The Feature-length Documentary TEZUKA! God of Manga is Live on Kickstarter

Featuring interviews with Katsuhiro Ōtomo, Riyoko Ikeda, Naoki Urasawa, Gō Nagai, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Masao Maruyama, Rintarō, Ada Palmer, Fred Schodt, and more!

With Exclusive Prints Featuring All-New Tezuka-Inspired Artwork from Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, Shinchi Ishizuka, Elsa Charretier, Yūko Shimizu, Gurihuru, and more!

(October 14, 2026) It's hard to overstate Osamu Tezuka's influence on manga and anime in Japan and comic book and animation storytelling around the world. Before there was Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Chainsaw Man, and Jujutsu Kaisen, there was Tezuka's Astro Boy: the loveable, iconic, atomic-powered robot boy. Known in Japan as Tetsuwan Atom, this loveable hero sprang fully formed from the imagination of Tezuka-sensei, AKA the “God of Manga.” Tezuka broke new ground in 1963 when he introduced Astro Boy as Japan's first weekly animated TV program. Now, Peabody Award-winning director Jason Andrew Cohn and the Bread & Butter Films production team (Camille Servan-Schreiber, Jinko Gotoh, Glen S. Fukushima, and Roland Kelts) — will spotlight Osamu Tezuka's life and legacy with TEZUKA! God of Manga, an all-new, feature-length documentary. Support the film on Kickstarter today.

TEZUKA! God of Manga will feature interviews with legendary manga and anime creators including Katsuhiro Ōtomo (Akira), Riyoko Ikeda (Rose of Versaille), Naoki Urasawa (Monster), Gō Nagai (Devilman), Yoshiyuki Tomino (Gundam), MADHOUSE co-founder and anime producer Masao Maruyama (Tokyo Godfathers), anime director Rintarō (Metropolis), best-selling fantasy author Ada Palmer (Too Like the Lightning), Samuel Sattin (Unico Awakening), and Jorge R. Gutiérrez (The Book of Life), to discuss how Tezuka's trailblazing influenced their work and changed the mediums of manga, comics, and animation.

The documentary will also include in-depth conversations with scholars Helen McCarthy (The Art of Osamu Tezuka), Natsu Onoda Power (God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka and the creation of post-World War II Manga), and the dean of English-language manga scholarship, Fred Schodt (Manga! Manga!) discussing his long working relationship with Tezuka. Once the film is funded, the producers will schedule additional interviews with artists including Paul Pope (THB) and Ron Wimberly (Prince of Cats).

Cohn and Tezuka Productions are also teaming up with some of today's hottest manga and comic artists to create Kickstarter-exclusive collectible art prints featuring beautiful tributes to beloved Tezuka stories and characters. Fans can collect an astonishing Acetylene Lamp print by Shinichi Ishizuka (Blue Giant), striking takes on Astro Boy by Dave Baker (Mary Tyler MooreHawk) and Jorge R. Gutiérrez (Book of Life), bold looks at Black Jack by Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth) and Yūko Shimizu (Barbed Wire Baseball), a beautiful Buddha print from Jesse Lonergan (Dome), a fantastic look at Phoenix by Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT), a pitch-perfect Princess Knight print by Elsa Charretier (November), unbelievable Unico artwork by Gurihuru (Unico Awakening, and a vibrant take on Vampires by Nicole Goux (Punk'n Heads).

Though he's often compared to Walt Disney, Tezuka was arguably a greater cultural force. His mind-bending storylines — including Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Princess Knight, and hundreds of others — ignited a post-war explosion of creativity that positioned Japan as a global leader in comics and animation to this day and influenced generations of creators around the world.

“TEZUKA! God of Manga celebrates Tezuka-sensei as a preposterously prolific, enigmatic creator who forever altered popular culture by introducing young readers to a brand-new, DIY medium that rocketed around the world,” said Jason Andrew Cohn. “The creative cross-fertilization between artists in Japan and the rest of the world made Tezuka one of the most beloved and influential artists of the 20th century. This film will celebrate his legacy and introduce his incredible creations to a new generation.”

A moving, immersive, and visually stunning romp through comics history, TEZUKA! God of Manga unfolds in three acts, beginning with his childhood in the suburbs of Osaka in the shadow of the Pacific War. Launching from young Tezuka's dream of creating manga and founding his own independent animation studio, the film chronicles his ascendence to becoming a national sensation and the subsequent counter-cultural backlash in the 1960s, when young manga readers gravitated away from Tezuka and toward edgier artists in the gekiga movement. The third act explores Tezuka's remarkable comeback with enduring storylines like Phoenix and Black Jack. The film will leave viewers reflecting on a creative legacy that extends beyond Tezuka's dozens of television cartoons and animated films and estimated 150,000 pages of published manga.

In addition to the art prints, the TEZUKA! God of Manga Kickstarter campaign features rare rewards and merchandise from Tezuka Productions, a collectible Blu-ray version of the documentary, and a bounty of fun treats.

TEZUKA! God of Manga is scheduled for completion by 2028, in time for the centenary of Osamu Tezuka's birth. Fans can support the film on Kickstarter now. For more updates follow Tezuka! God of Manga on X, Bluesky, and Instagram.