Message to Adolf Cover Illustration and pages

This is a cover illustration for a manga series called Message to Adolf (Adorufu ni Tsugu) written by Tezuka Osamu. The story is set in Japan and Germany before, during, and after World War II. Following the fate of three characters who have the name Adolf, the work explores the hypothetical question, what if Adolf Hitler had jewish ancestry? 

In an interview, Tezuka Osamu mentions wanting to leave his memories and experiences of the war as a child living in western Japan. The scene in Japan is set in Kobe, Osaka where he grew up. 

「戦前から戦中の関西、特に空襲下の関西というのはあまり本に書かれていないんですね。そこで、戦争中の僕の思い出話でも描きましょうかということになった」

“Not many books have been written about Kansai (western Japan) before and during the war, especially during the air raids. So, I decided to write about my memories during the war. ”

The manga is filled with personal childhood experiences such as songs and games, and mixes in the complexities of historical events, political intrigue, and moral dilemmas surrounding the rise of Nazism and its impact on Japanese society. Through its characters and plotlines, the manga critiqued authoritarianism and the dangers of extremism, encouraging readers to reflect on the implications of these ideologies in contemporary society.