Scholastic's Graphix Imprint to Publish Five Classic Manga Series by Osamu Tezuka
Scholastic's comics imprint Graphix is preparing five classic manga series by Osamu Tezuka, one of the most important figures in manga history, for English publication. According to Anime News Network, the list includes Atomcat/AstroCat, Princess Knight, The Three-Eyed One, Triton of the Sea, and Zero Man. These titles mean that works from the Tezuka archive that have long lacked English translations are being brought back into the light through a major publisher.
Known as the “god of manga,” Osamu Tezuka (1928–1989) laid the foundations of modern comics and animation with masterpieces such as Astro Boy, Black Jack, Phoenix, and Kimba the White Lion. Among this new selection, Princess Knight (Ribon no Kishi) is an early shōjo classic that began publication in 1953 and tells the adventures of a princess named Sapphire. The Three-Eyed One, meanwhile, is the story of Sharaku Hoshio, who gains extraordinary powers when his third eye opens, serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine between 1974 and 1978. Triton of the Sea (Umi no Triton) is also one of the classics of sea fantasy, published from 1969 to 1971 and adapted into an anime in 1972. Zero Man, as one of Tezuka's lesser-known works, stands among the most intriguing titles in this selection.
Graphix is the graphic novel division of Scholastic, one of America's largest children's publishers. Although it is better known for Western graphic novels such as Dog Man and Amulet, adding a mangaka like Tezuka to its list is a strong sign that the publisher is moving into the manga field. Thanks to Scholastic's school book fairs, library programs, and extensive distribution network, these five classics could reach not only collectors but also young readers who are new to reading manga.
It has not yet been announced when Graphix will release these books or whether it will expand the Tezuka catalog after the five titles. The series is expected to be published digitally and in print in North America initially, and there is also no official announcement regarding a Turkish edition. Given Tezuka's universal influence, this project is poised to be one of the publishing stories that classic manga readers will follow closely in the coming period.
