07/17/08
Text: Nik Mercer
Oftentimes, an artist's work superceds his name, and this rings particularly true in the world of Japanese manga, a format that evokes cheesy, gimmicky titles like Tatsuyo Yoshida's Speed Racer. The same is oft the case with Nipponese comic godfather and legend Osamu Tezuka: if you're not familiar with the author's name, you're certainly knowledgeable of at least some of his works (Astro Boy, anyone?)
Tezuka is an unusual comic creator in that he lived through practically every period of manga's evolution from the 1940s until his unfortunate death in 1989. (Even more awe-inspiring is the fact that the beret-clad innovator initially studied to be a doctor!) The Disney-inspired man made international anime classics such as Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, and medical noir Black Jack, pushed the envelope with conceptual masterpieces like Adolph, Buddha, and Phoenix, and made an impact in his homeland that inspires up-and-coming writers and kids looking for entertainment alike to this day (he is a National Treasure, has a museum celebrating his efforts, and might one day win an award for a film that's been posthumously made in his name).
Unfortunately, we cannot hail Tezuka's every work; there're just too many of them! Check out the guy's Wikipedia entry for a brief sampling of his cultural greatness.
Thanks to Vertical Inc.—which is progressively becoming the source for English translations of Japanese texts of all varieties—we're now graced with more of Tezuka's meticulously-crafted classics, this time with the mid-60s serial, Dororo.
Over the course of Tezuka's 150,000-plus manga pages, the man focused on several noticeable key themes, and Dororo is no exception. The multi-volume story follows the journey of Hyakkimaru—a skilled feudal warrior whose body was divvied up amongst demons when he was born (we won't spoil any more than that for now!)—and Dororo, a feisty, thieving bandit child who refuses to leave Hyakkimaru's side. The premise is simple: Hyakkimaru is on a quest to discover and reattach his stolen body parts. While the plot may seem bizarre, Tezuka's fluid narrative quickly captures the reader's attention and never lets go; imagine his stories as your fun uncle or youthful grandfather's bedtime fables. Regardless of device, plot twist, or shock effect, Dororo is, at its heart, a lasting tale of the trials and tribulations of growing up. First and foremost, Hyakkimaru and Dororo stress honor and obligation—good examples for children; we wholeheartedly recommend these comics for your kids—and never, ever give up searching for the missing arms, legs, eyeballs, and ears of Hyakkimaru. (Take that, Daredevil! Tezuka's ronin hero is not only blind, but deaf, limbless, and legless, too!)
Ah, and must we even mention that the binding and cover art of all three Dororo volumes are astounding? Chip Kidd started Vertical Inc.'s aesthetic and feel off well, but the junior publishing house has made great strides in both setting itself apart from the pack and cementing its own, individualized look since he backed away a little. Case study #173: Dororo! (Check out some samples in the media player to the right.)
Buy another piece of the Tezuka trope at Vertical Inc.'s store. Doubtless, you'll be as impressed as we are.
