Osamu Tezuka ( J apanese manga artist) Osamu Tezuka was a Japanese Empire born Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such titles as "the Father of Manga" Born: 3 November 1928, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan Died: 9 February 1989, Hanzōmon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan Awards: Nihon SF Taishō Award, Order of the Sacred Treasure etc Astro Boy, the manga Buddha, and the anime Kimba, the White Lion, which was originally published as the manga Jungle Emperor are some of his characters. He died with a stomach cancer