context: comics > Osamu Tezuka

Kimba, the White Lion in his comic version

Animation

As well as being unarguably the most important figure in Japanese comics (probably in comics anywhere), Tezuka was vital in creating the huge animation industry in Japan, and is a big part of why the links between the two forms are so strong in Japan. After a live-action version of Astro Boy in 1959, he set up his own animation company in 1961, and Astro then became the first animated TV series in Japan - and was exported all over the world.

The other big production was Japan's first colour cartoon, Kimba The White Lion - it's worth noting that this bears powerful resemblance to Disney's Lion King. External link to further info on this, if you're interested. I particularly like Disney's claim that they had never heard of Kimba, despite their having referred to their lion as Kimba at one time!

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