There’s no doubt that 2000AD found its footing by the time it reached prog #100, with Judge Dredd as the anchor and Strontium Dog, Ro-Busters, and Robo Hunter broadening the appeal. But it was in the second 100 progs that the weekly comic built its lasting identity, easing away from...

1. Shonen Book magazine The original manga by Tatsuo Yoshida was published in Shonen Book ahead of the TV series, running from June 1966 to May 1968. (The series made its broadcast debut in April 1967 and ended a year later.) Issues of Shonen Book are understandably rare these days,...

There isn’t enough data available for me to put these in release order, but it’s fascinating that so many different companies would line up to make essentially the same model. It’s also possible that the molds simply changed hands as the license went from one company to another. This would...

It goes without saying that the Speed Racer theme song is a recognizable classic the world over, but it’s definitely worth saying that if you haven’t heard the original Japanese version, you can appreciate the song on a whole new level. It’s longer, more energetic and graceful at the same...

Japanese Laserdisc Memorial Collection, Polydor 2-box DVD set, Pioneer Single-box DVD set, Geneon Blu-ray box set, Matsutake English DVD Volume 1 with rubber tire cover, Lionsgate DVD Volume 2 with lightup gimmick, Lionsgate DVD Volume 3 with metal case, Lionsgate DVD Volume 4, Lionsgate DVD Volume 5 with license plate,...

Like the model kits, there isn’t much to go on in terms of a release order, but the older products are easily identifiable by sight. They are all grouped by manufacturer. Aoshima Friction-powered tin toy Aoshin Friction-powered plastic toy EidaiGrip Jumbo diecast model Takatoku Diecast figure T.N. Plastic and rubber...

For the 30th anniversary of the original, Tatsunoko unleashed a 34-episode reboot under the same name. It was as slick and crisp as any 90s anime series could be, updating the characters and concepts to a high-tech future. Go Mifune was renamed Go Hibiki, and the Mach 5’s gimmicks were...

Immediately after I drew this page, I decided it could be a lot better, so I did it again… Continue to issue 6 Back to main article

Back to main article Continue to Book 2

Because of the way this story works, Jonathan Jarrard and I couldn’t construct Book 1 without also working out everything that was meant to happen in Book 2. The two weren’t just closely linked, they were to happen in parallel. Here then is everything he and I wrote during the...

Promotional flyer Title page (unused) Back cover by Jack Snider & Scott Rosema Back to main article

Back to main article

Want to have some fun? Map out the various ways Votoms fandom sticks pins into Gundam fandom. Here’s an example: from 1998 to 2000, a series of nine Gundam tribute magazines was published by ASCII. The project marked the 20th anniversary of the show, so they went with the title...

Yu Okazaki is one of those manga workhorses whose name didn’t travel far outside of Japan, though his credits include a great many recognizable titles: Cutie Honey, Grendaizer, Daitarn 3, Dougram, and one of the first manga versions of Mobile Suit Gundam, for a start. These were adapted from anime,...

This weekly series from IPC Magazines Ltd., the same publisher as 2000AD, had the same general mission to deliver science-fiction adventure. Naturally, many of the same creators were involved. It was part of a procedure known as “match, patch, and dispatch.” The goal was to get new fans hooked, merge...

The first 100 progs, by definition, are raw and uneven. The vision that launched the comic (primarily engineered by Writer/Editor Pat Mills) was strong, but an all-SF anthology was very new and experimental. The stories, like the art, ranged from sketchy to sublime. Every issue was a sharp jab in...

“Isn’t it more interesting to do something that has never been done before?” Developer interview with Takahiro Miyazaki Director of CMs Corporation. After being in charge of development for Eugene Co, he founded CMs Corporation in 2003. He has worked on Dougram and Neon Genesis GPX Cyber Formula Collection figures,...

“You can easily make an original machine, so please enjoy playing with recombinations” Developer interview, Max Factory Max Watanabe President of Max Factory, born in Tokyo. A character modeler who has been active as a modeling writer for more than 20 years. He is a leading figure in anime-related mecha...

Various releases from the “Votoms rush” of the 2000s that marked the 20th anniversary. Aurora 1/87 Scopedog & Brutishdog metal figures 1/87 Red shoulder metal figure 1/87 Strikedog metal figure 1/87 Strikedog and Scopedog with Round Mover 1/87 Scopedog, Brutishdog, and Standing Turtle 3-pack Bandai HG Series gashopon miniatures, set...

In addition to the manga serial that accompanied the original TV broadcast, Comic BomBom had an accompanying article every month along with occasional ads and model kit coverage. Here’s the entire run from the April 1983 issue to April 1984. April 1983 issue, published March 15 Mechanical Reference Materials, Vol....