Osamu Tezuka, who is sometimes referred to as the “God of Manga” or the “Father of Manga,” left a legacy that endures well beyond his death in 1989. The prolific creator gave us such beloved manga as Astro Boy, Princess Knight, Kimba the White Lion, Black Jack, Phoenix and Unico, among many others.
Two years ago Samuel Sattin, writer of recent Eisner nominee Buzzing, and the artist team known as Gurihiru had the opportunity to reimagine one of Tezuka’s creations for modern audiences — Unico, the story of a tiny unicorn who enraged the jealous goddess Venus, so the gods erase his memory and banish him across space and time. Unico is constantly jumping from era to era, where he must escape the gods and have his memory erased over and over again. His only ally is the West Wind, who feels sorry for him and tries to help him along his journey.
Sattin and Gurihiru teamed up for Unico: Awakening, which reintroduces the magical unicorn and draws from the original manga, while creating something new and inviting. After a successful Kickstarter, the first volume is getting a wide release courtesy of Scholastic this week.
I spoke with Sattin about the manga, the legacy of Tezuka and more. My thanks for his time.
Let’s start at the beginning — how did you first come to manga, both as a reader and then a creator?
I think like a lot of kids who were born in the 80s, I got into anime first, and manga second. There just wasn’t a ton of manga around when I was young. I did get hold of Battle Angel: Alita as a teenager, which ended up being my gateway. When manga became more readily available I expanded my horizons, reading everything I possibly could.
As for how that made its way into my life as a creator…it’s such an interesting question. Basically, I think I’ve read so much manga that I began to see comics and storytelling in general through a manga-fied lens. I found stories coming out of Japan to be so interesting and inspiring, I tried to discover whatever I could in terms of how they were made. That said, I am an American writer and don’t pretend to be anything else. My goal with Unico and other such projects is to create something that works both in the US and Japan–and anywhere else, for that measure. Osamu Tezuka himself, the creator of Unico, considered comics/manga to be an international language. If I strive towards anything as a creator, it’s living up to that ideal.
I can only imagine the pressure that comes with reinventing something created by Osamu Tezuka. But let’s start with the easier question — how did you first discover Tezuka’s work, and what has it meant to you?
I first discovered Osamu Tezuka’s work during my epic manga quest in college. But it wasn’t until I got into my thirties that I really started referring him as the God of Manga that he is. As I read every Tezuka book I could find, I began to see the work of someone who’d explored everything there is to explore about the comics medium. The way he depicted movement and emotion–particularly despair–was done by experimenting with complex visual language. Also, I’m inspired by the degree to which Tezuka worked across different genres and age groups. He created Atom, Unico, and Black Jack, but he also created MW, The Human Insect, and Barbara. But no matter what genre or age group he was working in, he conveyed large truths about the world. His viewpoint inspires me, and his command of storytelling is a master class.
OK, the harder question – how do you approach the work of following the God of Manga on something like Unico?
I do so understanding how important it is, and with as much respect as I can muster. At risk of repeating myself, one of the things I love most about Osamu Tezuka is that he truly did look at comics as an international language. He valued collaboration–particularly cross-cultural collaboration–and saw manga as a global phenomenon that could truly change the world. Working with Tezuka Productions in particular is such an amazing opportunity, since they protect Osamu Tezuka’s legacy, while trying to find new ways for it to continue into the future. Their vision is a beautiful one, and if I am doing okay in their book, I smile and carry on.
What’s your process been like in working with Gurihiru, and what made them the perfect artists for this project?
Gurihiru is brilliant. True geniuses in similar ways to Osamu Tezuka himself. I say this not just because they’re incredible artists, but because their art style is paradigm-shifting. They are the only artist team I know who so seamlessly combines western and Japanese comics styles. Their style works in Japan. It works in the U.S. and Europe. They just can’t be pinned down. They also have a native understanding of Tezuka that comes from growing up in Japan. Its somewhat impossible not to idolize Tezuka if you grow up in Japan and want to become a mangaka. Idolizing Tezuka is somewhat impossible if you grow up in Japan and want to become a mangaka. His legacy shines bright.
What can you tell us about the story? Is there a particular part or sequence you’re most proud of?
This first volume, Unico: Awakening, pulls from “The Cat on the Broomstick” chapter of the original manga, in which a cat wishes to become human, and a sinister force haunts the woods that she and Unico explore. Throughout this reimagining, however, we open up the world, giving larger roles to characters who previously had small roles, and introducing new characters in the process. In this volume, the West Wind–who saves Unico from being destroyed by the vengeful goddess Venus–searches for a way to break Unico’s curse. To do so, she travels to the source of knowledge itself. In order to survive there, she has to remember her name…something that might be harder than it sounds. There’s a scene in particular that I’m proud of when the West Wind has to make a difficult choice, which could both save and condemn Unico. I think that scene in particular is moving.
What else are you working on at the moment?
I’m currently working on a noir story that the world should hear about in the not-so-distant future.
Unico: Awakening will arrive in stores tomorrow.