Musical in-jokes and allusions run deep in the works of mecha maestro Mamoru Nagano.
Unlucky Clover: The Story of Gundam’s Ill-Fated Toy Sponsorship
Like all good giant robot shows, Mobile Suit Gundam had a proper toy sponsor. Unfortunately, the brightly colored metallic toys were utterly at odds with the show’s more realistic tone. Before Bandai’s gunpla, there was Clover’s toys.
The KVLTWORX Artist Oil Weathering Tutorial
Welcome to the second part of our KVLTWORX painting tutorial. The first part covered using lacquer paints and in this installment, we’ll be using oil and enamel paints for weathering.
Moé for Moai
The Emotion logo was created in 1983 — around the same time moai statues made a surreal appearance as spacefaring, laser-vomiting opponents in shooting game series Gradius. Just why is Japan so moé for moai?
The KVLTWORX Lacquer Hand Painting Tutorial
The first part of a how-to series on painting with lacquer paints in a weathered, Maschinen Krieger style.
Of Rough-and-Tumble Women and Unfinished Films: Shoji Kawamori’s Maimu
In the years after Macross, Shoji Kawamori and Haruhiko Mikimoto collaborated again on a film about a young girl and her bicycle.
A Hero Never Dies – The Enduring Themes of GoShogun: The Time Etranger
A look back at the film sequel to a giant robot parody TV show that defies expectations.
The Book of Otaku Insects: 1980s Fandom Trapped in the Web of Loathing
A tongue-in-cheek taxonomical breakdown of otaku fandom circa 1985 from the pages of Monthly OUT.
Visual Horror Magazine V-Zone
The rise of video in the 1980s inspired plenty of new magazines dedicated to specific genres — particularly horror. Originally positioned as an otaku “jack-of-all-trades” magazine, V-Zone soon pivoted exclusively to horror.
Kow Yokoyama’s Sci-Fi Plastic Model Classroom
From the pages of SF Magazine circa 1985, a short interview with legendary illustrator and model maker Kow Yokoyama (Maschinen Krieger, Venus Wars).