The Eisner Award-winning artist team Gurihiru (Superman Smashed the Klan, It’s Jeff web series) and the Eisner-nominated writer Samuel Sattin (co-writer of The Essential Anime Guide) are reinventing “The Father of Manga” Osamu Tezuka’s character Unico for a new generation of readers. Beginning with Unico: Awakening, an all-new, 224 page manga with full color artwork, Gurihiru and Sattin are embarking on a multi-part adventure to be published by Scholastic. The project was originally introduced to fans with a smash-hit Kickstarter campaign in 2022.
Watch the official animated trailer for Unico: Awakening below and on Scholastic’s YouTube channel.
Tezuka’s Unico tells the story of a fierce young unicorn who inspires with his hope and positivity. Unico is banished from the heavens by the envious goddess Venus and forgets all he once was, only to be saved from oblivion again and again by the kindhearted West Wind.
In Unico: Awakening, Unico awakens on Earth and is befriended by a resourceful cat named Chloe, who feels protective of the young unicorn. When they find themselves near a small village in the forest, they take refuge with a kind, but lonely, old woman. Chloe begs Unico to turn her into a human girl so she can help the old woman, but that act of kindness has unforeseen consequences: Unico’s use of his power alerts Venus to his location, and now she wants to destroy them both!
This title marks the first ever manga publication from Scholastic. The first volume of the highly anticipated, multi-volume publishing event will be released in 12 languages, reading left to right in the Western comics style to match the original manga. The project has already won praise from critics and comics lovers, with The Mary Sue labeling it “One of the most anticipated books of 2024,” and author-cartoonist Dav Pilkey (Captain Underpants, Dog Man) dubbing Unicorn: Awakening “A spellbinding masterpiece.”
To celebrate the release of Unico: Awakening, San Diego Comic-Con International 2024 will host a panel entitled “Discover the Magic of Osamu Tezuka: New Adventures for a New Generation!” The panel will celebrate the legacy of Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy. Samuel Sattin will join manga editor/journalist Deb Aoki (Mangasplaining and Comics Beat), and manga translator Ben Applegate at SDCCl for a discussion of Tezuka’s enduring legacy and share an exclusive first look at Unico’s next adventure. The panel will take place on Thursday, July 25 from 2-3 p.m.in Room 28DE.
Unico: Awakening will be released in bookstores on August 6. Follow Scholastic and the official Unico: Awakening X account for updates.
