What Osamu Tezuka is to manga=whatJack Kirby is to American comics?

[piloting]

They both had huge influences on the industry and were both active in the '60's.Anyone else see any similarities?.

[sun tzu]

I'd argue that Tezuka's role was larger - I mean, Kirby was hugely influential, but comics in general and superhero comics in particular were already well-established before he came around.

[Hazard]

Agreed. As far as influence on their medium goes, Tezuka>Kirby.

[stelok]

Every manga artist used the "big eyes" style popularized by Osamu Tezuka.

[Ghost]

I think it's probably more accurate to say that Tezuka was to manga what Walt Disney was to animation.

[ZetaOmega0]

Both were great men and help usher the world of comics and manga (by the way it means the same way) to the world. Majority creators would reference them in their work.

[HectorP]

Tezuka is more like Will Eisner to me.

[Mr. Holmes]

Kirby's opus is probably the New Gods saga, where he literally crafted a mythology of gods for the contemporary world.

I'm still new to manga, so has Tezuka done anything, that's as epic, mythic, and poignant?

[HectorP]

Kirby's opus is probably the New Gods saga, where he literally crafted a mythology of gods for the contemporary world.

I'm still new to manga, so has Tezuka done anything, that's as epic, mythic, and poignant?

Yes. Buddha.

[Hazard]

Astro Boy had the biggest influence though. Then there's Black Jack.

Kimba did heavily influence Disney's Lion King.

Ode to Kihirito has a special place in my heart. Racism is tackled head on. Religion and fanaticism. Degradation of man shown without even trying to soften the blows. People that act like monsters. Monsters that are people, regardless of how much others try to degrade them. What is a man? At its best.

That said Tezuka wrote like 700 different manga titles so there is plenty to talk about. Pick almost anything in manga and you can trace it back to Tezuka in some way.

And because I just found the quote:

"Manga is virtual. Manga is sentiment. Manga is resistance. Manga is bizarre. Manga is pathos. Manga is destruction. Manga is arrogance. Manga is love. Manga is kitsch. Manga is sense of wonder. Manga is … there is no conclusion yet."

[Melbourne Mew Mew]

Kirby's opus is probably the New Gods saga, where he literally crafted a mythology of gods for the contemporary world.

I'm still new to manga, so has Tezuka done anything, that's as epic, mythic, and poignant?

He intended Phoenix to be his magnum opus, but he unfortunately passed away before it was completed.

[Mr. Holmes]

Thanks. I liked the first volume of Buddha; need to continue. Shame about Phoenix.

I only asked because in another thread we were comparing Tezuka, Moebius, and Kirby.

[Alex Scott]

Thing is, that wasn't really what Tezuka was going for. Where Kirby was interested in building sprawling myths, Tezuka was more about telling as wide a variety of stories as possible, and constantly experimenting with his style. (Though yes, Phoenix would probably qualify as his Fourth World.) That's how the creator of Astro Boy and Kimba also did more adult works like Kirihito, Buddha, and Cleopatra: Queen of Sex. He was really more like Kirby, Eisner, and Disney all rolled into one.

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

Ode to Kihirito has a special place in my heart. Racism is tackled head on. Religion and fanaticism. Degradation of man shown without even trying to soften the blows. People that act like monsters. Monsters that are people, regardless of how much others try to degrade them. What is a man? At its best.

Ode to Kirihito has a special place in my heart too. I can honestly say that it was the only comic, hell probably only book in general, that had my heart racing during an intense moment (Reika's final tempura dip...saw it coming a mile away, but I still couldn't help but get that anxious feeling...).

[Castel]

Kirby wishes.