Osamu Tezuka, the God of Manga
31/10/2019.
MNAC [BCN] Spain 31.10.2019>10.01.2020
metalocus, ANA DIOSDADO
metalocus, ANA DIOSDADO
The mangaka Osamu Tezuka, also known as God of Manga for his immense contribution to the Japanese vignette, is the protagonist of an exhibition that can be seen for almost a couple of months at the MNAC in Barcelona, and which is made up of almost 200 originals of this author.
The exhibition wants to publicize more closely the work of a vital creator to understand the evolution of manga after World War II, and also one of the most prestigious and prolific manga authors worldwide.
Osamu Tezuka, the God of Manga can be visited from October 31 of this year, coinciding with the start of the 25th edition of Manga Barcelona until January 6, 2020.
The exhibition wants to publicize more closely the work of a vital creator to understand the evolution of manga after World War II, and also one of the most prestigious and prolific manga authors worldwide.
Osamu Tezuka, the God of Manga can be visited from October 31 of this year, coinciding with the start of the 25th edition of Manga Barcelona until January 6, 2020.
Astro Boy © Tezuka productions
Apollo's song © Tezuka productions
Kimba, the white lion © Tezuka productions
Fénix © Tezuka productions
Ode to Kirihito © Tezuka productions
Buda © Tezuka productions
Princess Knight © Tezuka productions
Although the manga is part of the great family of the global comic, there are a number of aesthetic and narrative elements that, today, we easily identify with the comic made in Japan. After the end of the war, Osamu Tezuka began publishing, and shaped the modern manga. In 1947, Shin Takarajima (published in Spanish as The New Treasure Island) became a success, selling more than 400,000 copies at a time when buying manga copies could be considered almost a luxury.
His work surprised with an innovative visual narrative, which was inspired by film and animation, providing a speed and movement that had rarely been seen before in a comic. In addition, Tezuka proposed long and highly developed stories, something that was christened as story-manga and that contrasted with the mastery of humor and explained in a few pages or bullets.
This work and those that came later had a great influence on many readers who decided to also become mangaka, that is, manga authors. Thus, Tezuka's influence was decisive for a whole series of authors who would end up leading the manga industry during the following decades: names such as the duo Fujiko Fujio (creators of Doraemon), Shotaro Ishinomori (author with the Guinness record of pages of published comics) or Yoshihiro Tatsumi (one of the principal authors of the gekiga), recognized the impact that Osamu Tezuka's work had on them. In this way, although the manga would evolve and take very different forms throughout the decades, his contributions, which his disciples and admirers continued to develop, still resonate today in today's creations.
More information
Curator
Stéphane Beaujean.
Dates
From October 31, 2019 to January 6, 2020.
Venue
Temporary exhibition hall 2. MNAC. Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc, s / n, 08038 Barcelona. Spain
Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka was born on November 3, 1928 in the city of Toyonaka, Osaka, and was the oldest of three brothers. He was an extremely ingenious and imaginative child who grew up in a liberal family exposed to manga and animation. As a child he had an enormous fascination with insects and, reflecting this interest, he later incorporated the "insect" kanji into his pseudonym.
Having developed a great interest in capturing the beauty of life, from his experience in times of war, Osamu Tezuka wanted to become a doctor; He later got the bachelor's degree. Finally, but, he chose the profession he loved most: being a manga author and creator of animated films.
The manga and animation works of Osamu Tezuka had a great impact on the configuration of the psychology of post-war Japanese youth. His work turned the concept of animated drawings of the time and transformed them into an irresistible art form incorporating a great variety of new styles in the creation of story-manga. Changing the face of literature and movies, his work had a great influence on various genres.
Having developed a great interest in capturing the beauty of life, from his experience in times of war, Osamu Tezuka wanted to become a doctor; He later got the bachelor's degree. Finally, but, he chose the profession he loved most: being a manga author and creator of animated films.
The manga and animation works of Osamu Tezuka had a great impact on the configuration of the psychology of post-war Japanese youth. His work turned the concept of animated drawings of the time and transformed them into an irresistible art form incorporating a great variety of new styles in the creation of story-manga. Changing the face of literature and movies, his work had a great influence on various genres.
Its impact on animation had the same magnitude as in the manga world. The adorable characters that appear in works such as Japan's first animated series, Astro Boy, the Kimba color animated series, the white lion as well as the two-hour animated special Bander Book captured the hearts of the Japanese through the television, driving anime towards immense popularity among Japanese society.
Osamu Tezuka's work was exported to the US, Europe and other Asian countries, and became material for children's dreams around the world. He delved into the world of animation in long-term films, exploring all the possibilities of the field of animation. In addition to his records achieved in television and commercial animation, he also received international praise in his last years for his work in the field of experimental animation.
His most enduring theme, the song to the beauty of life, formed the core of all the works of Osamu Tezuka. Creator of a great cultural asset and endowed with a great pioneering spirit combined with an intense passion for his work and a coherent vision of the future, Osamu Tezuka lived his entire life chasing his dreams tirelessly, and died on February 8, 1989 to The age of 60 years.
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