Shipped overseas and repackaged in the ’70s and ’80s, the Japanese concept of “giant robots” has become a global phenomenon, the stuff of Hollywood films, video games, TV shows, and more. But back then, as much now, the art of big robots has bore witness to a range of global contributions, influences, and shared inspiration.
Before Macross sequels hit video shelves and airwaves, Shoji Kawamori’s Stampede Valkyrie was one of a handful of rarely seen and now mostly forgotten designs created for Macross side-projects.
In the midst of the rushed pre-production process on the third Gundam TV series a last-minute design change created one of the more interesting production footnotes in Gundam history.
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.
The more innovative aspects of Macross’ mechanical designs weren’t spontaneous creations but the iterative results of years of design work by Studio Nue’s Shoji Kawamori and Kazutaka Miyatake.
Tom digs up the history of a long-forgotten mobile suit with an incredible pedigree; designed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, appearing in the original pitch for Mobile Suit Gundam, and piloted by Char Aznable.
The design and legacy of Kunio Okawara’s Zaku II.
