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The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime by Frederik L. Schodt

2017; University of Oklahoma; Volume: 91; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/wlt.2017.0218

1945-8134

Zack Davisson,

Comics and Graphic Narratives

while the have-nots, for their part, represent the deep cultural sediments and values that make Indians what they are, as distinct from Americans, Brazilians, Koreans , South Africans, or any other members of the global village. The book under review is a remarkable example of how such a vital relationship may be shaped. As the first anthology of its kind, the collection owes much of its value to the creative passion and dedication of its editors (Orijit Sen, among other things, is the author of The River of Stories, published in 1994 and considered the first Indian graphic novel). A “tentatively issued open call for entries” generated more than fifty applications, which a careful selection brought down to twenty-two contributions representing half a dozen broad genres (autobiography, biography, commentary, documentary, oral histories, reportage) and a diverse yet impressively consistent range of subjects, narrative formats, and graphic styles. The selection represents a young demographic of artists and writers who are educated and reside in India and work in academia, media, and communications or for nonprofit organizations active on various social and environmental fronts. More than two-thirds are women, which could explain the number of contributions focused on female characters, if the condition of women in contemporary Indian society were not a touchstone by which many forms of exploitation, abuse, and violence may be assessed. Of these many forms and their dire consequences, First Hand provides a comprehensive and engaging overview, with pieces on the Right to Information Act of 2005, the Kerala social activist T. A. (Nawab) Rajendran, the life of migrant workers in New Delhi, the politics and life cycle of electronic waste, the traditional likhai (wood-carving) craft of Uttarkhan, the vanishing tribe of itinerant entertainers known as Bahurupiya, and the miraculous careers of three remarkable women: a vegetable seller who became one of Bengal’s most prominent artists; the silent film star Ruby Myers; and the Hindustani classical singer Begum Akhtar. Mirroring the diversity and complexity of these contributions, the wide range of graphic styles and storytelling techniques confirm the maturity of Indian graphic nonfiction and its ability to address contemporary issues—a capability that is obviously enhanced by a keen awareness of Western alternative, autobiographical, and journalistic comics, combined with a deep understanding of India’s popular visual and narrative culture. Graziano Krätli North Haven, Connecticut Toshio Ban & Tezuka Productions. The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime. Trans. Frederik L. Schodt. Berkeley, California. Stone Bridge Press. 2016. 914 pages. This is a big book. Massive. Shockingly so. In fact, when you first pick it up there is little you can do other than marvel at the size and wonder how the binding holds it together. But then you dig into the story and you realize what a giant Osamu Tezuka really was and how even a book at a hundred times this size could barely begin to capture this explosive genius. When talking about Tezuka, you are obligated to mention his title as Japan’s “God of Manga.” Before reading this, I never gave much thought to what this meant. It was a nickname, like Jack “King” Kirby for American comics. And, to be perfectly honest, I was never a Tezuka fan. Sure, I knew he was brilliant, but aside from Astro Boy and Black Jack, I hadn’t read much of his work. His style didn’t appeal to me, and I have always been a Shigeru Mizuki guy. But wow, The Osamu Tezuka Story opened my eyes. Tezuka didn’t just make manga, he created manga genres. He invented the idea of “story manga,” of moving beyond gag strips into long-format stories , aka “The way all manga is done today.” Tezuka could have lived for a thousand years and never run out of ideas. Reading this, Tezuka seems less like a human being and more like creativity incarnate—a true “God of Manga.” Cartoonist Toshio Ban pulls off this manga biography beautifully. One of Tezuka’s chief assistants for years, he can imitate his boss’s style when he needs to but brings his own flair to the work. Ban World Literature in Review 94 WLT MARCH–APRIL...