Tezuka Osamu's BLACK JACK by Mike McKone

My friend Yoshi hosted Mike McKone in Japan last year for one of his art shows. I could not make it, but he got me in the commission line. He asked me what character I wanted. Mike worked on a plethora of Marvel and DC characters over the years, but, for some reason, I thought he would be the perfect artist to give me his take on Osamu Tezuka's adventure-loving surgeon, Black Jack, whose distinct facial features are the result of a childhood accident (the tuft of white hair is the result of the stress of his recovery).

Black Jack may not not be as well known in the West, but he is probably Tezuka's second most famous character, next to Astro Boy here in Japan. He is a medical genius who decided not to get certified because of his disdain for authority and bureaucratic corruption. Instead, he works in the shadows as a surgical free agent. His stories usually involve him traveling around the world and doing good deeds, such as treating the needy for free or teaching lessons in humility to rich and powerful people who earn his disdain.

I met up with Yoshi later, and he told me that Mike had never heard of the character before. Hey, maybe that was all for the better, as I like how he throws out all the manga stylings and puts his imprint on the character. Also, his use of color, especially on the background, really enhances the figure work. I am quite pleased with this one.