Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 was one of the unsung heroes of the OVA boom. Presented here for the first time is an early design document outlining the OVA’s plot and designs, in both Japanese and English.
No Utopias: Gerard O’Neill, Gundam, and the Illusion of Space Colonization
War in the Pocket provides perhaps the most pointed critique of space colonization within the larger Gundam canon. Directly in conversation with Gerard O’Neill’s The High Frontier, 0080 shows the colonial dream for what it is: a destructive illusion.
The Filming Models of Koichi Ohata’s Genocyber
Unearthed via the DVD-ROM features of an ancient US Manga Corps digital video disc, we speculate on the provenance of the models used for filming on Genocyber.
The Mobile Suit Machinations of Kazuhisa Kondo, A Translated Interview
Originally published nearly three decades ago in the manual of a PC-98 strategy game, this interview with Kazuhisa Kondo sheds light on his unique approach to portraying mobile suits in his comics.
Hobby Japan’s Experimental Otaku Subculture Magazine Mark 1
Way back in 1985, Hobby Japan (the biggest name in hobby magazines) attempted to diversify with an all-new periodical focused on the broad spectrum of otaku subculture. The experiment lasted three issues.
Five Years of Zimmerit.moe
Five years ago this month we launched Zimmerit.
Towards a Historiography of Gundam’s One Year War
Gundam could be considered reader-hostile considering the lengths it makes fans go to in order to reach its stories.
Dropping In: The Connection Between Appleseed DATABOOK and Who Dares, Wins
While a majority of American comic book creators through the 1990s were content with stacking tubes to create weapons and conjure vehicles with childlike reality, mangaka such as Shirow Masamune, sought out minutia in reference and found authenticity via inspiration in the most random of places.
Hebī Metaru: The Musical References of Mamoru Nagano
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.