Fans of properties created by Osamu Tezuka may find a lot more product coming out in the next couple of years as Tezuka Productions has named Diamond Comic Distributors as their preferred partner. Outside of Japan at least. Tezuka Production has a lot of properties to work with and Diamond will now be able to distribute products based on manga and shows such as Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion (Jungle Emperor Leo) and Black Jack among others. These products could be anything from toys, action figures, vinyl and resin figurines to playsets, busts, t-shirts, prints, comics, and other collectibles.

“Tezuka Osamu often said that manga and animation were just like the international auxiliary language of Esperanto, which increases understanding of peoples around the world,” Tezuka Productions General Manager Yoshihiro Shimizu said. “Now his words and stories can be more broadly known as Tezuka and fans around the world can connect with and enjoy their beloved characters more easily.”

According to ICv2, “Diamond is collecting the many products for Tezuka properties into a broad program, according to Diamond VP Business Development John Parker, and is beginning to offer them in the December Previews.”

[Source: ICv2 ]