Osamu Tezuka — comics creator

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Known forAstro Boy

Issues credited138

Active1986–2022

Primary roleartist

Osamu Tezuka was born on November 3, 1928, in Osaka, Japan, and died on February 9, 1989. He is best known as the pioneering force behind modern manga, often called the "father of manga" for his vast output and technical innovations. Inspired by the Chinese animated film *Princess Iron Fan*, Tezuka launched the manga revolution with *New Treasure Island* in 1947. His career produced landmark series across all ages: the children’s classics *Astro Boy*, *Princess Knight*, and *Kimba the White Lion*, as well as mature works like *Black Jack*, *Phoenix*, and *Buddha*. He also created the historical thriller *Adolf*, and his influence extended to later collaborations such as *Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka*. Tezuka worked primarily as a writer and artist, often handling inks and colors himself, and his signature style—expressive, cinematic, and deeply human—set the template for the medium. He died of stomach cancer in 1989, leaving unfinished projects including the final chapters of *Phoenix*. A museum in Takarazuka honors his legacy, and he has received numerous posthumous awards.

Full bibliography · 40 series

Astro Boy (1997) · 26

#1 #2 #1 #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23

Buddha (2003) · 21

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #1 #2 #4 #1 #5 #6 #7 #8 #2 #4 #1 #2 #3

Black Jack (1997) · 18

#1 #2 #3 #1 #2 #1 #2 #2 #1 #3 #3 #4 #5 #12 #13 #15 #16 #17

Budda (1999) · 14

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14

Phoenix (2003) · 12

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12

Adolf (1995) · 10

#[1]#[2]#[3]#[4]#[5]#1 #5 #2 #3 #4

Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka (2009) · 8

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8

Manga Vizion (1995) · 3

#9 #2 #3

Kimba, der weiße Löwe (2001) · 3

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MW (2005) · 3

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Dororo (2008) · 3

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Astro Boy Omnibus (2015) · 3

#4 #5 #6

Nextworld (2003) · 2

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Apollo's Song (2007) · 2

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Barbara (2010) · 2

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Princess Knight (2011) · 2

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Message to Adolf (2012) · 2

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Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics (1986) · 1

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Mangazine (1989) · 1

#15

No Need for Tenchi Part Three (1996) · 1

Kimba Il Leone Bianco (1998) · 1

BPRD: Hollow Earth [B.P.R.D.: Hollow Earth] (2002) · 1

Phoenix: A Tale of the Future (2002) · 1

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Pulp (1997) · 1

Metropolis (2003) · 1

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Lost World (2003) · 1

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プルートウ [Purūtō / Pluto] (2004) · 1

Ode to Kirihito (2006) · 1

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Boeddha (2006) · 1

Kirihito (2009) · 1

Swallowing the Earth - TIKYUWO NOMU by Osamu Tezuka (2009) · 1

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Pluto (2010) · 1

Ayako (2010) · 1

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The Book of Human Insects (2011) · 1

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Ten-Cent Manga (2013) · 1

Unico (2013) · 1

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Atomcat (2013) · 1

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The Twin Knights (2013) · 1

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Prelúdio do Arco-Íris (2018) · 1

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The Thief Inoue Akikazu (2022) · 1

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