If you’re a manga fan, Frederik Schodt is a name you should know.
Not only did the longtime translator and author write the first English-language book about Japanese comics, 1983’s Manga Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics , but he was the interpreter and personal friend of Osamu Tezuka, the comic artist whose smash-hit series like Astro Boy, Black Jack, and Princess Knightformed the blueprint for the modern anime and manga industry. Most recently, Schodt translated Toshio Ban and Tezuka Productions’ massive manga biography of Tezuka, entitled The Osamu Tezuka Story, a widely acclaimed book we published last year.
To celebrate Tezuka’s 89th birthday on November 3 this year, Crunchyroll's Evan Minto sat down with Fred to discuss his relationship with manga and with Tezuka himself. He was fresh off a trip to Japan and fighting back jet lag, but happily rattled off memories of his first experiences with manga, the time he spent with Tezuka, and a remarkable run-in with the crown prince of Japan. Enjoy this in-depth interview by clicking here: http://ow.ly/9y3C30gyF3E