Jim Rugg Unveils Astro Boy Blacklight Poster for Tezuka Documentary

Cartoonist and designer Jim Rugg has unveiled a limited edition 18 x 24-inch Astro Boy blacklight poster created for the Kickstarter campaign of the documentary TEZUKA! God of Manga, according to animecorner.me. The design draws on 1970s psychedelic blacklight posters, and the same artwork is also being offered as a limited edition T-shirt through the campaign.

Rugg contributed a further piece to the campaign: a ballpoint pen illustration of Astro Boy. The poster and T-shirt are tied to the crowdfunding effort for the film, which is currently being funded through Kickstarter.

Rugg is one of several artists taking part. Shinichi Ishizuka, Dave Baker, Jorge R. Gutierrez, Jeff Lemire, Yuko Shimizu, Jesse Lonergan, Matt Kindt, Elsa Charretier, Gurihiru and Nicole Goux have also contributed artwork. Their pieces draw on Tezuka characters and works including Black Jack, Phoenix, Princess Knight, Unico and Vampires.

The documentary is directed by Jason Andrew Cohn and produced by Bread & Butter Films, and is scheduled for completion in 2028, the centenary of Osamu Tezuka's birth.

Three acts and creator interviews

TEZUKA! God of Manga explores Tezuka's life and career across three acts, from his childhood and early manga ambitions to his rise in postwar Japan, the emergence of the gekiga movement and his later resurgence with works including Phoenix and Black Jack. The film will feature interviews with creators and industry figures including Katsuhiro Otomo, Riyoko Ikeda, Naoki Urasawa, Go Nagai, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Masao Maruyama and Rintaro.