The original version of a classic manga comic written by Osamu Tezuka, will be reprinted for the first time in 62 years in February 2009 by Shogakukan Creative Inc., The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

According to the Yomiuri site:

“Shin Takarajima” (New Treasure Island) is an action adventure drama that was first printed by a small publisher in Osaka in January 1947. The manga marked the first time that Tezuka’s works were published as an independent volume.

Existing copies of the original comic are extremely scarce, so most fans have so far been unable to read it. The reprint will commemorate the original publication and coincide with the 80th anniversary of the birth of Tezuka, known as the “god of Manga,” sources said.

Tezuka’s comics pioneered the postwar manga industry and shot him to fame. His other famous creations include “Astro Boy” and “Black Jack.”

It’s nice to see a piece of manga history back on the scene. Original copies of the manga can fetch up to 5 million yen (over fifty thousand dollars) on the rare book market, and lots of people have never even read it. A reprint should bring even more attention to Tezuka’s work for a new generation of manga fans.

Read more on the Osamu Tezuka reprint at Yomiuri online

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