During the last century, or back in the 1960s, as a child . I became aware of Japanese animation on American television, around 1964 on the local TV station . Channel five began to air half-hour episodes of a black-and-white cartoon called Astro boy, I was totally amazed by this animated cartoon, not because of his style ( which in the first few episodes were very crude) put in the actual storylines within the actual animation, to me this was great, this was far better than watching a 10 minutes short cartoon, like Bugs Bunny or Heckll and Jekyll or mighty mouse. Which basically are all slapstick comedy's, here were shows that actually have a storylines , which dealt with life and death situations, but doing that time, I was unaware that the shows originate from Japan,
besides Astro boy, other shows began to appear like Gigantor, 8-man, Prince planet, cyborg big X, the amazing three, Kimba the White Lion (which was the first color cartoon from Japan,) speed racer, Princess Knight, and the list goes on and on,
but back then , I didn't even know where these cartoons came from, until around 1972, when I was a teen and playing hooky from school, I came across a rundown bookstore which sold magazines and old comic books, while looking at the stock, I came across some actual Japanese magazines known as third grade magazine, ( for kids in the third grade in japan,) like any typical American I thought these books were Chinese, while looking through them . I came across photographs of monsters and superheroes from Japan , which I recognize too , ( in the late sixties Ultraman was aired on American TV too, plus Godzilla was in the movie theaters . every few years.) This magazine actually had these characters in them, plus comics which I thought were totally amazing, but one, comic caught my eye, a drawing that look like a cross between Astro boy and Kimba the White Lion, guess what? it was a comic by the actual creator of these TV shows, Ozuma Tezuka,
but back then , I can even pronounce his name correctly, anyway . I paid for the book took it home, which caused me major problems, my mother actually thought I was becoming crazy, she can understand why was interested in this type of book, especially since I couldn't read it, the school thought I was crazy too . the liking these things, the even try to take it away from it, back then . they only thought that White people could only be creative . not Hispanics, specially of your dirt poor. That was the reality I faced back then,
but I still continue to love the stuff, even in the new century, finding that book was the first step in a long love affair with animation and the Japanese culture, even now , at age 49 people still look at me with disbelief, I usually tell them to go fuck-Off!!!
Anyway , after the first book, came the paperbacks in Japanese , too, I came across an actual Japanese bookstore located on 57 St. Near six Avenue, ( it was call the Zen bookstore!, it's no longer than now.)
Where I came across actual comics based on those early cartoons eyewitness . a decade early, plus I came across all the stories , which fascinated me . not because I could read on, but because the drawings themselves told a great story from panel to panel, I would buy books, and sometimes steal them too, I did this for two decades until the early nineties, when I finally , burnout on these Japanese paperbacks, unbeknownst to me . America was finally waking up to Anime and Manga comics like a ......
Danm , I can't remember the names now.
Anyway, is now past the year 2000, still No flying cars Yet!! But I have the books and magazines and DVDs and toys that all relate to this incredible hobby of mines, until the day I died that is, ( I was told that when I die, my relatives of family members R going to take all my stuff and throw it away into the garbage, I can wait to see their faces when they find out, that they threw away a fortune in collectibles,
That's all I have to say on the subject............