If you call yourself an Otaku, you surely know who Osamu Tezuka is. If you don't, then this gorgeous 272-page volume is even more than a must-have for your collection, it's mandatory reading. Tezuka, Japan's most celebrated manga artist and creator, is commonly referred to as "the Walt Disney of Japan" but that title, as grandiose as it may sound, is really an over simplified abbreviation of his very prolific and diverse body of work. In fact, you might say Walt Disney was the "Osamu Tezuka of America."
While the average American would probably scratch their head at that statement, once you presented them with a copy of Helen McCarthy's excellent new book, "The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga," I suspect they'd be inclined to agree.
McCarthy, who's written a number of books on anime and manga and
serves as curator for the Osamu Tezuka Film Festival at London's
Barbican Centre, is far from the first person to write about his illustrious career and
fascinating life. But she may be the first to really understand the
scope and range of his influence. Tezuka was more than a comic book
artist and writer. His work touched on and brought to the surface
issues of ethics, man's relationships with nature and modern science,
religion and politics. As the first authorized English language 
biographer, McCarthy does a great job of paying respect to and
educating her readers on Tezuka's exploration of these themes. The
text is complimented by countless full-page images from Tezuka's life
and work. Even if you don't plan on reading a word of the author's
delightful account of Tezuka's life, the full-page art, bound in
beautiful, large format, vinyl sleeved hardcover, is worth the forty
bucks alone. The book, which opens with a foreword from another
Japanese animation luminary, Akira creator Katushiro Otomo, is also
packaged with a fantastic forty-five minute DVD documentary on Tezuka
titled The Secret of Creation, which brings his story to life for readers.
As someone who's been a fan of Osamu Tezuka since the day I first came across a copy of Kimba the White Lion in my local comic book store as a little girl, this is the book I've been waiting years for. If you're already a Tezuka fan, The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga will fill in the nooks and crannies that past attempts to document his life and work have omitted. And for those anime and manga fans who have yet to explore the history and origins of their beloved art form, this book will delight, amaze and most importantly, educate you on the man who started it all.
