Osamu Tezuka

Born: November 3, 1928 (Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan) – February 9, 1989

Known for: Astro Boy, Black Jack, Kimba the White Lion

Osamu Tezuka is widely regarded as the “godfather of anime”. Starting in the 1950s, he created more than 700 manga series, producing over 170,000 pages of manga and penning over 200,000 pages of anime storyboards and scripts. His prolific output and innovative storytelling popularised Japanese animation and comics around the world.

Tezuka introduced cinematic techniques such as dynamic camera angles and panel compositions to manga, and he famously gave his characters large, expressive eyes—a design influence he drew from Walt Disney’s Bambi and Betty Boop. His work ranges from the child‑friendly adventures of Astro Boy (1952) to the medical drama Black Jack (1973) and the philosophical epic Phoenix (1967–1988). These stories have inspired generations of artists and continue to be adapted into new formats.

Tezuka’s influence extends beyond entertainment. He helped establish the visual grammar of manga and anime, paving the way for diverse genres—including the mature forms discussed on this site. Learn more about the visual language of manga in our article Analyzing the Manga Art Style.