Biography
Osamu Tezuka, born November 3, 1928, in Toyonaka, Osaka, is widely regarded as the most influential figure in the history of manga and anime, commonly called the "God of Manga" [1][3]. He earned a medical degree from Osaka University in 1951 but chose to draw full time, following his mother's advice to do what he loved most [1]. His 1947 breakthrough New Treasure Island helped launch what is often called manga's postwar golden age, and he went on to create Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Black Jack, Buddha, and his self-described life's work, Phoenix, left unfinished at his death [1][2]. In 1962 he renamed his production company Mushi Production, and on January 1, 1963, it broadcast Astro Boy as Japan's first serialized television anime, establishing the limited-animation production model that made weekly TV anime commercially viable [1]. Tezuka died of stomach cancer on February 9, 1989, at age 60, reportedly telling a nurse who tried to take away his drawing equipment, "I'm begging you, let me work" [2]. He left behind more than 700 volumes of manga and directly influenced generations of creators, from Hayao Miyazaki to Naoki Urasawa [2]. The Asahi Shimbun later wrote that Japan's comics culture flourished in part simply "because Japan had Osamu Tezuka" [2].
I'm begging you, let me work!