The Devil Garon
1959/07-1962/07
STORY
This is a masterpiece of robot-themed science-fiction romance.
One afternoon, a mysterious meteor-like mass crashes into the very center of Korakuen Stadium. Soon, it turns out that the mass consists of several mechanical parts. When the University of Tokyo assembles them, a gigantic, grotesque robot is brought to life.
Meanwhile, in a small village in the Tōhoku region, another small meteor-like mass falls. A man whose wife is just about to give birth goes to investigate the crash site—and finds a tiny crying baby there. He decides to raise the child alongside his own newborn. The mysterious child, named Kenji, somehow seems to think that his own name is “Pick.”
In truth, Pick is the heart of the giant Garon in Tokyo. To stop Garon, the child called “Pick” must be fitted back into its core. Garon relentlessly searches for Pick, but villains take notice as well, and before long, both Pick and Garon are being hunted.
DESCRIPTIONS
1959/07-1962/07 Serialized in Bokeno (Akitashoten)
Tezuka was quite busy when he wrote The Devil Garon, managing several different titles simultaneously. When he had three projects running at hand, he would draw one sheet for each title until he completed all of them. This impressive technique is often regarded as one of Tezuka’s legends. However, he later noted, “If the schedule slips too much, I will be forced to draw in a short amount of time. Handling multiple projects in parallel results in careless, low-quality, and unsatisfying work.” He added, “This is by no means a commendable way to work.”
