News News
About About
Downloads Downloads
Interactive Interactive
Links Links
Site Info Site Info


Astro's History

It’s been a very long journey from 1963 to 1997 for Astro Boy!

After being the first comic to be animated in Japan, being shown on Fuji Television, dubbed into English and sold worldwide, he’s been a lot of different places in between!

  • 1928 - Osamu Tezuka born, Japan
  • 1947 - Tezuka publishes New Treasure Island comic, sells 400,000 copies.
  • 1951 - ‘Tetsuwan Atom’ makes his first appearance in 1951, soon he becomes ‘Astro Boy’ and Tezuka continues to create every single Astro Boy comic story for 21 years.
  • 1960's - Astro Boy is animated and shown on Fuji television, in black and white. 193 episodes are produced, and the broadcast ends in 1966.
  • 1982 - A new colour version of Astro Boy is created. Over 50 episodes are produced.
  • 1989 - Osamu Tezuka dies, after having created 150,000 pages of manga comic art and 60 animations.
  • 1990-97 - Astro Boy remains a strong and resonant image in popular culture, appearing on pepper shakers, key rings, t-shirts, bags and a myriad of other fashion accessories.

Osamu Tezuka’s message:

What I try to appeal through my works is simple. The opinion is just a simple message that follows: "Love all the creatures! Love everything that has life"! I have been trying to express this message in every one of my works. Though it has taken the different forms like "the presentation of nature" "the blessing of life" "the suspicion on too much science oriented civilisation" anti war and so on.

  © 2003 AstroBoy Online