By Brian Mah
On November 13th to December 13th 2009, The Smithsonian's Freer art gallery had an exhibition and panel discussion of the work of the father of modern anime and manga, Osamu Tezuka. Mr. Tezuka is perhaps most known for this series, "Mighty Atom" or "Astro Boy."
Many well-respected authors, such as Frederik Schodt, Helen McCarthy, Natsu Onoda Power, and Ada Palmer were on hand for the November panel discussion of his work. Mr. Yoshihiro Shimizu, general manager of Tezuka Productions, answered questions during the December event.
A series of Questions were asked to the panelists via email and private interviews regarding their impressions of Mr. Tezuka and his work in the anime and manga industry. Fredrick Schodt, Helen McCarthy, Natsu Onoda Power, and Yoshihiro Shimzu participated in the interviews.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
The Smithsonian celebrates the work of Osamu Tezuka (Part 2)
By: Brian Mah
===================
How long have you been a fan of Japanese Culture?
===================
Fredrick Schodt: I came to Japan in 1965 with my family. I was aware of Japanese animation during 1960's. The 1960's were a time of political battles between the Radicals (Student protesters) and the Police. This would be unthinkable in the US. The universities were closed during this time.
Helen McCarthy: When I was a teenager my history teacher set me a project to compare the culture of bushido with Western chivalry. She liked to take us out of our comfort zones! I was fascinated by what I learned about Japan's feudal and Edo-era culture, but to me, Japan was all about cherry blossom and tea ceremonies and geisha. Until 1981, when I met Steve Kyte, I didn't even think about contemporary Japan except as a maker of inexpensive electronics. I had actually seen some anime - we never got Astro Boy, but British TV showed Marine Boy and a few other things. However they weren't labeled as Japanese so we weren't really aware of them as products of a distinct culture.
Steve had been to Spain just before we met, and had seen Mazinger Z on Spanish TV. European nations, especially Italy, France and Spain, had very strong comic cultures and you could find translated manga there. Anime was on TV in Europe from the 1970s. When he showed me the comics and toys he'd brought back from Spain I was really excited by their visual and narrative power.
===================
How long have you been a fan of Japanese Culture?
===================
Fredrick Schodt: I came to Japan in 1965 with my family. I was aware of Japanese animation during 1960's. The 1960's were a time of political battles between the Radicals (Student protesters) and the Police. This would be unthinkable in the US. The universities were closed during this time.
Helen McCarthy: When I was a teenager my history teacher set me a project to compare the culture of bushido with Western chivalry. She liked to take us out of our comfort zones! I was fascinated by what I learned about Japan's feudal and Edo-era culture, but to me, Japan was all about cherry blossom and tea ceremonies and geisha. Until 1981, when I met Steve Kyte, I didn't even think about contemporary Japan except as a maker of inexpensive electronics. I had actually seen some anime - we never got Astro Boy, but British TV showed Marine Boy and a few other things. However they weren't labeled as Japanese so we weren't really aware of them as products of a distinct culture.
Steve had been to Spain just before we met, and had seen Mazinger Z on Spanish TV. European nations, especially Italy, France and Spain, had very strong comic cultures and you could find translated manga there. Anime was on TV in Europe from the 1970s. When he showed me the comics and toys he'd brought back from Spain I was really excited by their visual and narrative power.
The Smithsonian celebrates the work of Osamu Tezuka (Part 3)
By Brian Mah
=====================
What was the first anime you saw?
=====================
Fredrick Schodt: The first series I saw was called Obake no Q-Taro or The ghost of Q-taro in 1965-66. I remember the girls wearing the trademark hairstyle based on the manga. This was about the time when Astro Boy was finishing. Astro Boy was showing in real time, but I remember Obake no Q-Taro more.
Helen McCarthy: Marine Boy, on British TV. The first anime I knew as anime when I saw it was Mazinger Z, but of course that was just in the Spanish comics Steve brought back. Then I saw Mobile Suit Gundam and was hooked.
Natsu Onoda Power: Honestly, I don't remember. The first "TV animation" was probably re-runs of Tom & Jerry, which my brother and I watched obsessively, but that's not Japanese. But (as I explained in my book), Japanese children (at least when I was growing up) didn't really distinguish between Japanese and foreign animations, we just called everything "anime." They were dubbed so my brother and I had no idea which was Japanese and which wasn't. The first "Japanese" animation that I distinctly remember as probably Doraemon.
Yoshihiro Shimizu: As a child I watched Astro Boy, Gigantor, and Popeye.
=====================
What was the first anime you saw?
=====================
Fredrick Schodt: The first series I saw was called Obake no Q-Taro or The ghost of Q-taro in 1965-66. I remember the girls wearing the trademark hairstyle based on the manga. This was about the time when Astro Boy was finishing. Astro Boy was showing in real time, but I remember Obake no Q-Taro more.
Helen McCarthy: Marine Boy, on British TV. The first anime I knew as anime when I saw it was Mazinger Z, but of course that was just in the Spanish comics Steve brought back. Then I saw Mobile Suit Gundam and was hooked.
Natsu Onoda Power: Honestly, I don't remember. The first "TV animation" was probably re-runs of Tom & Jerry, which my brother and I watched obsessively, but that's not Japanese. But (as I explained in my book), Japanese children (at least when I was growing up) didn't really distinguish between Japanese and foreign animations, we just called everything "anime." They were dubbed so my brother and I had no idea which was Japanese and which wasn't. The first "Japanese" animation that I distinctly remember as probably Doraemon.
Yoshihiro Shimizu: As a child I watched Astro Boy, Gigantor, and Popeye.
The Smithsonian celebrates the work of Osamu Tezuka (Part 4)
By Brian Mah
==================
What was the first manga you read?
===================
Fredrick Schodt: Koya no Shonen Isamu (Isamu of the Plains). Norborn Kawasaki wrote it.
Helen McCarthy: Candy Candy, in a French translation.
Natsu Onoda Power: This is also tricky... probably Doraemon. The first Tezuka manga I read was Umi no Toriton (Toriton of the Sea). It's still one of my favorites. It makes me cry.
Yoshihiro Shimizu: Apollo Song. It dealt with sexual education.
==================
What was the first manga you read?
===================
Fredrick Schodt: Koya no Shonen Isamu (Isamu of the Plains). Norborn Kawasaki wrote it.
Helen McCarthy: Candy Candy, in a French translation.
Natsu Onoda Power: This is also tricky... probably Doraemon. The first Tezuka manga I read was Umi no Toriton (Toriton of the Sea). It's still one of my favorites. It makes me cry.
Yoshihiro Shimizu: Apollo Song. It dealt with sexual education.
The Smithsonian celebrates the work of Osamu Tezuka (Part 5)
By Brian Mah
==================
When was your first trip to Japan?
==================
Helen McCarthy: We went to Japan in 1997 so that I could interview Hayao Miyazaki for my book about him. We had friends over there and had been promising ourselves a trip for ages, but it never worked out that we could both take time off work when we had enough money to travel. Then I was told that Mr. Miyazaki could see me on one day three weeks ahead, so the whole trip was arranged in a huge rush, but it was well worth it. About six hours after we touched down on Japanese spoil for the first time, I was sitting in his private office.
==================
When was your first trip to Japan?
==================
Helen McCarthy: We went to Japan in 1997 so that I could interview Hayao Miyazaki for my book about him. We had friends over there and had been promising ourselves a trip for ages, but it never worked out that we could both take time off work when we had enough money to travel. Then I was told that Mr. Miyazaki could see me on one day three weeks ahead, so the whole trip was arranged in a huge rush, but it was well worth it. About six hours after we touched down on Japanese spoil for the first time, I was sitting in his private office.
The Smithsonian celebrates the work of Osamu Tezuka (Part 6)
By Brian Mah
================
What were the positive and negative things Mr. Tezuka contributed to the Japanese anime and manga industry?
================
Fredrick Schodt: Tezuka created the framework for the modern anime and manga industry. He helped to improve the great storytelling in the manga. He didn't do it alone, but he was most responsible for creating the gigantic, self-contained, symbiotic Godzilla-like creature that is the anime and manga industry. At the same time he has been criticized, mostly in animation, for establishing a system of default low wages and limited movement. It wasn't his intent, but it was the economics of the time. Hayao Miyazaki was highly critical of that system.
I think you can also say that he really demonstrated more that anyone else in the world that his belief that the comic book format came from the west and is more conceptual than previously thought. He tried to elevate comic books to the to the same level as novels.
Helen McCarthy: The huge diversity of Tezuka's work and his fearlessness in tackling any subject are one of the reasons why manga and anime have such wide appeal. Also, he gave every character real respect, by refusing to pigeonhole them as just 'good' or 'evil. He showed that every living thing has reasons for its actions, whether human or not, whether a star or a bit part player. That's something we can still learn from. It's too easy to label things by outward appearance or by association. Tezuka makes us think about where actions come from, why characters do things. Sometimes we have to wait for another story or appearance to find out their true motives or backgrounds. Just as in life, his characters aren't transparent and obvious.
Natsu Onoda Power: That's a super big question. His contribution is so huge... and perhaps had different influences in manga and anime. For one thing he valued storytelling. His plots are so intricately woven and experimentally crafted, like a film or a novel. (The story is not always told chronologically, or from one point-of-view, etc.) He introduced vocabularies of film, live theater, and numerous other art forms into his comics (other people did this too, but he did it so extensively). He made children's comics into a mainstream media. You can't summarize his contributions into a paragraph. We have a hard time summarizing it into a book!
Negative? He is often accused of inventing some of the "cheap tricks" in TV animation to save costs. But I don't know if that's actually unique to Tezuka... I feel like it was an innovation out of necessity.
Yoshihiro Shimizu: The most positive things about Tezuka's work were that he had the ability to influence a wide range of audiences, from children to adults.
================
What were the positive and negative things Mr. Tezuka contributed to the Japanese anime and manga industry?
================
Fredrick Schodt: Tezuka created the framework for the modern anime and manga industry. He helped to improve the great storytelling in the manga. He didn't do it alone, but he was most responsible for creating the gigantic, self-contained, symbiotic Godzilla-like creature that is the anime and manga industry. At the same time he has been criticized, mostly in animation, for establishing a system of default low wages and limited movement. It wasn't his intent, but it was the economics of the time. Hayao Miyazaki was highly critical of that system.
I think you can also say that he really demonstrated more that anyone else in the world that his belief that the comic book format came from the west and is more conceptual than previously thought. He tried to elevate comic books to the to the same level as novels.
Helen McCarthy: The huge diversity of Tezuka's work and his fearlessness in tackling any subject are one of the reasons why manga and anime have such wide appeal. Also, he gave every character real respect, by refusing to pigeonhole them as just 'good' or 'evil. He showed that every living thing has reasons for its actions, whether human or not, whether a star or a bit part player. That's something we can still learn from. It's too easy to label things by outward appearance or by association. Tezuka makes us think about where actions come from, why characters do things. Sometimes we have to wait for another story or appearance to find out their true motives or backgrounds. Just as in life, his characters aren't transparent and obvious.
Natsu Onoda Power: That's a super big question. His contribution is so huge... and perhaps had different influences in manga and anime. For one thing he valued storytelling. His plots are so intricately woven and experimentally crafted, like a film or a novel. (The story is not always told chronologically, or from one point-of-view, etc.) He introduced vocabularies of film, live theater, and numerous other art forms into his comics (other people did this too, but he did it so extensively). He made children's comics into a mainstream media. You can't summarize his contributions into a paragraph. We have a hard time summarizing it into a book!
Negative? He is often accused of inventing some of the "cheap tricks" in TV animation to save costs. But I don't know if that's actually unique to Tezuka... I feel like it was an innovation out of necessity.
Yoshihiro Shimizu: The most positive things about Tezuka's work were that he had the ability to influence a wide range of audiences, from children to adults.
The Smithsonian celebrates the work of Osamu Tezuka (Part 7)
By: Brian Mah
------------------
The next question was asked to Mr. Frederik Schodt about receiving an award from the Japanese government for his work on Japanese popular culture.
------------------
==============
How has the "Order of the Rising Sun" award changed your life?
==============
Frederik Schodt: Well, I flew in a Lear Jet. Seriously, it hasn't changed my life. It was a huge honor to receive the award. I didn't feel worthy of accepting it. My fear was that I was getting old. The award is usually given to older people. I think there are 60 different ranks. Tezuka was given a higher rank. If I came to Japan and told people I got the award, they wouldn't believe that I got the honor. Again it was a huge honor.
------------------
The next question was asked to Mr. Frederik Schodt about receiving an award from the Japanese government for his work on Japanese popular culture.
------------------
==============
How has the "Order of the Rising Sun" award changed your life?
==============
Frederik Schodt: Well, I flew in a Lear Jet. Seriously, it hasn't changed my life. It was a huge honor to receive the award. I didn't feel worthy of accepting it. My fear was that I was getting old. The award is usually given to older people. I think there are 60 different ranks. Tezuka was given a higher rank. If I came to Japan and told people I got the award, they wouldn't believe that I got the honor. Again it was a huge honor.
The Smithsonian celebrates the work of Osamu Tezuka (part 8)
By: Brian Mah
---------------------
A similar question was asked to Ms. Helen McCarthy about receiving an award from the British government for her efforts in promoting ties between Japan and the UK.
---------------------
=================
How has the awards given to you by the UK government changed your life?
=================
Helen McCarthy: I wish I would say it gets me huge respect and good tables in restaurants, but it hasn't changed a thing. Recognition for one's work is always pleasant, though.
---------------------
A similar question was asked to Ms. Helen McCarthy about receiving an award from the British government for her efforts in promoting ties between Japan and the UK.
---------------------
=================
How has the awards given to you by the UK government changed your life?
=================
Helen McCarthy: I wish I would say it gets me huge respect and good tables in restaurants, but it hasn't changed a thing. Recognition for one's work is always pleasant, though.
The Smithsonian celebrates the work of Osamu Tezuka (part 9)
By: Brian Mah
=================
How has Tezuka's work influence other artists?
=================
Helen McCarthy: I can't think of a single manga artist in Japan who isn't reacting to Tezuka in some way, whether influenced by him or rejecting his influence. But much more important, I think, is his influence on wider Japanese society, especially in science. There are doctors, surgeons, inventors, roboticists, all kinds of people who are actually changing our world and making our future, who say that they would not be doing what they're doing if it weren't for reading a Tezuka manga or seeing a Tezuka anime. That's a level of influence that goes far beyond the artistic.
Natsu Onoda Power: Again, it is such a big question. It's like saying "how has Shakespeare influenced theater?"
Yoshihiro Shimizu: Tezuka's work influenced so many artists to count.
=================
How has Tezuka's work influence other artists?
=================
Helen McCarthy: I can't think of a single manga artist in Japan who isn't reacting to Tezuka in some way, whether influenced by him or rejecting his influence. But much more important, I think, is his influence on wider Japanese society, especially in science. There are doctors, surgeons, inventors, roboticists, all kinds of people who are actually changing our world and making our future, who say that they would not be doing what they're doing if it weren't for reading a Tezuka manga or seeing a Tezuka anime. That's a level of influence that goes far beyond the artistic.
Natsu Onoda Power: Again, it is such a big question. It's like saying "how has Shakespeare influenced theater?"
Yoshihiro Shimizu: Tezuka's work influenced so many artists to count.
The Smithsonian celebrates the work of Osamu Tezuka (part 10)
By: Brian Mah
===============
Did you get a chance to meet Mr. Tezuka or his family?
===============
Frederick Schodt: I knew Tezuka fairly well. In 1977, I started to worked for him as his interpreter. I worked with him until his death. When he came to the US I came as his interpreter. He was one of the first Japanese artists to attend ASIFA related events around the world, such as Canada and Europe. (ASIFA is an international organization relating to Animation.) He was kind of like an ambassador. He even spoke at the U.N. It was one of the smaller rooms, not the general assembly.
Helen McCarthy: Never, much to my regret. I got in to anime in 1981 but I just didn't have contacts on the level that would let me meet a giant of the field and I wasn't in Japan or the USA at a time when I could have met him as a fan. But I feel as if I've got to know him a little through writing a book about him. Every day for three years, I've spent time with Osamu Tezuka, and it was fun.
===============
Do you think Tezuka's work is still prevalent in today's society?
===============
Helen McCarthy: Very much so. You can look at his influence on science, like the Atom Project currently being championed by Japanese scientists, but there are lots of examples in art and culture, like the 2008 Tezuka Gene art exhibition at Parco Shibuya where 35 fine artists produced tributes to his work. He was ahead of his time in so many ways - we're only just catching up with his environmental awareness.
Frederick Schodt: I agree with Helen. The Astro Boy anime was a great kids show. If you read the original manga, even though he wrote the manga for kids it had a lot of serious issues. He wrote about Man vs. Machine relations, Artificial Intelligence, and Terrorism. Some of the stories will go over the kid's heads, but the parents will still find the stories relevant today. The Pluto comic series is a good example. The manga is a new interpretation of one story based off the Astro Boy manga.
Natsu Onoda Power: Yes yes and yes (can't imagine anyone saying no).
Yoshihiro Shimizu: Without Tezuka's post war manga, it would be unthinkable. He pioneered the concept called "Story Manga." Tezuka's animated works act as a bridge for foreign animation.
===============
Did you get a chance to meet Mr. Tezuka or his family?
===============
Frederick Schodt: I knew Tezuka fairly well. In 1977, I started to worked for him as his interpreter. I worked with him until his death. When he came to the US I came as his interpreter. He was one of the first Japanese artists to attend ASIFA related events around the world, such as Canada and Europe. (ASIFA is an international organization relating to Animation.) He was kind of like an ambassador. He even spoke at the U.N. It was one of the smaller rooms, not the general assembly.
Helen McCarthy: Never, much to my regret. I got in to anime in 1981 but I just didn't have contacts on the level that would let me meet a giant of the field and I wasn't in Japan or the USA at a time when I could have met him as a fan. But I feel as if I've got to know him a little through writing a book about him. Every day for three years, I've spent time with Osamu Tezuka, and it was fun.
===============
Do you think Tezuka's work is still prevalent in today's society?
===============
Helen McCarthy: Very much so. You can look at his influence on science, like the Atom Project currently being championed by Japanese scientists, but there are lots of examples in art and culture, like the 2008 Tezuka Gene art exhibition at Parco Shibuya where 35 fine artists produced tributes to his work. He was ahead of his time in so many ways - we're only just catching up with his environmental awareness.
Frederick Schodt: I agree with Helen. The Astro Boy anime was a great kids show. If you read the original manga, even though he wrote the manga for kids it had a lot of serious issues. He wrote about Man vs. Machine relations, Artificial Intelligence, and Terrorism. Some of the stories will go over the kid's heads, but the parents will still find the stories relevant today. The Pluto comic series is a good example. The manga is a new interpretation of one story based off the Astro Boy manga.
Natsu Onoda Power: Yes yes and yes (can't imagine anyone saying no).
Yoshihiro Shimizu: Without Tezuka's post war manga, it would be unthinkable. He pioneered the concept called "Story Manga." Tezuka's animated works act as a bridge for foreign animation.
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