God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka and the Creation of Post-World War II Manga

Acknowledgments

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research for God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka and the Creation of Post–World War II Manga was conducted at the following archives, libraries, and institutions : National Diet Library (Tokyo), Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum, Ikeda Bunko, Contemporary Manga Museum, Kyoto National Museum, Northwestern University Medical School Library, and the Cartoon Research Library at Ohio State University. The work was partially funded through the Swann Foundation for Research in Comics and Cartoons, the Library of Congress. I am grateful for my mentors at Northwestern University, who have inspired , encouraged, and shared expertise with me.Tracy Davis’s rigor and sense of humor carried me through the process. I am indebted to her acute suggestions and critiques, particularly in the chapter of theatrical cross-dressing. Paul Edwards mentored me since my undergraduate years as I grew as a scholar, an artist, and a person, for over ten years. Much of the theoretical ideas presented here were first developed in Margaret Drewal’s class, Modes of Representation, which I took during my coursework. Scott Curtis was extremely generous not only with his expertise in film but also with his time. Mary Zimmerman held my hand through it all, I am truly thankful for being able to call her not only a mentor but also a friend. I owe special gratitude to Seetha Srinivasan and Walter Biggins at the University Press of Mississippi for giving me this opportunity and for their patience and encouragement. I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with Seetha, with her extraordinary expertise in comics scholarship publication . I am also thankful for Tezuka Productions and Fujiko Studio for their assistance and use of the images. There are some key institutions and organizations that enabled my research. I am very fortunate to be a part of the supportive, energetic community at Georgetown University Theater and Performance Studies Program, where I xv xvi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS currently teach. I am particularly thankful for my closest colleagues, Maya Roth, Derek Goldman, and Karen Berman. The talented and intelligent students in our program have been my constant source of inspiration. I thank Maureen Donovan and Lucy Caswell at the Cartoon Research Library for their insight and hospitality. Dr. John Lent and International Journal of Comic Art provided me with opportunities to publish my first articles on this topic. Ana Hortillosa at San Francisco Asian Art Museum was instrumental in hosting me as an artist-in-residence at the museum during the Tezuka: The Marvel of Manga exhibit in summer 2007. Members of my theater company, Live Action Cartoonists—Gary Ashwal, Andy Brommel, Alex Thomas—have been invaluable collaborators in my investigation of the relationship between comics and live theater. I would not have been able to complete this book without the support of family and friends, too many to mention in this space. My parents, Noriko and Masaharu Onoda, indulged my obsession with Tezuka’s work for as long as I can remember. My aunt Eiko and uncle Michihisa Hotate still send me occasional comic books from Tokyo. I also thank my brother Jun and my close friends, particularly Melissa Sandfort, Daniel Peltz, and Karima Robinson, whose unfailing faith in me and in the project kept me on track, even during the most difficult times. The timing of the final draft of this manuscript coincided with my wedding ceremony to my partner,Tom Power, in summer 2008. Since the day we moved my several hundred volumes of comic books into his house,Tom has witnessed the transformations of this project as a constant consultant and unfailing supporter . With much love and gratitude, I dedicate this book to my husband. GODOFCOMICS This page intentionally left blank ...