Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989), creator of Astro Boy and over 700
manga series, is often called the God of Comics or the Disney of the East. But neither title acknowledges the mark he's left on science fiction. If you don't know who he is, then you should get to know him — now. For decades, Tezuka's works weren't accessible to the non-Japanese-reading public. NBC aired over half of the Astro Boy
anime series in the sixties, but the original
manga wasn't published in English until 2002. At last, a handful of publishers is actively translating and releasing some of Tezuka's lesser known titles into English. One of the best is
Apollo's Song, published in English for the first time a few months ago by Vertical Inc. Its an elegant, compact representation of Tezuka's scifi genius — and a milestone in Japanese free expression due to its frank depiction of sexuality in a postapocalyptic world.
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Crotch weapons are the stuff of life in science fiction: You simply can't have a great fight without snapping a giant gun between your legs once in a while, or using your crotch as a finishing weapon in a ninja battle. The question is, which crotch weapon is the best? Which fires the most flaming jizz, and which can crush the most heads? Also, which crotch weapon has the element of surprise? And, for you trivia buffs, whose crotch weapon actually resides in the ass area rather than the frontal zones? Read on for the eight best crotch weapons in science fiction, and (of course) to find out which one wins the crotch weapon measuring contest.
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