Scholastic has announced it will be partnering with Tezuka Productions, Co., Ltd., Osamu Tezuka’s IP company, to reimagine five of Tezuka’s original manga titles for children.
Tezuka Productions, Co., Ltd. is a Japanese mass multi-media company founded by Osamu Tezuka, who is often referred to as the “God of Manga.” Tezuka is famously known for jumpstarting Japan’s modern comic and animation industries, producing over 700 stories, including some of his most popular series, Astro Boy,Princess Knight,Kimba the White Lion, and many more.
Scholastic partnered with Tezuka Productions, Co. Ltd. first in 2024 with the reimagining of Tezuka’s Unicoseries. Since the Unico Awakening series launched in August 2024, Graphix has released three volumes from acclaimed author, Samuel Sattin, and Eisner Award-winning Japanese artist duo, Gurihiru. The series has become a national bestseller and sold in more than 17 countries around the world. Unico Awakening will culminate with its eighth volume, completing the story arc left unfinished by Tezuka in his lifetime.
In a similar vein to Unico, Scholastic is partnering with Tezuka Productions, Co., Ltd. to reimagine five properties from Osamu Tezuka. These titles will include,Three Eyed One, Princess Knight, Triton of the Sea, Zero Men, and Atom Cat/Astro Cat. Author Samuel Sattin is tagged once again to spearhead the efforts to develop and reimage these series, working alongside Japanese artists.
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 — 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 animecreators including Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), Riyoko Ikeda (Rose of Versaille), Naoki Urasawa (Monster), Go Nagai (Devilman), Yoshiyuki Tomino (Gundam), MADHOUSE co-founder and anime producer Masao Maruyama (Tokyo Godfathers), anime director Rintaro (Metropolis), best-selling fantasy author Ada Palmer (Too Like the Lightning), Samuel Sattin (Unico Awakening), and Jorge R. Gutierrez (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 mangascholarship, 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. Gutierrez (Book of Life), bold looks at Black Jack by Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth) and Yuko 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.
We have an exclusive clip of scholar Frederic Schodt discussing Tezuka’s harrowing experience living through the firebombing of a factory where he worked.
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 — 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 animecreators including Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), Riyoko Ikeda (Rose of Versaille), Naoki Urasawa (Monster), Go Nagai (Devilman), Yoshiyuki Tomino (Gundam), MADHOUSE co-founder and anime producer Masao Maruyama (Tokyo Godfathers), anime director Rintaro (Metropolis), best-selling fantasy author Ada Palmer (Too Like the Lightning), Samuel Sattin (Unico Awakening), and Jorge R. Gutierrez (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 mangascholarship, 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. Gutierrez (Book of Life), bold looks at Black Jack by Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth) and Yuko 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.
Unico’s friends race to save him from the evil goddess Venus!
Lost and alone in a windswept desert, Unico seeks help from the Fey queen Titania. But danger lurks. The goddess Venus and the monstrous hunter, Iver, remain bent on destroying Unico. Meanwhile, Starrow, a celestial scientist, trains Unico’s friends, the cats Chloe and Toast, to travel across time and space. But can they reach Unico before Venus does?
Conceived anew by Eisner-nominated author Samuel Sattin and Eisner-winning artist team Gurihiru, and developed in collaboration with Tezuka Productions, Unico: Lost is the third volume in a groundbreaking reboot of a beloved manga by Astro Boy creator Osamu Tezuka, the “God of Manga.” With striking full-color artwork and reading left to right in the Western comics style to match the original manga, UNICO AWAKENING is a brilliant series featuring storytelling at its best. Join Unico on an unforgettable journey!
Created by: Osamu Tezuka Story: Samuel Sattin Art: Gurihiru
Get your copy in comic shops! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
Graphix provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
(W) Osamu Tezuka and Masami Yuuki (A) Tetsuro Kasahara SC, 176 pages, B&W, $12.99 ISBN: 9781787747029 On sale January 20, 2026
Discover the thrilling prequel to Tezuka’s Astro Boy, where the future of robotics is forged in the fires of innovation and intense mecha battles. Experience a gripping journey into the origins of this series, based on the iconic anime streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Crunchyroll.
The countdown to a new era begins in ATOM: The Beginning Volume 13 as the team at Laboratory No. 7 prepares to complete A108, a revolutionary robot powered by the Omega system, the most advanced version of the Bewusstein system. With the dawn of the “robot era” rapidly approaching, the emergence of robots that are more sophisticated than ever before threatens to change the world forever.
Authors: Osamu Tezuka and Masami Yuuki Artist: Tetsuro Kasahara
Experience the thrilling prequel to Tezuka’s Astro Boy, with intense mecha battles and rich storytelling. Dive into the origins of this iconic series, based on the world-renowned franchise streaming on Netflix, Amazon, and Crunchyroll.
In Atom: The Beginning Volume 12, the origins of the iconic Astro Boy myth come to life with new intensity, as readers can enjoy a new side to the franchise that currently has an anime streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Crunchyroll.
As Laboratory No. 1, now under Haido’s control, showcases its latest marvel, the robot Mu emerges as a formidable contender during a robot wrestling tournament. After a dominant victory over U-ran, Mu’s power and prowess are undeniable. Meanwhile, the team from Lab No. 7 shifts their focus from the recent competition to refining its own robot creation, setting the stage for future advancements.
This volume is a crucial instalment for fans of the legendary Astro Boy series, providing deeper insights into the prequel’s development. With high-octane robot battles and complex ethical dilemmas about robotics, it caters to fans of mecha manga and those intrigued by the broader implications of robotic technology.
Atom: The Beginning enriches the legacy of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy, offering beautifully drawn action scenes and a compelling storyline that explores the roots of one of manga’s most influential works. Perfect for readers who enjoyed Battle Angel Alita and Ghost in the Shell, this volume continues to blend intense robot combat with philosophical questions about the nature of being.
With a quirky, lovable cast and rich backstories that set the stage for the beloved sequel series, this manga is a must-read for fans and newcomers alike.
The prequel series to the legendary Astro Boy by Osamu Tezuka continues with its 11th volume. Six’s journey leads him to fight a tough foe to save an old acquaintance. Fans of mecha fights and anime will find a perfect fit with this action-packed Manga!
The eleventh volume of Atom: The Beginning marks the team’s return from their adventures in Vietnam, where they were able to uncover clues about the ‘robot boy’ from the future.
They have the chance to ponder the various pieces of information they gathered, whilst resuming their research and daily life. But before everything can become completely normal again, an unexpected visitor disrupts the harmony.
Someone that the team does not get along with the team turns up, out of the blue, at Lab-7. Their appearance leads to some unsettling revelations that could bring them even closer to the truth about the ‘robot boy’, but at what cost?
Volume 11 of ATOM: The Beginning, created by Masami Yuki and Tetsurō Kasahara, seems as if it’s leading our heroes towards the secrets of the iconic Osamu Tezuka creation, Astro Boy, an icon known across the world from the hugely successful manga and anime. However, it’s slowly becoming a truth that might be better left untouched.
Lost in space and time, Unico awakens in an abandoned factory town. Saved by the resourceful mouse, Garapachi, Unico befriends Chiko, a human girl. But he soon learns that a sinister force is at work in the town’s factory, bent on killing all living things. Meanwhile, Venus unleashes a fierce hunter who will stop at nothing to find Unico. Can Unico save Chiko? Can the West Wind save Unico?
Created by: Osamu Tezuka Story: Samuel Sattin Art: Gurihiru
Get your copy in comic shops! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
Graphix provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site
(W) Osamu Tezuka, Masami Yuuki (A/CA) Tetsuro Kasahara In Shops: Feb 12, 2025 SRP: $12.99
Responding to a distress call, Six scurries around only to be greeted by an old acquaintance. But when a powerful foe starts detecting Six, he must grapple with saving his friends and saving himself!
(W) Osamu Tezuka (A/CA) Osamu Tezuka In Shops: Dec 25, 2024 SRP: $16.99
Dive into the extraordinary world created by Osamu Tezuka, author of world-renowned titles Astro Boy and Dororo.
Readers are thrown into the life of Imari Daisaku, a filmmaker whose fanciful creations have fallen of favor in a society dominated by scientific triumphs. However, his life changes forever when he encounters a peculiar group led by Count Alucard, and he receives an extraordinary gift; I.L, a mysterious mannequin with the power of shapeshifting.
Together, Daisaku and I.L utilize the phenomenal transformative abilities to help those in need and are propelled into an array of thrilling and haphazard adventures.
