Walt Disney and Osamu Tezuka

[MightyAstro]

Is Tiana from "The Princess and the Frog"?

[Astronomical girl]

yeah

[AprilSeven]

Astro's spikes are the direct inspiration of Mickey's ears (right down to this: just as Mickey's ears are always at right angles, so are Astro's spikes). I'm pretty sure I read that -- as well as the meeting between Tezuka and Disney in Frederik Schodt's "The Astro Boy Essays" a MUST READ!!

If the Disney Corp and Tezuka Productions were BOTH thinking outside the box, they'd consider a MERGER. Imagine how Disney could market Tezuka's wonderful creations to the world as they have their own characters and stories. I believe the single biggest reason we don't have simple access to all of Tezuka's works is that they haven't been prepared to share with the world outside of Japan and THAT IS A CRIME!

[Astronomical girl]

where did you read this?

[AprilSeven]

the Astro Boy Essays by Frederick Schodt -- don't have the book here, but it gives you a LOT of insight into Astro's development and Tezuka's life.

He thought Mickey's ears were very clever and memorable, so he did, indeed use them as a direct inspiration for Astro's spikey hair.

[Astronomical girl]

interesting l.l

[MightyAstro]

If the Disney Corp and Tezuka Productions were BOTH thinking outside the box, they'd consider a MERGER. Imagine how Disney could market Tezuka's wonderful creations to the world as they have their own characters and stories. I believe the single biggest reason we don't have simple access to all of Tezuka's works is that they haven't been prepared to share with the world outside of Japan and THAT IS A CRIME!

Is that really true? I suppose it is a fact we don't see many Tezuka cartoons dubbed into English. We should have more. Even if they were only sub-titled.

I wonder what the average ratio of titles available for non-english speaking countries is?

[AprilSeven]

Well that statement is my own opinion -- but it's pretty straightforward deduction. Tezuka has a huge body of work. Only a fraction of it is available to English-language audiences.

If Disney were to either merge with, or buy out Tezuka Productions, they (Disney) could profit from sales of all his (Tezuka's) works by making them readily available around the world. It's just basic good business to make that investment and let them go on and on generation after generation as they do with classic Disney films, etc.

I'll go on record RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW as predicting this will happen. It's a natural merger, and would benefit everyone. One caveat would be that the vision and creative direction of Osamu Tezuka be maintained in his works (NO EDITING!!!).

Ever notice Dragonrider's sig? Astro and Mickey standing back to back, with Mickey holding a KEY!! See? the key to the future!!!! Oh-uh, I'm sounding a little like Cybotron, but I think you know what I mean.

[Androids101]

Astro's spikes are the direct inspiration of Mickey's ears (right down to this: just as Mickey's ears are always at right angles, so are Astro's spikes).

OMG!!

I just found out that Mickey Mouse was made as a successor and apparently is based (loosely) on Oswald the Lucky Rabbit:

[AprilSeven]

ROFL!! Oh that is GREAT!!!

wonder who was the inspiration for Oswald?

But think for a moment . . . the first joint effort would have Micky and Astro together in a movie. Couldn't you see that? And one after another "star" from both Disney and Tezuka would enter the plot.

I think it would be a screaming hit -- don't you?