Manga InspirationMike McCroyMr.Acevedo

World History

Manga, drawn Japanese comics, are amazing artistic creations in which artists and

writers illustrate stories of fictional characters who live there lives according to the

artist’s ideas. Mangas are filled with adventure, action, emotion, and/or sometimes

mystery. Manga inspires numerous people across the world to draw either Manga,

Comics or any other form of art.

In Chinese, Manga means “in spite of oneself” and “picture.” Manga is essentially

Japanese comics that were established after American cartoons and comics.

Manga was substantiated by Dr. Osamu Tezuka, which gave him the nickname

the “God of Manga. Tezuka made art from two dimensional drawings in the late

eighteenth century that had disappeared in mid nineteenth century, to art in which the

characters have definition and give clarity to facial expression and movement. Tezuka is

also the creator of the big eyes that most mangas have.

Dr. Osamu Tezuka is the creator of Manga. Tezuka has been

drawing most of his life and has made 100s of Mangas throughout

his life, one most people are familiar with is the anime Astro Boy.

Although Tezuka made a series of mangas which caused many

people to follow, he himself was inspired by Walt Disney’s creative

cartoons especially Bambi, which seems to be his inspirational film.

It also gave him one of his many nicknames, “Walt Disney of

Japan.”

Tezuka’s hands at one time swelled and was treated by a

doctor. At that moment Tezuka desired to become a doctor. He

wasn’t sure what to do so he asked his mother. His mother told him he should go for what

Dr. Osamu Tezuka

November 3, 1928 –

February 9, 1989)

he knows he will be good at. At that moment he decided and became a doctor but never

served as one. He eventually became an even more famous artist. Tezuka earned many

awards afterwards.

At the age 67, Dr. Osamu eventually died of stomach cancer during the making of

one of his Mangas, Phoenix. Although Tezuka had died, he had left a trail of inspiration

for others to follow.

Manga took various changes through its time. Art viewed before Manga was

originally viewed the same way an audience looks at a play. Overtime and thanks to

Tezuka, Manga evolved into a

trilling ¾ view and front view that

made the readers able to see the

three dimensional side of a person,

place or thing by using an outline

made of 3d shapes and anatomy.

The picture to the right shows how

Manga characters are constructed

off the basic three dimensional

shapes and substantiated by the

muscles of anatomy.

The trail that Tezuka had left led many famous artist to write and draw mangas

that we know of today:

Page 118 of Christopher Harts’ Basic Anatomy for the Manga

Artist

Three dimensional shapes make the character.

Dragon Ball Z, written and illustrated by Akira Toriyami, Manga was made in

1994, anime made in 1993.

Bleach, written and illustrated by Tite Kubo,

Manga was made in 2001, anime was made in

2004.

Naruto, written and illustrated by Masashi

Kishimoto, Manga made in 1999, Anime made

in 2002.

One Piece, written and illustrated by Eiichiro

Oda, Manga was made in1997, anime was made

in 1999.

Astro Boy, written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka, Manga was made in 1965,

anime was made in 2003, movie was made in 2009.

Many people like Manga because of the action and adventure that most contain.

Viewing the creative construct of something can cause one to draw and practice till

he/she can draw their own characters and becomes an encouragement to someone else. Its

similar to that of a nuclear bomb with a chain reaction(of inspiration) People like Osamu,

who draw as soon as they can pick up a pencil, find inspiration from another’s work;

Walt Disney in Osamu’s case. Though, Osamu grasped inspirations from his mother’s

stories. Some people inspire themselves with their own work. No great Manga artist is

like this but some artist are.

Dr. Osamu’s last manga before he died,

Phoenix.