Ablaze Announces English Publication of Four Single-Volume Works by Manga Godfather Osamu Tezuka

• Comics and graphic novel publisher ABLAZE announces that it has licensed four acclaimed manga titles by Osamu Tezuka from Tezuka Productions in association with DI Books for English publication under the ABLAZE MANGA imprint. The first title will debut in August of this year, with the rest launching in late 2023 and in print and digitally in 2024.
• The titles licensed for publication are:
• One Hundred Tales – Expected to launch in August 2023
• Shakespeare Manga Theater – Expected to launch in Q4 2023
• Tomorrow’s Birds – to be launched in Q2 2024
• Neo Faust – Expected to launch in Q4 2024
• This is the first time any of these works will be published in English. Osamu Tezuka is known worldwide as the most influential figure of the last century in the development of manga and anime. A medical school graduate who instead pursued a career in comics, Tezuka’s early success in the post-WWII years inspired generations of artists and a growing manga industry. In its lifetime, the “godfather of manga” produced tens of thousands of pages in nearly 700 titles for a wide variety of readers.

Summary of Osamu Tezuka titles recently licensed by ABLAZE:

One Hundred Tales – August 2023



An adaptation of the Faust legend as a samurai period piece. ichirui is hanari
A simple accountant serving his master. Although innocent, he is sentenced
To death by hara-kiri after engaging in a power struggle. a witch
Nam Sudama appears and offers Haniri three wishes in return for her
Soul. Henry accepts. Is it worth it?

Shakespeare Manga Theater – Q4 2023

Tezuka adapted many of Shakespeare’s plays during his career.
Works: Hamlet, Othello, The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Romeo and
Juliet (featuring Astro Boy!), and The Merchant of Venice. this book
collects them in a quantity and is sure to be popular not only
fans of Tezuka, but also schools interested in presenting Shakespeare in a
Format that is easy for readers to engage with.

Tomorrow The Birds – Q2 2024



A science fiction manga depicting a future society in which birds evolved
Transcending humanity, yesterday’s bird is a parable of how we behave
who are not like us, and the price that must be paid for
pride. an unforgettable tapestry of seven-page chapters and long
stories.

Neo Faust – Q4 2024



This adaptation of Goethe’s Faust is Tezuka’s third rendering of this classic
And one of the serials he was working on at the time of his death.
Despite being seriously ill, Tezuka continued to develop his earlier
mythological story and illustration and left behind this enticing form
on a timeless topic.

• “Osamu Tezuka lived an extraordinary life. His manga has fascinated me since childhood. “I am grateful to Tezuka Productions and Ablaze for this opportunity to help them publish in English,” says Ieyasu Adair Nagata, translator and co-founder of DI Books. “These works were inspired by Western literature, including science fiction, and I look forward to the conversations they will spark.”
• “Osamu Tezuka is probably the most famous manga creator of all time and his works have been loved by multiple generations of fans for more than 70 years,” says Rich Young, co-founder of ABLAZE. “We are honored to expand the ABLAZE manga catalog with four of our award-winning works and look forward to helping comics and manga fans add to their collections with these new releases.”
• ABLAZE titles are distributed in print worldwide by Diamond Comic and Diamond Book Distributors. Digital versions of ABLAZE titles are available through most major digital platforms.

Source: Official Press Release