Scholastic and Tezuka Productions Teaming Up to Reimagine Five of Osamu Tezuka’s Beloved Manga Series

 Graphix has obtained exclusive rights to develop five of Osamu Tezuka’s properties! 

Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education, and media company, announced it will be partnering with Tezuka Productions, Co., Ltd., Osamu Tezuka’s IP company, to reimagine five of Tezuka’s original manga titles for children.

Tezuka Productions, Co., Ltd. is a Japanese mass multi-media company founded by Osamu Tezuka, who is often referred to as the "God of Manga.” Tezuka is famously known for jumpstarting Japan’s modern comic and animation industries, producing over 700 stories, including some of his most popular series, Astro Boy, Princess Knight, Kimba the White Lion, and many more.

Scholastic partnered with Tezuka Productions, Co. Ltd. first in 2024 with the reimagining of Tezuka’s UNICO series. Since the UNICO AWAKENING series launched in August 2024, Graphix has released three volumes from acclaimed author, Samuel Sattin, and Eisner Award-winning Japanese artist duo, Gurihiru. The series has become a national bestseller and sold in more than 17 countries around the world. UNICO AWAKENING will culminate with its eighth volume, completing the story arc left unfinished by Tezuka in his lifetime.

In a similar vein to UNICO, Scholastic is partnering with Tezuka Productions, Co., Ltd. to reimagine five properties from Osamu Tezuka. These titles will include, Three Eyed One, Princess Knight, Triton of the Sea, Zero Men, and Atom Cat/Astro Cat. Author Samuel Sattin is tagged once again to spearhead the efforts to develop and reimage these series, working alongside Japanese artists. 

“Working with Tezuka Productions and Samuel Sattin on the UNICO AWAKENING series has been a dream come true and I’m thrilled that we’ll be working together to create more reimagined series for children based on the brilliant storytelling of Osamu Tezuka.” says David Saylor, Creative Director and SVP of Graphix at Scholastic.

“We are thrilled to partner with Scholastic and Graphix to bring more of Osamu Tezuka’s beloved stories to global readers. Following the incredible success of the UNICO AWAKENING series in over 17 countries, we have immense trust in Samuel Sattin and his fellow talented artists who will reimagine these five classic titles for children. We look forward to the day when children everywhere discover these timeless worlds,” says Hirotaka Ishiwata, Publishing Manager of Content Division at Tezuka Productions.

“Working with Scholastic and Tezuka Productions to create modern reimaginings of Osamu Tezuka’s work is at once a dream come true and a responsibility I don't take lightly. Writing UNICO AWAKENING has been an immeasurable honor, and I look forward to bridging art and stories across Japan and the US to bring a new generation of readers to Tezuka’s world—a world I’m deeply excited to continue creating in,” says bestselling and Eisner-nominated author,  Samuel Sattin.