Osamu Tezuka
From the time when manga was just simply sketched picture blocks, Tezuka broke through the boundary of traditional manga and built his own empire. He delivered stories that were wholly different from the rest, some of which are award-winning masterpieces: Astro Boy, Jungle Emperor Leo, Black Jack, and Phoenix. It's no exaggeration to say all nowadays manga are formed by Osamu Tezuka's inspiration, his works are must-reads.