Fans all around the world have loved Osamu Tezuka's comics and animation for decades. Known as "the Father of Manga," Tezuka is the creator behind iconic stories like Astro Boy, Buddha, Dororo and countless other classic manga and anime. It's no wonder that cartoonists and animators across the globe have continued to revisit the legendary creator's work. Now author Samuel Sattin and artist team Gurihiru -- who are best known for their work with Gene Luen Yang on DC's Superman Smashes the Klan -- are working alongside Tezuka Productions to revisit Unico, Tezuka's time-traveling unicorn.
Inspired by Tezuka's original "The Cat on the Broomstick" storyline -- Unico: Awakening tells the story of Unico and a cat named Chloe as the two travel the universe fleeing an angry goddess and a mysterious man. Author Samuel Sattin recently spoke with CBR about his collaboration with Gurihiru and the differences between Unico: Awakening and Tezuka's original story. He also discussed the team's decision to fund the project with a recently launched Kickstarter campaign.
CBR: How did you begin working with Gurihiru?
Samuel Sattin: For those who might not know, Unico is a manga by Osamu Tezuka, who most American readers would probably know as the creator of Astro Boy, but in fact was so much more than that. Gurihiru is an immensely talented artist team based out of Saitama, Japan, with unique abilities to combine international art styles in ways no one ever has before. I've been a fan of theirs for a long time, before they won an Eisner Award for Superman Smashes the Klan, and I'm especially excited about what they're gearing up for with Ultraman: Another Gene. Their art style is absolutely perfect for a project like Unico: Awakening, and I can't wait for other people to see what they've done.
As far as how I came to work with Gurihiru, when I initially received the go-ahead from Tezuka Productions to produce a new Unico story, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to their representative. After a few months of discussion, we all decided to jump into this new venture. I'm so glad that happened.
How has their art impacted your approach to the story?
I think Gurihiru is special. Not just because they're talented, which they most obviously are. But because I've never seen an art team that's able to so successfully blend Japanese and American comics art styles. They have a specific knowledge of Tezuka, and of comics in general, that informs the way this story is told, and we share a common passion to bring it all to life. The fact that Unico: Awakening is an international collaboration is true to Osamu Tezuka's view of comics as well, in how he thought of them as a global language. It's really exciting.
How involved in the project is Tezuka Productions?
Very. They have carefully gone over every step of this adaptation, and are in charge of approval throughout. Happily, however, this has been a seamless process, and the project has -- for lack of better phrasing -- been nothing but celebratory and enthusiastic. They're great to work with. Especially when it comes to exploring the ins and outs of Unico's character, which is a deceivingly complex process. Yes, he's a cute little unicorn, the epitome of sweetness, but he's also hunted by a jealous goddess and has to have his memory wiped repeatedly as a result. Working with Tezuka Productions, we've really had the chance to dig into tougher themes in this story revolving around how we use and misuse love, and we explore them in a new way, for a new audience.
What appeals to you about Unico as a character?
Unico -- just like Osamu Tezuka himself, is misunderstood. Tezuka's stories are dark, arty and deeply emotional, and Unico is no exception. He might be a cute little unicorn on the surface, but his story is about a curse, where a jealous goddess dooms him out of nothing more than wounded vanity. And yet, Unico's kindness persists. He is truly an example of a character whose hopefulness can never be destroyed, and his story is about how love can be both a weapon and a slave. It's moving.
Were there any other Tezuka characters you and Gurihiru considered reinventing?
No. This project was all about Unico from the get-go.
What are the most important differences between Unico: Awakening and the "The Cat on the Broomstick" storyline?
The original "The Cat on the Broomstick" storyline is about how deceiving appearances can be, and how flawed people really are. In the story, a young cat loathes her feline form and wants to be a person instead, which leads her down a dangerous path. Our vision for Unico: Awakening expands upon the original story, spending more time with some of its key characters, and giving more agency to others. The West Wind, for example, takes on a bigger role as Unico's protector, embarking on a larger quest to break his curse. But I don't want to reveal too much, as we have a lot of twists in store.
What can you tell fans about Unico's friends Chloe the Cat and the Spirit of the West Wind?
I think fans are going to love seeing Chloe and the West Wind grow and develop as characters, especially as they take on larger responsibilities in the world of Unico: Awakening. In this version of the Unico story, Unico's friends become locked in the young unicorn's struggle, which stretches across space and time. They have big roles to play, and may or may not be ready to accept them.
How difficult is it to honor Tezuka's original vision while putting your own spin on Unico?
One of the things I love about Osamu Tezuka is that he truly did celebrate these kinds of collaborations. He enjoyed the idea of both iterating on other stories and having his own stories iterated upon. The good people at Tezuka Productions are the same way. What I have come to understand from working with them is that, rather than digging into granular details, what's most important is having a "core understanding" of the original story, its themes, and its characters. It's more about "What was Tezuka trying to say? And why is it important? " Not just trying to nail down design specifics and demographics. I'm still grateful, and somewhat in awe, that I get the opportunity to participate in this. I don't think I'll ever stop feeling that way.
How did you all determine that Kickstarter was the best way to promote and fund this project?
I think that Unico: Awakening is the kind of project that can bring a lot of different people together. Many of the artists contributing prints, for instance, have a personal connection to the character, and to Tezuka's work overall, that dates back to childhood. It's hard to understate just how many artists Tezuka has influenced, particularly in Japan, where every book store has an entire wall devoted to his work. From Kamome Shirahama and Junko Mizuno to Akira Himekawa, Peach Momoko, and Katie Longua, you can see the amount of artistry and passion on display. I don't think something like that, something so communal, could happen outside of Kickstarter.
What can you tell fans about the Unico: Awakening Artifacts?
They are an incredible array of creative print objects that homage Unico in their own special way. Each is done by an American cartoonist, one of which currently lives in Japan, and all of whom are interested in Unico's story. Inspired by the project, each creator came up with a unique concept--for instance, Amber Padilla created felted Unico and Chloe figures, and then set up a gorgeous photo shoot. Rye Hickman created a fashion lookbook for Chloe (in her human form), which is truly emblematic of her character. Maddie Copp created an adorable, stylized mini picture book, Julia Reck created an oversized tarot card featuring two characters, the West Wind and the Night Wind, and Steenz made a mini-comic about Unico being discovered in a city bodega.
I feel that this project has inspired incredible amounts of creativity. Since this is my first Kickstarter campaign, I feel fantastically lucky to be working with such an amazing team. My hope is that Unico: Awakening will prove to be a worthwhile homage to Osamu Tezuka and Unico, one that honors those who love the original story, while expanding into new waters.
We are so excited to bring this project into the world.
The Kickstarter for Unico: Awakening launched on May 2.