[Last May] I was doing this show for a thing called The Sick Kids Hospital [in Toronto, Canada]. At that time Sailor Moon was very big and I did the mounting of Sailor Moon. They picked me up at the airport and as we drove down to the convention center there was this long line of kids going around the block. I couldn't believe it. I asked them, "How many people are coming to this thing?" They said, "We'll have a few thousand." I thought, "My God!" Half of them were dressed up as Sailor Moon.

There was this long line of girls wearing bright yellow wigs with groups of fifty everywhere. I thought, "This isn't some sub-culture thing and it's not just for kids either. This is a big deal!"

They had costume contests and when you saw these costumes they didn't look like they were made by some girls or amateurs. It looked like they spent some bucks for a professional seamstress or something. Even some of the famous costume makers in Hollywood couldn't have done better.

Anyway I didn't know it but they presented me with this award. It was a special lifetime achievement award and it said on it, "To the guy who started it all." It just knocked me over.

That's when I realized, holy smoke, there's something big here that I'm a part of. Something bigger than I ever realized. That's what did it.

It's definitely a mainstream thing now. It's not uncommon for an anime release to hit the top ten of the Billboard charts.

FL: That's right. It's big-time now and it is mainstream. To me, when we talk about anime coming full circle, sometimes I think that's true. But, sometimes I think the shoe is now on the other foot.

Another question I get asked a lot is, "Do you find that American animators are copying the Japanese?" I've got to say yes. I can show you specific influences, notably in The Lion King.

I had not seen it until last February. Lots of people ask me if I think Lion King was significantly influenced by Kimba. There's no doubt about it. If that isn't an American animation copying a Japanese influence I don't know what is.

I can show you little thing such as styles of editing that are absolutely of Japanese origin. They did these things for economic reasons. They took shortcuts. Like if someone fell they would show a series of three or four stills rather than animate the whole thing. They do that sort of thing now in American animation but not as a shortcut, as a stylistic element. The Japanese did it because it saved a lot of yen, but now here's people doing it who have the dough but like the influence and the look of a stylized fall.

How do you think Tezuka would feel about all the attention Astro Boy has been getting lately?

FL: He would be delighted. Simply delighted. This was his life and he loved it like a child.