Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The Story A Life in and by Toshio Ban The Osamu Tezuka Story; A Life in Manga and Anime. Osamu Tezuka was a towering figure in Japanese manga and anime, referred to as the God of Manga and 's Walt Disney. Despite his importance in the development of these fields, Tezuka's name and work are not well known outside his native country, a situation that Toshio Ban and translator Frederik L. Schodt seek to remedy with the monumental manga biography The Osamu Tezuka Story. At over 900 pages plus appendices, The Osamu Tezuka Story might seem imposing, but while the account is thorough and well-detailed, Ban always moves it along engagingly, making use of one of Tezuka's characters, Mustachio, to narrate. There are amusing scenes of editors attempting to monitor Tezuka and ensure that he meets the deadlines for their manga publications, but when Ban shows Tezuka escaping from windows or taking a train to a distant hotel for some solitude, it's not just exciting and funny, it also demonstrates the tremendous pressure Tezuka was under to meet his commitments. Beginning with Tezuka's childhood, the book illuminates the critical ingredients of his career, including his medical degree, his business ventures, his passion for experimentation, and, above all, his relentless work ethic. Drawing on Tezuka's own manga biographies (I Am A Manga Artist, and others) as well as outside references, Ban and his partners have created a landmark guide to the life and accomplishments of a master. The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime by Toshio Ban. Date: 2015 October 19 16:02. The good folks from publishers Stone Bridge Press have just sent us details for a new book out in July 2016. They'll be publishing The Osamu Tezuka Story A Life in Manga and Anime by Toshio Ban & . This is going to be a huge book weighing in at over 900 pages, it covers the entire life of Osamu Tezuka, the creator of and man seen as the founding father of modern manga and anime. This book is translated by Frederik L. Schodt. He's known for many things in including translating the original Ghost In the Shell manga into English (with Toren Smith). He's also written numerous award winning books books on manga. He knows his stuff! You can pre-order the book from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. Stone Bridge Press publish high quality books on Japanese culture, anime and manga. They're the publishers behind the The Anime Encyclopedia. Press release as follows: The Osamu Tezuka Story A Life in Manga and Anime. by Toshio Ban & Tezuka Productions Translated by Frederik L. Schodt. July 2016 Print ISBN: 978-1611720259 US $29.95 | CAN $37.50 928 pages | 7 9'' Distributed by Consortium Book Sales & Distribution. A documentary manga biography of the influential artist and the birth and evolution of manga and anime in Japan. Berkeley, CA - October 19, 2015 - Stone Bridge Press announces that they will be publishing The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime, a huge (900+ pages) single-volume work that covers the entire life of Japan’s most beloved artist/comics/animation visionary. Currently in production, The Osamu Tezuka Story will see a release in July of 2016. This graphic-format biography of Osamu Tezuka-Japan’s "God of Manga"-looks at one of the twentieth century's great creative artists (Astro Boy, Kimba the , ). It is also an anecdotal study of the evolution of Japan’s early manga and anime business and its heroes. A never-before-seen popular culture history of postwar Japan, it is sure to fascinate fans and anyone interested in manga, anime, and the potential of the graphic Storytelling medium. Toshio Ban joined Tezuka Productions in 1974 as one of Tezuka's assistants. After working for a period as a free-lancer, he later re-joined Tezuka Productions in 1978 as the sub-chief of manga production for magazines, supporting Tezuka's creative work until the end. Tezuka Productions Co., Ltd., is the now-legendary company founded by Osamu Tezuka in 1968 to produce his own manga and anime. In the wake of Tezuka's death in 1989, it has continued as a family enterprise, responsible for the development, production, merchandising, licensing, and distribution of his many manga and anime creations, including books, films, and characters. Frederik L. Schodt is a translator, conference interpreter, and award-winning author of books on Japanese history and pop culture. He often served as Osamu Tezuka’s English interpreter and was a consultant on one of his animated features and a TV series. Stone Bridge Press was established in Berkeley, California, in 1989. We now have some 150 titles in print, covering such Japan-Asia-related areas as language, business, literature, manga, design, and culture. What's New at the Library? Plus we have over 18,000 items in our full catalogue . E Home q Pages. Japan Reference Bookmarks Japan Reference Bookmarks. Find me on. The Osamu Tezuka Story - A Life in Manga and Anime. Book review. The life story of the artistic prodigy responsible for ground breaking manga innovation and classic anime such as Astro Boy ; Kimba the White Lion ; Black Jack ; and . While there is perennial speculation as to which emerging talent will assume the mantle from Miyazaki as Japan’s foremost animator, it is astounding to reflect on a man whose impact on Japanese animation and manga still eclipses those who came after. At the point of his death in 1989, Osamu Tezuka had produced a staggering 170,000 pages of manga across 700 titles. He would use the income from his manga to finance his chief interest in animation resulting Japan’s first animated TV series and go on to produce some 70 animated works. Such prolific output was achieved mostly by a combination of genius and extreme workaholism. Somehow though, Tezuka still found the time to visit the cinema on a daily basis and also complete medical training for his physician’s license. Manga artists of post war Japan had to do their work in the shadow of such inconveniences as Occupation censorship and grassroot debates over whether it constituted bad reading material. Manga didn’t have the literary and social acceptance it does today. On the other hand, children of the post war years were craving the adventures and escapism that manga provided and were fuelling an industry boom. Tezuka’s works were artistically innovative, story driven and hugely popular. From childhood, he had been exposed to live performance theatre and had access to motion picture films. Instead of staid, traditional frame composition and fixed perspective, Tezuka would incorporate much of the camera techniques used in filmmaking to bring a visual dynamism to his stories hitherto absent in works by his contemporaries. It could be said that the animation industry of Japan was influenced more by Osamu Tezuka than any other individual. A prevailing belief at the time was that it would be impossible to sustainably produce a 30 minute weekly animation. To achieve viability, Tezuka emphasised the need to economise on animation where possible and aggressively priced the series to match non-animated programs. Again an innovative concept at the time, Tezuka followed the Disney model of recouping revenue from merchandising. Tetsuwon Atomu (Mighty Atom) proved to be a great hit and would be exported as Astro Boy . A sobering note to this aspect of Tezuka’s production style is that it set in place a price expectation that future animation had to compete with. This persistent legacy is still reflected in the overworked and lowly paid status of many animators. Original serialisation of The Osamu Tezuka Story began not long after his death. Author and artist Toshio Ban has probably created as close to an autobiography as could be had. An appendix lists all of Tezuka’s works as completely as known. Even at barely a line to a title, the listing is still 40 pages long. Also newly available at our library are more Osamu Tezuka books. The Book of Human Insects (Shelf 726.1 TEZ) is an edgy and very adult masterpiece. The Art of Osamu Tezuka God of Manga (Shelf 726.101 TEZ) is a lavish look at Tezuka and his portfolio of works. Some of the drawings in A Life in Manga and Anime are actually renderings of photographs which can be found in The Art of Osamu Tezuka God of Manga . Shelf: 726.101 TEZ [Tezuka Osamu monogatari. English] The Osamu Tezuka story : a life in manga and anime. by Toshio Ban and Tezuka Productions ; translated by Frederik L. Schodt. Berkeley, California Stone Bridge Press 2016. xiv, 914 pages : chiefly illustrations ; 23 cm. Includes bibliographical references (page 912). Translated into English from the Japanese. The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime - Manga Review. The “god of manga” gets an epic biographical treatment in manga form in this historical look at his life by one of his former assistants. The Lowdown. Known for titles such as Astro Boy , , and Black Jack , Osamu Tezuka stands as one of the towering figures of the manga world. After his death in 1989, Tezuka-sensei’s life was chronicled in this intimate yet extensively researched manga portrayal by one of his former assistants, Toshio Ban. Chronicling his humble beginnings as a voracious drawer during his youth in the lead up to World War II all the way up to his career as a professional mangaka and animator with Tezuka Productions, this tome tells the essential story of the man who forever shaped the direction of manga. How Was It? I haven’t had the chance to read many of Tezuka’s works, but as a fan of the history of the manga industry, I’d certainly heard about his influence in shaping how the forms of storytelling developed in the medium. Despite being a little apprehensive I would be getting into a relatively dry historical treatment of the early manga industry, I jumped at the chance to read about Tezuka’s life regardless hoping to gain a further appreciation for a famous icon. I’m so glad I did - I was absolutely blown away by this tome (and make no mistake, at 900 pages, this is definitely a tome) for the way that managed to make a methodically researched retelling of Tezuka-sensei’s life so readable and genuinely entertaining. This is a lovingly told story that pays clear attention to the presenting the bigger moments in Tezuka-sensei’s life in context to the changing landscape of Japan, but this story also captivated me because of the way it portrays the littler moments which had an influence on shaping Tezuka’s stories. This is an incredibly lengthy telling of Tezuka's story that may wear down some, but anyone who has a love for history will definitely appreciate the sheer amount of detail included within and the whimsy with which it is conveyed. The Osamu Tezuka Story is depicted quite appropriately in a style the mirrors Tezuka-sensei’s manga in design and in its eminent readability, and this is one of the strongest aspects of the book. The narration is handled by one of Tezuka-sensei’s earliest characters, Shunsaku Ban, or Mustachio, who is a stand-in for Ban-sensei to provide a throughline of information and interesting little asides as this biography proceeds. The book is split into three parts: the first shows Tezuka’s formative years in school in pre-WWII Japan before showcasing his wartime experience, the second depicting his breakthrough in the manga industry, and the third illustrating him later in life as he broke into the world of animation. The tone is undoubtedly one of reverence for Tezuka-sensei, but this never becomes a problem and even feels somewhat appropriate due to the way that the art and story help to make this story larger than life in taking it beyond a dry historical treatment. The translation is smooth and fluid, and it definitely bears mentioning that it is provided by Frederik L. Schodt, who was an interpreter for Tezuka-sensei during his lifetime. One of the strongest aspects of this story is the way that it carefully explores the factors and interests that influenced Tezuka’s work in a comprehensive but accessible manner. This begins with the depiction of Tezuka-sensei’s childhood as he goes through school, showing his early fascination with bugs, space, and creating manga in general. This could have felt more abstract in another depiction, but what makes Ban-sensei’s telling of this story so strong is the way that he puts all of these events in context by interspersing quotes from Tezuka-sensei’s later works to explain what we are seeing, as well as actually showing panels of Tezuka-sensei’s manga to help illustrate. This was incredibly helpful, and I felt that made it extremely easy to follow the impact that smaller events would have on Tezuka-sensei’s development. An example of the many interesting explorations of Tezuka-sensei’s influences is the depiction of childhood fascination with theatre and Takarazuka musicals, and this is one among many of the formative experiences detailed as Tezuka grows up, establishes himself as a manga artist with responsibilities such as managing his assistants before later breaking into annimation. I absolutely loved how in this example it is immediately detailed how this would later inspire him in his create of famous manga series Princess Knight , and this was typical of the way that his experiences are placed in context. Watching these littler moments play out is one of the most gratifying parts of this story, and I was definitely impressed by how fluid this telling was because of this reliance on the art and dialogue to do the storytelling. The historical context of Tezuka-sensei’s story is not lost either, and I was particularly fascinated by the way Tezuka-sensei’s life is shown with the backdrop of World War II as well as other historical events as the story proceeds, and again this is given further context using quotes from his manga. For example, we see a young Tezuka witnessing the aftermath of a the firebombing of civilians hiding under a bridge during World War II before having the effect of this moment powerfully explicated by quotations from his later works. As you would expect, we also see the development of the larger manga and anime industry through Tezuka’s perspective - for example, we see how Tezuka somewhat inadvertently popularized the long form “story manga” in book form with the publication of The New Treasure Island . This continues onward all throughout the book, and I definitely enjoyed getting a bit of a history lesson about the context surrounding Tezuka-sensei's work. There are also copious footnotes which are incredibly helpful in explaining events further, and these are all meticulously detailed in an appendix at the back of the book. Final Thoughts. The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime is essential reading for anyone with a passing interest in the history of these mediums or of Tezuka’s works. More than that, this book is a genuinely fascinating and entertaining read because of the way that constructs a lively historical narrative of Tezuka’s life while never forgetting to show the context of each and every event in shaping his manga. I also enjoyed that this story embraces both the highs of Tezuka’s successes as well as some of his low moments both personally (especially with his experiences during the War) and professionally (such as the bankruptcy of Mushi Productions) while maintaining a charmingly light-hearted and humourous approach. Making history fun isn't always easy, but The Osamu Tezuka Story makes reading about one of the towering figures of manga a delight. Review: THE OSAMU TEZUKA STORY by Toshio Ban. “The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime,” by Toshio Ban, published by Stone Bridge Press, is a work in manga fit for one of the greatest manga artists ever, Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989). Manga is a very particular experience and much can get lost in translation. One key trait to manga is that time constraints often go out the window, the format embraces extended scenes. I like this approach and find it can be quite effective in setting a mood. Like any other technique, it can be overdone. I thought this to myself as I began to undertake this behemoth of book clocking in at 928 pages. Could it have benefited from some restraint? Well, yes and no. Overall, I highly recommend it on many levels. It provides much needed context and general information. And, in the end, there is an enthusiastic spark throughout that lifts the reader. Manga is inextricably linked to a different world view, as opposed to most Western comics. We Americans, even the most seasoned readers among us, have been conditioned to more tightly edited work. You just need to come into reading this biography with the same spirit you would approach a gloriously sprawling foreign film. Yes, expect to find many detailed scenes with the little boy Osamu. And, yes, expect various detailed scenes of Osamu, the man, at his drafting table. Osamu Tezuka in his prime. Who exactly was Osamu Tezuka? you may ask. In the , Osamu Tezuka is not as well known as he could be. But, in Japan, he ranks as high as, say, Charles M. Schulz does in America. There is every reason to believe that Tezuka could become as beloved an artist as Schulz. And that adds to the importance of this biography. In America, a certain number of enthusiasts know Tezuka for his landmark series. In Japan, Tezuka is also celebrated for Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, and Black Jack. Also covered in this book is Tezuka’s trailblazing work in animation. It is no exaggeration to say that Japan’s manga and anime owes greatly to the work of Osamu Tezuka. Working for Osamu Tezuka proves challenging. Among the memorable detailed accounts: Tezuka, up to his ears in work, is literally fleeing anxious editors from various publications hounding him to meet his deadlines. The King of Manga, hiding out in hotel rooms from publishers, with the press not far behind, became a veritable cause célèbre. At the height of so many conflicting deadlines piling up on him, Tezuka had to devise various systems to cut down the time-consuming process of creating manga. This included hiring a team of assistants. The poor devils were left to do various bits of piece work without a clue as to what would ultimately go where. This would be just a taste of what it would be like once Tezuka began to work in his own anime studio. You are in for a treat. Yes, here you are dealing with a mammoth book. Take it bit by bit and you will be rewarded. Frederik L. Schodt’s translation works smoothly with Toshio Ban’s original script and artwork which greatly emulates Tezuka’s own artwork. This is indeed a treasure trove. The original work was published in 1992, three years after Tezuka’s death. It originally came out as three books: Osamu to Osamushi (1928-1945), Dreams of Manga (1945-1959), and Dreams of Anime (1960-1989). With that in mind, it is more reasonable to see how we ended up with such a big book. I think a graphic novel should be as long as it needs to be. Some 300-pagers could easily be half as long. But, in this case, here is a story that is well justified in spreading out as much as it needed to. “The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime,” by Toshio Ban. THE OSAMU TEZUKA STORY is a 928-page trade paperback, published by Stone Bridge Press. Visit them right here. You can also find it at Amazon right here.