Tezuka Osamu (Japanese pseudonym てづかおさむ, Tezuka Osamu, alive November 3, 1928 - February 9, 1989) was a famous Japanese cartoonist/animator, doctor and doctor of medicine. . Osamu Tezuka single-handedly created the model of the modern Japanese animation industry and is known as the "Father of Modern Japanese Comics." He drew more than 150,000 drawings in his lifetime. Among his more than 700 comic series, Astro Boy is the most famous. Black Jack (the strange doctor Dr. Qin), Leo (the Forest Emperor), and Firebird are all his well-known works.
Tezuka Osamu, formerly known as Tezuka Osamu. Born in 1926 in Takarazuka, Toyonaka City, Hyogo Prefecture, Osaka. He had a wide range of interests since he was a child. Because he particularly liked drawing insects, he changed his name from "Oji" to a name with a similar pronunciation to "Insect" in Japanese. In Chinese characters, it is written as Tezuka Osamu (this is his pen name to be exact). , he still uses his original name while working as a doctor). A comic titled "In the Cinema Playing Sasuke Sarutobi" produced by Osamu Tezuka when he was in the third grade of elementary school became a blockbuster and was awarded the first prize in the art exhibition. In 1956, he serialized his debut novel "Mother's Diary" in "Shaomin News" and became famous. From then on, he began a 43-year comic creation career until his death on February 9, 1989.
He left behind hundreds of comic strips, published more than 100 million single volumes, and created 2,000 vital comic images. Like "Astro Boy", "The Jungle King", "Firebird", "Gentlemen of the Moon World", "Butterfly Knight", "Plain Peace", "Our Monkey King", "Captain Osman", "One Thousand and Zero" Works such as "One Night", "New Treasure Island" and "Insects of the World" have all caused a sensation in Japan and have become treasures in the treasure house of Japanese comics and animations.
The creation of Osamu Tezuka is of great significance in creating a new era in the history of Japanese comics. In his works, there are twists and turns of wonderful storylines, thought-provoking thoughts and philosophies, and pleasing animation. Therefore, the Japanese comics industry respects him as the God of Japanese comics and believes that his fall marks the end of a comics era.
Life
Osamushi Tezuka in his youth
Osamushi Tezuka, formerly known as Tezuka Osamu, was born on November 3, 1928 in Toyono County, Osaka Prefecture, Japan ( It is now Toyonaka City). When he was a child, Tezuka was thin, with a big head, an insect-like face, a small stature, and a very weak body. When I was in elementary school, I was often teased by my classmates. I was the kind of kid who was used to being bullied. After entering middle school, the situation worsened. There is a game called "Anatomy Game", where the whole body is stripped naked. About ten people come together and are stripped naked from their shirts to their underwear, and then they are driven into the corridor. In order to avoid being bullied by his classmates, Tezuka successfully joined a group in the class and became good friends with a child named Ishihara Minoru. Influenced by Ishihara's classmates, Tezuka fell in love with astronomy and was fascinated by insects. He became a teenager who read all kinds of science fiction novels. This is the origin of the name "Tezuka Osamu".
Tezuka Osamu has been fond of drawing since he was a child. When he was 4 years old, he expressed his dreams in the form of pictures. Every time Tezuka's mother got money from her father, she used a small part of it to buy books, including many comics. Tezuka's mother often read comic books to Tezuka. She was truly a unique mother. Because there were many comic books at home, Tezuka became famous in his class. Every Sunday, many children would come to Tezuka's house to read comics. Thanks to the manga, fewer and fewer people bully Tezuka at school and he has more friends. These are all due to the manga. For Tezuka, the manga is simply a god! Gradually, Tezuka also began to draw comics. When he was in the fifth grade of elementary school, Tezuka drew an entire notebook of stories and passed them around to his classmates in class. World War II broke out when Tezuka was in middle school. Having experienced the war, Tezuka realized the value of life even more.
During the war, Tezuka never thought about becoming a cartoonist. His ambition at that time was to be a military doctor. Although he studied medicine, Tezuka's favorite thing was drawing cartoons. When he was hesitating between becoming a doctor or a cartoonist, his mother's words decided Tezuka's life: "If you really like comics that much, go to Tokyo." These words of his mother made Tezuka feel at ease in his choice. My love, and because of these ordinary words, the Japanese god of comics was born...
The birth of the god of comics
In Tezuka in 1947 When Harimushi was 19 years old, he published a serial work - "New Treasure Island", which aroused great interest from readers and sold more than 400,000 copies. He applied the zoom, wide angle, overhead and other techniques used in movies and TV to his comic works. The characters all "moved". This is an epoch-making progress in the expression techniques of Japanese comics. What people usually call "きんが" started from here. In 1952, Osamu Tezuka's "Astro Boy" came out and caused a sensation in Japan. This brave, smart, righteous little robot with more than 100,000 horsepower and the ability to go up to the sky and into the earth was loved by almost everyone. From 1963 to December 1966, the cartoon of the same name was launched on Japan's Fuji TV Universal. The cartoon of the same name produced by Japan lasted for 13 years. The cartoon of "Astro Boy" changed some people. Prejudice against comics, parents who previously believed that children's reading of comics would affect their studies and even be adversely affected began to encourage their children to read comics. The cartoon "Astro Boy" is still broadcast on the NBC TV station in the United States. American children watched "Astro Boy" and thought the protagonist was cute, but what moved them was the storyline and the unique performance. In a way that they will never forget. The cartoon "Astro Boy" not only sold well overseas, but its commercialized peripheral products also generated new economic benefits. Thus, Osamu Tezuka's unparalleled status in the Japanese comics industry was confirmed.
For "older" comic fans, another work by which Osamu Tezuka is acquainted is "The Jungle King". The first cartoon that everyone in China came into contact with should be the cartoon adapted from this comic. The protagonist in "The Jungle King" is a little white lion named Leo. Speaking of the white lion, let’s first look at its origins. In 1948, Osamu Tezuka illustrated an animated book. At that time, there were no fluorescent lights and the yellow electric light was very dim. The next morning, when I opened the picture of the lion, I saw that the areas that I thought were painted yellow were all white, but it turned out to be caused by yellow light! Of course, the white lion was not used. On the train home, Tezuka suddenly thought, "No one has ever painted a white lion before, it will definitely be useful." So this picture was treasured, and in 1950, it was finally published in "The Jungle King" See the light again. In fact, white lions are very rare. From a genetic perspective, it is the so-called "albinism" (also known as albino). Albinism also exists among humans. Usually Bai Zi's ability to survive is relatively weak, and Leo's constitution is also very weak. He was adopted by humans at birth and grew up comfortably in a civilized society. Suddenly one day, he was released to the grasslands of Africa. The African grassland is a place where the weak prey on the strong. Leo was suddenly put back into that world. At first he was very lonely and cried at every turn. When other beasts heard about it, they would attack him. The lion is the king of beasts, and Leo is also a lion after all. If he is attacked, he will only become a laughing stock. So Leo began to make friends with other animals in the jungle, and finally gained everyone's support and became the Emperor of the Forest. In this work, what Tezuka wants to tell everyone through the growth of little white lion Leo is: Although everyone has friends, the situation is different when entering society. Everyone is released alone. , just like Leo. The most important thing at that time was contact and communication between people, communication with the soul, and not being self-centered in everything.
Due to his experience in World War II, Tezuka deeply understood the dignity of life. "Firebird" was created in 1955. The firebird that appears there is not just a bird, it is also a symbol of life. Every character related to this bird is very persistent in his or her life, without exception. Everyone does not want to die, they all hope to gain eternal life and be rejuvenated.
Because of attachment to life, all kinds of suffering arise. This work is more about discussing people's views on life and death, and whether pursuing eternal life is correct. Another work that explores life is the famous "Strange Doctor Dr. Qin" (original name: BLACK JACK). "The Strange Doctor Dr. Qin" is a work created by Tezuka's experience when he was studying in medical school. The strange doctor Dr. Qin is an unlicensed doctor with a long scar on the left side of his face, but he has superhuman skills because They charge huge amounts of medical fees to patients, so they make people evil like snakes and scorpions. What are the ethical standards for doctors? Tezuka has conducted an in-depth discussion in this work. Because this series of books can be read by all ages from primary school students to adults, it has become Osamu Tezuka's most popular manga. When Japan's Akita Bookstore republished all 12 episodes in the fall of 1993, it quickly sold 6 million copies, exceeding Akita Bookstore's expectations.
Osamushi Tezuka in Dilemma
No matter everyone will encounter difficulties, Tezuka is also a human being, and of course he has encountered great difficulties. Although Osamu Tezuka was a genius in painting, he was not a businessman. Osamu Tezuka once opened his own company under the illusion that "he can also run a company." It is really impossible for such a famous cartoonist to continue to publish new works and run a company at the same time. There may still be problems with mastering about one million yuan, but problems arise when it comes to mastering about 100 million yuan. A person like Tezuka is like an unlocked treasury. As long as someone asks him to stamp it, he will stamp it with an "Oh" response, because he doesn't have time to read the information at all. In fact, Tezuka himself was a cash cow, and almost everyone he interacted with had the idea of ??using him to make a fortune, which eventually made Tezuka burdened with huge debts. However, he even thought of escaping to Taiwan. In this case, with the great help of his good friend Kasai Kenzo, he finally got out of the predicament. In addition to the help of friends and the care of his family, what allowed Tezuka to rise from the abyss of despair was his personal courage and his indomitable vitality. This is the essence of Osamu Tezuka and the driving force for his regeneration.
Osamushi Tezuka’s love affair with China
Everyone knows that Osamu Tezuka is the god of Japanese comics, but he is inextricably linked to China. As a teenager, Tezuka When he was a child, he had seen "Princess with the Iron Fan" produced by the Wan Brothers. Influenced by this work, he decided to engage in animation production. Tezuka visited China for the first time more than 20 years ago and paid a special visit to Tezuka, who he had always admired. Senior Wan Laiming. Tezuka's last animated work during his lifetime was "I am Sun Wukong". From this point of view, Tezuka had great respect for senior Wan Laiming. At the first International Animation Festival held in Shanghai in 1988, Osamu Tezuka served as a review committee member of the conference. Tezuka had already suffered from gastric cancer at the time, but even under such circumstances, he still worked tenaciously and collaborated with countries all over the world. They communicated with colleagues, without any expression of pain on their faces, and they were still talking and laughing. After the meeting, Osamu Tezuka was admitted to the hospital that night when he returned to Tokyo, and he never returned to his home again...
A Glorious Life
In During his 43-year comic creation career, Osamu Tezuka left behind hundreds of comic works, 150,000 comic manuscripts, more than 100 million single volumes published, and more than 60 animation works. More than a thousand cartoon characters with great vitality were still being drawn until the last moment of their lives. Regarding the death of Osamu Tezuka, Japan's most representative newspaper "Asahi Shimbun" published the following editorial: "Why do Japanese people (including adults) like comics so much? All foreigners who come to Japan seem to be familiar with this phenomenon. It feels strange. The reason is simple. It is because other countries do not have Osamu Tezuka. "Many of Osamu Tezuka's works have been published for so long, but there are still many readers. This is because Tezuka's thoughts transcend the times. The best proof that it can still impress modern people. Osamu Tezuka is not only a cartoonist, but also a philosopher who burns his own life and spreads his thoughts to the world. Tezuka's works are full of Eastern wisdom and thoughts about the future.
Osamu Tezuka's contribution is not only the creation of so many popular comics, he also cultivated and promoted an entire generation of comics creation talents, such as Shotaro Ishimori, Fujio Akatsuka, and Fujio Fujio. For half a century, the prosperity of Japanese comics is inseparable from his role. Osamu Tezuka has made great contributions to the Japanese comics industry. His creations have created a new era in the history of Japanese comics and established the cultural status of comics and animation. Therefore, the Japanese comics industry gave him the title of "God of Comics". Well deserved!
Chronology of Tezuka Osamu's life
On November 3, 1928 (Showa 3), he was born in Toyonaka Town, Toyonō County, Osaka Prefecture (now Toyonaka City), and named " "Zhi".
In 1933, when he was 5 years old, he moved to Kohama Village, Kawabe County, Hyogo Prefecture (today's Takarazuka City).
In 1939, his real name was "Zhi" after "Chong". , changed his name to "Tezuka Osamu".
In 1945, he enrolled in the Department of Medicine, Osaka University.
In 1946, he was 18 years old. The 4-frame comic "Pony's Diary" is being serialized in the Osaka edition of "Mainichi Elementary School Student News".
In 1947, the Red Book comic "New Treasure Island" adapted from the original work of Sakai Nanama was published (reprinted 400,000 copies). In this work, he borrowed film shooting techniques, such as zoom, wide angle, overhead view, etc., to express the comic scenes in conjunction with the development of the story, thereby making the solid comics "alive" and a new generation of Japanese comics was born. What the world calls "Japanese comics" began when Tezuka, a 19-year-old medical student, began his life as a cartoonist.
After visiting a school children's society in 1950 and meeting Kenichi Kato, he began to serialize "The Jungle King" on "Manga Shounen".
In 1951, he became the Astro Boy Ambassador. gt; It was serialized on lt; Shonen gt;. The following year, the supporting role of Astro Boy became the protagonist. lt; Astro Boy gt; Tokiwa-so in Shiina Town, Shima Ward, began to serialize "The Sapphire Prince" (Japan's first girls' comic) in
In 1958, lt;小兵gt;, lt;Cartoon Biologygt; won the 3rd Shogakukan Comic Award.
On October 4, 1959, he married Okada Etsuko.
After obtaining a doctorate in medicine in 1961, the animation department of Osamu Tezuka Production Company was established. (In December of the following year, it started activities under the name of Shu Corporation Production Company).
Japan in 1963 The first domestic TV animation lt;Astro Boygt;(black and white) was broadcast on Fuji Channel, lt;Street Storygt; won the Art Festival Award, Daily Movie Watching Performance Noburo Oto, and the Blue Ribbon Educational and Cultural Film Award ( Asian Film Festival).
In 1966, Japan's first color TV animation "The Jungle King" won the special award at the TV press conference. In the same year, the magazine was founded and began serialization "Firebird".
In 1967lt; Painting at the Exhibitiongt; Won the Art Festival Award, the Daiichi Noburo Award for Movie Watching Performance, and the Asian Film Festival Animation Department Award; the feature-length animationlt; Jungle Kinggt; won the International Film Festival St. Mark's Silver Lion Award, lt; Astro Boy gt; famous works other than the Broadcast Symposium Image Award.
In 1968, Tezuka Production Co., Ltd. was established to produce comics.
1970lt; Fire Bird GT; won the Kodansha Publishing Culture Award (Children's Comics Department).
1975lt; Buddha GT;,lt; Animal Boring Grass GT; won the Literary Spring and Autumn Festival Manga Award. Won the Japan Cartoonists Association Award Special Award.
In 1977, "Three Eyes" won the Kodansha Comic Award, and Kodansha began to publish "The Complete Works of Osamu Tezuka's Comics". (300 volumes in total).
In 1979, he won the Yantani Xiaobo Literary Award for his pioneering work and achievements in the field of children's comics.
1980 Long-form animation lt; Firebird 2772gt ; Opened at the Toho Theater, won the Las Vegas Film Festival Animation Section Award, and the Chilean Capital Comic Exhibition Award. As a comic ambassador of the International Exchange Fund, he gave a lecture on "The Culture of Modern Japanese Comics" at the League of Nations Headquarters.
In 1984, "The Sunny Tree" won the Shogakukan Comic Award (Youth Section).
In 1985, the experimental animation "Jump" won the Champion Award at the International Animation Film Festival. The experimental animation "Tattered Film" won the highest award at the first Hiroshima International Animation Film Festival and the best award in the category category at the Parna International Animation Film Festival. "JUMPING" won the Silver Spike Award at the Valladolid International Animation Film Festival. And for his long-term achievements in animation film production, he was commended at the 1st Tokyo International Film Festival Terra Pina Anima Festival. Osamu Tezuka received the Tokyo Citizen's Medal of Honor.
In 1986, he sued Adolf GT and won the Kodansha Comics Award (general comics).
In 1988, he won the Asahi Award for his achievements in the post-war comics and animation industry. Award.lt; Jungle Legend gt; won the Daiichi Noburo Award for Movie Watching Performance and the International Animation Film Festival (IFE) Award (Youth Cinema). In the same year, he went to Shanghai to participate in the first Shanghai International Animation Festival.
On February 9, 1989 (the first year of Heisei), he passed away from stomach cancer (at the age of 60).
(Posthumously) In 1990, all his works won the 19th Japan Cartoonists Association Award Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award.
(Posthumous) In 1994, the Takarazuka Municipal Osamu Tezuka Memorial Hall in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture was opened.
Main comic works
lt; New Treasure Island gt; 1947
lt; The Forest Emperor gt; November 1950-April 1954lt; Comic Shonen gt;
lt; Astro Boy gt; April 1951-March 1968lt; Shonen gt;
lt; Sapphire Prince gt; January 1953 Month-January 1956lt;Girls Clubgt;
lt;Three Eyesgt;January 1963-October 1966lt;Good Friendsgt;
lt; Buddhagt; September 1972-December 1983
lt; Friends of Hopegt; November 1973-October 1983lt; Young Championgt;
lt; Fire Bird Dawn edited gt; January 1967-November 1967
lt; Firebird Yamato edited gt; September 1968-February 1969
lt; Firebird Universe Edited by gt; March 1969-July 1969
lt; Edited by Firebird and Phoenixgt; August 1969-September 1970
lt; Edited by Firebird Resurrectiongt ; October 1970-September 1971
lt; Fire Bird Looking Home>; September 1976-March 1978lt; Comic Shonen>lt;
lt; Fire Bird Chaos Time gt; April 1978-July 1980lt; Comic Shonen gt;
lt; Fire Bird Life Series gt; August 1980-December 1980lt; Comic Shonen gt ;
lt; Firebird Alien Series gt; January 1981-April 1981lt; Comic Shonen GT;
lt; Firebird Sun Series gt; January 1986 -February 1988lt; Comic Shonen gt;
lt; Fire Bird Modern Edition gt; Unfinished
Animation works and awards
lt; Iron Astro Boy gt; Japan's first TV version of animation, with a ratings of 47, and the average ratings in various countries is 30.
lt; Jungle King gt; Japan's first domestically produced color TV version of animation.
lt; Goku's Adventure gt; Japan's second color animated series, which was screened in China.
lt; The Miraculous Melemon gt; Planned after Tezuka Corporation was officially established The first TV series.
lt; Astro Boy gt; boldly adapted on the basis of the original work to better meet the needs of TV audiences.
Original animation, With an experimental spirit.
lt; Panda Books gt; 24-hour TV program "Love Saves the World" animated special.
24-hour TV program "Love Saves the World" animated special.
lt; Firebird 2772gt; Winner of many international awards.
lt; Jump gt; Experimental animation.