context: comics > Osamu Tezuka

First Works

from New Treasure Island

His first published work was Shin-Takarajima, or New Treasure Island, in 1947, as a hardback book (no prior serialisation). Its sales have been estimated at between 400,000 and 800,000 - no records exist, but it was a hit. It was a hugely revolutionary work, adding a slew of new approaches to the comic artist's armoury. Formerly comics had been like watching a play - the style of narrative followed straight on from the long tradition of narrative hand-scrolls - but here we suddenly have shifting POV, close-up shots and a sense of energy and movement. He also took far more panels portraying the same action than anyone ever had before, and this led to one of the major differences between Japanese comics and those from anywhere else in the world, their very different sense of pacing.

He followed this with a 160-page story, again going straight to hardcover book form, this time in two colours. It was called Metropolis, and was inspired by seeing one still from the great Fritz Lang movie - this story was recently turned into an excellent anime movie.

backwards: Inspirations

forwards: Astro Boy