2010 a new animated film, Astro Boy, will be launched worldwide, featuring the voices of Donald Sutherland, Nicolas Cage, Kirsten Bell, Matt Lucas and Bill Nighy. www.astroboy-themovie.com


Helen McCarthy is one of the pre-eminent experts on modern Japanese culture. With eight books about anime and manga to her name, she also curated the first Osamu Tezuka Film Festival at Londonʼs Barbican Centre and is developing a documentary film about his life and work. She lives in London.

Katsuhiro Otomo, who contributes a foreword, is the creator of Akira, the first hit manga in the English speaking world. Widely seen as one of the most important manga creators after Tezuka, his work has sold millions of copies worldwide.