Anime magazine history, Part 3: 1981-1983
At the start of 1981, five Japanese magazines were covering the world of anime. On the first day of the month, you could buy either Animec or Fanroad (bimonthlies from Rapport Publishing that alternated with each other). On the 10th, Animage (from Tokuma Shoten) and The Anime (from Kindaiegiasha) burst onto newsstands and bookshelves. The Best One (from Gakken) and OUT (from Minori Shobo) appeared on or near the 24th, then the cycle would start all over again.
As we learned last time, the cover dates on each issue did not match the month of release. If your magazine came out in the first half of June, for example, it would be dated for July. If your magazine came out in the second half of June, it would be dated for August.
And so it went until March 1981, when the next player entered the arena. Yet another appeared in May. From then on, it was a continuous battle for readers even as the customer base got larger. This account takes us through each month of ’81-’83. Some of the related publications that appeared during these years are added throughout (titles indicated in red).
1981
46 TV productions including Golion, Dr. Slump, Queen Millennia, Godmars, Braiger, Urusei Yatsura, and Dougram.
22 feature films including Gundam I, Gundam II, and Adieu Galaxy Express 999.
January
Three Mobile Suit Gundam covers in a row promote the first movie (to premiere in March).
February
Two more Gundam covers this month; the second in a row for The Anime.
March
Mobile Suit Gundam dominates again with four covers in a single month.
My Anime joined the fray from publisher Akita Shoten, a strong player on the manga front with Shonen Champion, Bouken Oh [Adventure King], and others. Their expertise in manga led them to develop film comics, using stills as panels in manga-style pages.
The new magazine distinguished itself by augmenting anime coverage with content on cosplay, model kits, and hobby computers. They didn’t hold back, releasing My Anime on the 10th of each month in direct competition with Animage and The Anime. Like them, each issue came with bonus items including an insert booklet titled TV Radar to keep track of anime’s ever-expanding broadcast presence.
April
May
Leiji Matsumoto productions get three cover stories this month in Animage, The Anime, and My Anime.
June
Two more covers this month for Leiji Matsumoto, including the debut issue of a new magazine.
Animedia became the fourth anime magazine to be published on the 10th. Launched by mainstream publisher Gakken, it was aimed at younger readers and kept its price low at the beginning. It contained many articles focusing on characters and voice actors and placed a strong emphasis on reader submissions. Gakken’s entertainment magazine The Best One continued to include its Anime Channel section, but Animedia now replaces it in this chronology.
With four high-profile monthly magazines now being released on the same day every month, it was incumbent upon each of them to stand out, especially with so many cases where the same anime film or TV show landed on multiple covers. This was done by beefing up bonus offerings (posters, cassette labels, booklets, etc.), holding contests, interviewing popular talent, hosting live events, and commissioning original art that was exclusive to the publisher. The ultimate winners of that battle were, of course, the readers themselves.
Introduction to Anime
アニメなんでも入門
Color and B&W, 176 pages
June 1981, Shogakukan
This hardcover book spends a little time introducing popular anime titles, then dives into a breezy but in-depth illustrated tutorial in anime production. All parts of the process are covered, history is examined, and instructions are given for how to set up your own studio at home. There’s even an out-there prediction that one day anime will be made on computers.
July
Three Matsumoto covers and two for Mobile Suit Gundam as the second movie premieres in July.
August
Leiji Matsumoto scores again with four cover stories. This was a big summer for him with Adieu Galaxy Express 999 in theaters and Queen Millennia on TV.
Anime Masterpiece Collection
アニメ傑作コレクション
B&W, 208 pages
Aug 1981, Contract Publishing
The premise of this book is to curate 52 anime masterpieces (all movies) for you to watch, one per week over the course of a year. Most of the choices come from Japan, but some international titles are included. Also doubles as a handbook for superfans, advising on things to collect and where to find anime studios in Tokyo.
September
Three covers for the new series Space Warrior Baldios, one more for Leiji Matsumoto.
Soldiers flying in space,
Gundam Century
宇宙翔ける戦士達 ガンダム・センチュリー
Color and B&W, 176 pages
Sep 1981, Minori Shobo
Minori Shobo, the publisher of OUT, took their first step into the anime book world with this amazing volume. It substantially fleshed out the prehistory of First Gundam with extensive illustrations, articles, and staff interviews. A true piece of Gundam lore that brought previously-unseen worldbuilding to the anime and set a standard for further expansion. Minori Shobo followed up with equally impressive books for Macross, Vifam and Votoms in ’84 and ’85.
October
Three covers for the new TV series Urusei Yatsura and two for the new series Fang of the Sun Dougram.
November
One cover apiece for Gundam and Urusei Yatsura, two for new series Goshogun.
December
Fanroad gets an English logo and expands its page count from just under 100 to just under 150. Animage publishes the first cover story for Godmars.
Baldios gets three cover stories for a movie released in December.