One of the most influential manga series to date, Astro Boy (also known in Japan as Mighty Atom) burst onto the scene in post-war Japan. The series was created in 1952 by Osamu Tezuka, who wanted to help Japanese children envision a brighter future for Tokyo, where advanced technologies like robots and flying cars coexisted with run-down, traditional houses.
Tezuka’s 23 original volumes of manga sold over 100 million copies, and was adapted into a hit television series in 1963, becoming the very first popular animated Japanese television series that embodied the aesthetic now known as anime. The Astro Boy series has been named the best selling manga of all time and recognised as one of the pivotal creations towards the development of the manga and anime industry.
This exhibition introduces the wide world of Astro Boy toys, spanning the collections of Astro Boy Merchandise, Astro Boy & Astro Girl, Astro Boy Weapons and Astro Boy Vehicles.
Astro Boy Vehicles
Shelf 5-7
The futuristic landscape of the Astro Boy series features many innovative and technologically advanced vehicles. Although the vivid, imaginative depictions of cars, bikes, buses, trains, and spacecraft were often secondary to the plotline, many manufacturers jumped on the opportunity to produce toys based on these various iconic vehicles.
Astro Boy Rocket
Shelf 5
One of the most influential manga series to date, Astro Boy (also known in Japan as Mighty Atom) burst onto the scene in post-war Japan. The series was created in 1952 by Osamu Tezuka, who wanted to help Japanese children envision a brighter future for Tokyo, where advanced technologies like robots and flying cars coexisted with run-down, traditional houses.
The futuristic landscape of the Astro Boy series features many innovative and technologically advanced vehicles. Although the vivid, imaginative depictions of cars, bikes, buses, trains, and spacecraft were often secondary to the plotline, many manufacturers jumped on the opportunity to produce toys based on these various iconic vehicles.
This Astro Boy Rocket is a lithographed tin toy with an internal friction motor and when activated, the rocket drives forward, sparking at the red sparking window along the sides of the rocket.
Astro Boy Rocket
Maker
Year of Make
Material
Country of Origin
Tada Seisakusho
c.1960s
Lithographed Tin, Vinyl, Plastic and Rubber
Japan