On the verge of his centennial, the legacy of Osamu Tezuka, one of the 20th century¡¯s most influential artists, depends largely on where you live.
Inside Japan he is a colossus, revered as both the ¡°God of Manga¡± and the ¡°Father of Anime.¡± His characters adorn everything from vintage 1960s candy wrappers and train station billboards to hipster streetwear and gallery walls.?
Yet outside Japan, especially in the West, Tezuka is still something of a cipher. When I mention ¡°Astro Boy¡± to fans of a certain age at anime conventions in the United States, they light up in fond reminiscence. But when I ask them who made it, those same faces go blank.
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