A feature-length documentary chronicling the incredible life and legacy of the God of Manga, Osamu Tezuka, is slated to hit Kickstarter this year. Appropriately entitled TEZUKA! God of Manga, the film will feature interviews with over a dozen legendary manga and anime creators, and the Kickstarter will offer rare rewards and exclusive prints.
Today, The Beat can reveal two of those exclusive prints by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt.
First, check out the TEZUKA! God of Manga trailer:
“TEZUKA! God of Manga celebrates Tezuka-sensei as a preposterously prolific, enigmatic creator who forever altered popular culture by introducing young readers to a brand-new, DIY medium that rocketed around the world,” said director Jason Andrew Cohn. “The creative cross-fertilization between artists in Japan and the rest of the world made Tezuka one of the most beloved and influential artists of the 20th century.
“TEZUKA! God of Manga is a moving, immersive, and visually stunning romp through comics history. This film will celebrate his legacy and introduce his incredible creations to a new generation,” Cohn continued.
In 1963, Tezuka adapted the best-selling manga of the time, Astro Boy, into Japan’s first weekly animated TV series. In addition to Astro Boy, Tezuka is also known for creating Dororo, Black Jack, Kimba the White Lion, Phoenix, Buddha, Princess Knight, and Animerama.
During the TEZUKA! God of Manga Kickstarter campaign, backers can pledge to receive a print by Matt Kindt paying tribute to Phoenix or a print by Jeff Lemire featuring his take on Black Jack. Check out the prints below.
Phoenix print by Matt Kindt
Black Jack print by Jeff Lemire
Cohn, a Peabody Award-winning director, is partnering with the Bread & Butter Films production team (Camille Servan-Schrieber, Jinko Gotoh, Glen S. Fukushima, and Roland Keits) to bring TEZUKA! God of Manga to life. The documentary features interviews with the following creators:
- Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira)
- Riyoko Ikeda (Rose of Versaille)
- Naoki Urasawa (Monster)
- Go Nagai (Devilman)
- Yoshiyuki Tomino (Gundam)
- Masao Maruyama (MADHOUSE co-founder; Tokyo Grandfathers)
- Rintaro (Metropolis)
- Ada Palmer (Too Like the Lightning)
- Samuel Sattin (Unico Awakening)
- Jorge R. Gutierrez (The Book of Life)
- Helen McCarthy (The Art of Osamu Tezuka)
- Natsu Onoda Power (God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka and the Creation of Post-World War II Manga)
- Fred Schodt (Manga! Manga!)
Once the film is funded, additional interviews will be scheduled with creators including Paul Pope and Ron Wimberly.
For news including an update when the Kickstarter for TEZUKA! God of Manga goes live, sign up on the pre-launch page today. If the film is successfully funded, filming will continue and is scheduled to be finished by 2028, 100 years after Tezuka’s birth.
