50 Watts (formerly "A Journey Round My Skull") has posted a splendid assortment of 1970s and 1980s Japanese sci-fi art from old illustration books and catalogs. [More]
Pater Sato magazine cover
Hitoshi Ikematsu book jacket illustration, 1984
Noriyoshi Ohrai
Black Space -- Shuji Tanase, 1982
Atsushi Yoshioka
In the early 1970s, the Kewpie Corporation (maker of Kewpie brand mayonnaise) produced a deck of promotional playing cards featuring various pachimon kaiju (imitation monsters modeled after creatures from popular movies and TV shows).
1 -- Kyuradorosu (vampire monster)/ Height: 5 meters/ Weight: 800 kilograms/ From Chiba
2 -- Kashuasu (pollution monster)/ Height: 10 meters/ Weight: 3,000 tons/ From Osaka
3 -- Gohoho (ice monster)/ 18m/ 10,000 tons/ From the South Pole, moved to Tokyo
4 -- Altamegaro (space monster)/ 35m/ Weight unknown/ From Alta W, planet 5
5 -- Deredoron (pesticide monster)/ 20m/ 10,000 tons/ From Tohoku
6 -- Tapikurosaurus (ancient monster)/ 35m/ 9,000 tons/ From Kyushu
7 -- Elekipurosu (electric humanoid)/ 25m/ 15,000 tons/ From Kurobe Dam
8 -- Meji (space wolf)/ 16m/ 5 tons/ From Meteoroid R
9 -- Eru (space monster)/ 32m/ 18,000 tons/ From the planet Pegasus
10 -- Puradon (space monster)/ 32m/ 5,000 tons/ From Galaxy W, planet 8
J -- Mambaa (monster fish)/ 20m/ 15,000 tons/ From the Arctic depths
Q -- Oapiaa (proto-Saharan)/ 6m/ 1 ton/ From the Sahara Desert
K -- Alien Achiira (space monster)/ 15m/ 9 tons/ From the planet Achiira, moved to Japan Alps
1 -- Methanoron (pollution monster)/ 28m/ 30,000 tons/ From Tokyo-Kawasaki-Yokohama area
The anatomical features of Gamera and his foes are detailed in a set of illustrations found in one volume of the Kaijū-Kaijin Daizenshū movie monster book series published by Keibunsha in 1972.
Gamera
Gamera's features include infrared eyes with night vision, arms that can lift 50,000 tons, an organ for producing the flames he shoots from his hands, electrical spikes on his back, poison claws, sac-like organs for storing lava, coal, oil and uranium, balloon-like organs that blast jets of air out through the feet, and a tail of elastic cartilage that can deliver a powerful punch.
Guiron
Guiron's most prominent feature is his knife-shaped head, which is 100 times harder than diamond and is packed with shuriken-like stars that can be fired from a pair of openings above the eyes. The creature has 360-degree radar vision, 60 times more teeth than a piranha, lungs adapted for long-distance space travel, sac-like organs for storing energy and uranium, balloon-like organs in the legs that blast jets of liquid through the feet, webbed fins for stability in water, and magnetic suction cups on the hands.
Barugon
Barugon's features include dorsal spikes that produce a deadly rainbow ray, an organ to produce frosty liquid (-100 degree Celsius) that can be shot from his 30-meter-long weaponized tongue, a stomach that can digest diamonds (his favorite food), and radar horns atop his head.
Viras
Viras's features include a spike-shaped head capable of piercing through a meter of steel, a brain with an IQ of 2500, organs for producing a force field and controlling the minds of others, tentacles that are 10,000 times stronger than an elephant's trunk and which can emit powerful beams for space travel, and organs to break down cell tissue and control metamorphosis (for creating its human disguise).
Jiger
Jiger's features include a pair of horns that shoot missiles made of hardened saliva and one that fires a deadly "magnetium" beam, powerful suction cups covering her entire body, an organ for shooting jets of seawater at 300 kilometers per hour, a stomach that can melt iron ore, and an ovipositor tail.
[Via: Tokusatsu Figure-kan]
Here are a few classic Japanese monster movie posters from Poland and the former Czechoslovakia. [Via Monster Brains]
Godzilla (Poland, 1957)
Son of Godzilla (Poland, 1974)
Monster from a Prehistoric Planet (Czechoslovakia, 1986)
War of the Gargantuas (Poland, 1975)
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (Poland, 1978)
Terror of Mechagodzilla (Poland, 1977)
Gappa the Triphibian Monster (Poland, 1973)
Gamera Super Monster (Poland, 1980)
King Kong Escapes (Poland, 1967)
Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (Poland, 1971)
The X from Outer Space (Czechoslovakia, 1968)
Godzilla vs. Gigan (Poland, 1977)
Here is a selection of old Japanese posters featuring political, social and environmental messages.
Sheltered Weaklings (Takashi Kono, 1953) [+]
Anti-pollution poster (Kenji Ito, 1973)
Against the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japan (Kinkichi Takahashi, 1960s)
Anti-war poster (Kenji Iwasaki, 1960s) [+] // Give Us Back Man (Tsunehisa Kimura, 1969) [+]
Poster for exhibit in support of Vietnamese women and children (Makoto Wada, 1968)
Here is a collection of posters by graphic artist Kazumasa Nagai from the 1960s and 1970s.
Kōrakuen Jumbo Pool, 1973
Growth - Life Science Library, 1966
Toshiba IC, 1967
The Mind - Life Science Library, 1965
Expo '75 - International Ocean Exposition, 1975
Osamu Tezuka's manga characters appeared in a series of fire safety posters featured at a disaster prevention exhibit at the Shinjuku Keio department store in March/April 1979.
Supervise children around fire (Astro Boy/Uran)
Always maintain adequate ventilation (Kimba the White Lion)
Plan at least two escape routes (Unico)
Be alert for irregularities (Black Jack)
Provide safe rooms for children and the elderly (Son-goku the Monkey)
These Ultra Monster illustrations by Toshio Okazaki are from 'The Return of Ultraman' sonosheet book (Volume 1) published by Elm in 1971.
Takkong, Ultraman, Twin Tail [+]
Zazahn, Sadora [+]
Kingsaurus III, Alien Zarab, Geronimon [+]
Jirass, MAT Arrow 1, MAT Arrow 2 [+]
Gorbagos, Suflan, Kiyla [+]
Keronia, Dada, Shugaron [+]
Mognezun, Kemular [+]
Seagoras, Seabozu, Dodongo [+]
Dorako, Ultraman, Gomora [+]
Skydon, Earthtron, MAT Arrow 2 [+]
Dangar, Gabora, Gyango, Alien Baltan [+]
Antlar, Pigmon, Gudon [+]
Pestar, Ultraman, Gabadon, Alien Zarab [+]
Detton, Zambolar, Telesdon [+]
Gamakujira, Stegon, MAT Vehicle, Kanegon [+]
Alien Mephilas, Hydra, Jamila, Ultraman [+]
Gesura, MAT Sub [+]
A pair of action-packed Ultraman Monster paintings by Toshio Okazaki were published in Shōgakukan's 1979 edition of Ultra Kaiju (Shōgakukan Nyūmon Hyakka Series #97).
[+]
[+]
Alien Guts, Windam, Gyango, Black End, Kingsaurus III, Bemstar
Alien Icarus, Gomora, Muruchi, Alien Baltan, Alien Magma, Kemular
Dancan, Giradorus, Astromons
Gandar, Gabora, Alien Metron, Agira, Antlar, Seabozu, Woo
Gubira, Takkong, Pestar, Gamakujira, Bemular
Eleking, Alien Kuuru, King Joe, Zemistiar
Geronimon, Jirass, Alien Pegassa, Dino-Tank
Pegassa, Hydra, Black King, Mephilas, Verokron, Starbem Gyeron, Red King, Dorako, Godola
[Source: Ultra Kaiju (Shōgakukan Nyūmon Hyakka Series #97), 1979]
