A comprehensive new feature-length documentary celebrating the foundational pioneer of modern Japanese comics and animation has officially begun its journey to the screen. Tezuka: God of Manga, spearheaded by director Jason Andrew Cohn and the Bread & Butter Films production team, launched its official Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, offering fans an unprecedented look at the life, work, and lasting philosophy of the visionary creator.
The ambitious production is targeting a completion window of 2028, aligning directly with the centenary of Osamu Tezuka's birth. To achieve this milestone, the production team has enlisted an extraordinary lineup of contemporary manga artists, anime directors, and international scholars. Confirmed interviewees for the documentary include Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), Riyoko Ikeda (The Rose of Versailles), Naoki Urasawa (Monster), Go Nagai (Devilman), Yoshiyuki Tomino (Mobile Suit Gundam), Madhouse co-founder Masao Maruyama, and veteran director Rintaro, alongside prominent authors and critics such as Fred Schodt and Helen McCarthy.
Legacy and Backer Rewards
Often celebrated globally as the structural foundation of contemporary commercial animation and serialised storytelling, Tezuka's staggering output across a 40-year career included over 700 volumes of manga and hundreds of animated television and cinematic episodes. Scholar Helen McCarthy famously noted that describing him merely as the Japanese equivalent of Western icons fails to capture the true scale of his impact, likening his multidisciplinary influence to a combination of Walt Disney, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Carl Sagan.
The crowdfunding initiative features a tiered array of backer incentives designed for international enthusiasts. Rewards ranging from exclusive Astro Boy apparel and physical Blu-ray or DVD copies of the finished film to a Black Jack giclée print crafted by acclaimed artist Yuko Shimizu are available to contributors as the campaign runs toward its mid-November deadline.
