Tag: ‘70s’

Japanese sci-fi art (1972-1985)

09 Mar 2011

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]

Retro Japanese scifi ilustration --
Pater Sato magazine cover

Retro Japanese scifi art --
Hitoshi Ikematsu book jacket illustration, 1984

Retro Japanese fantasy art --
Noriyoshi Ohrai

Retro Japanese fantasy illustration --
Black Space -- Shuji Tanase, 1982

Retro Japanese fantasy art --
Atsushi Yoshioka

Pachimon playing cards

23 Feb 2011

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).

Pachimono playing cards -- Pachimono playing cards --
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

Pachimon playing cards -- Pachimon playing cards --
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

Pachi playing cards -- Pachi playing cards --
5 -- Deredoron (pesticide monster)/ 20m/ 10,000 tons/ From Tohoku
6 -- Tapikurosaurus (ancient monster)/ 35m/ 9,000 tons/ From Kyushu

Pachimon playing cards -- Pachimon playing cards --
7 -- Elekipurosu (electric humanoid)/ 25m/ 15,000 tons/ From Kurobe Dam
8 -- Meji (space wolf)/ 16m/ 5 tons/ From Meteoroid R

Pachimono playing cards -- Pachimono playing cards --
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

Pachi playing cards -- Pachi playing cards --
J -- Mambaa (monster fish)/ 20m/ 15,000 tons/ From the Arctic depths
Q -- Oapiaa (proto-Saharan)/ 6m/ 1 ton/ From the Sahara Desert

Pachimon playing cards -- Pachimon playing cards --
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

See more pachi-kaiju playing cards »

Illustrated anatomy of Gamera and foes

21 Jan 2011

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 anatomical illustration --
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 anatomical illustration --
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.

Baragon anatomical illustration --
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 anatomical illustration --
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 anatomical illustration --
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]

Czech & Polish posters for kaiju films

11 Jan 2011

Here are a few classic Japanese monster movie posters from Poland and the former Czechoslovakia. [Via Monster Brains]

Polish Godzilla poster --
Godzilla (Poland, 1957)

Polish Godzilla poster --
Son of Godzilla (Poland, 1974)

Czech poster for Daikyoju Gappa --
Monster from a Prehistoric Planet (Czechoslovakia, 1986)

Polish kaiju film poster --
War of the Gargantuas (Poland, 1975)

Polish Godzilla movie poster --
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (Poland, 1978)

Polish Godzilla movie poster --
Terror of Mechagodzilla (Poland, 1977)

Polish kaiju film poster --
Gappa the Triphibian Monster (Poland, 1973)

Polish Gamera movie poster --
Gamera Super Monster (Poland, 1980)

Polish King Kong movie poster --
King Kong Escapes (Poland, 1967)

Polish Godzilla poster --
Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (Poland, 1971)

Polish kaiju film poster --
The X from Outer Space (Czechoslovakia, 1968)

Polish Godzilla poster --
Godzilla vs. Gigan (Poland, 1977)

Vintage political posters

22 Nov 2010

Here is a selection of old Japanese posters featuring political, social and environmental messages.

Political poster from Japan --
Sheltered Weaklings (Takashi Kono, 1953) [+]

Political poster from Japan --
Anti-pollution poster (Kenji Ito, 1973)

Political poster from Japan --
Against the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japan (Kinkichi Takahashi, 1960s)

Political poster from Japan -- Political poster from Japan --
Anti-war poster (Kenji Iwasaki, 1960s) [+] // Give Us Back Man (Tsunehisa Kimura, 1969) [+]

Political poster from Japan --
Poster for exhibit in support of Vietnamese women and children (Makoto Wada, 1968)

See more vintage political posters »

Posters by Kazumasa Nagai

08 Nov 2010

Here is a collection of posters by graphic artist Kazumasa Nagai from the 1960s and 1970s.

Poster by Kazumasa Nagai --
Kōrakuen Jumbo Pool, 1973

Poster by Kazumasa Nagai --
Growth - Life Science Library, 1966

Poster by Kazumasa Nagai --
Toshiba IC, 1967

Poster by Kazumasa Nagai --
The Mind - Life Science Library, 1965

Poster by Kazumasa Nagai --
Expo '75 - International Ocean Exposition, 1975

See more posters by Kazumasa Nagai »

Tezuka fire safety posters

02 Nov 2010

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.

Fire safety poster by Osamu Tezuka --
Supervise children around fire (Astro Boy/Uran)

Fire safety poster by Osamu Tezuka --
Always maintain adequate ventilation (Kimba the White Lion)

Fire safety poster by Osamu Tezuka --
Plan at least two escape routes (Unico)

Fire safety poster by Osamu Tezuka --
Be alert for irregularities (Black Jack)

Fire safety poster by Osamu Tezuka --
Provide safe rooms for children and the elderly (Son-goku the Monkey)

See more Tezuka fire safety posters »

Monster illustrations from Ultraman sonosheet book

27 Sep 2010

These Ultra Monster illustrations by Toshio Okazaki are from 'The Return of Ultraman' sonosheet book (Volume 1) published by Elm in 1971.

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Takkong, Ultraman, Twin Tail [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Zazahn, Sadora [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Kingsaurus III, Alien Zarab, Geronimon [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Jirass, MAT Arrow 1, MAT Arrow 2 [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Gorbagos, Suflan, Kiyla [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Keronia, Dada, Shugaron [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Mognezun, Kemular [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Seagoras, Seabozu, Dodongo [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Dorako, Ultraman, Gomora [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Skydon, Earthtron, MAT Arrow 2 [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Dangar, Gabora, Gyango, Alien Baltan [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Antlar, Pigmon, Gudon [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Pestar, Ultraman, Gabadon, Alien Zarab [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Detton, Zambolar, Telesdon [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Gamakujira, Stegon, MAT Vehicle, Kanegon [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Alien Mephilas, Hydra, Jamila, Ultraman [+]

Monster illustration by Toshio Okazaki --
Gesura, MAT Sub [+]

[More: Ultra Monster paintings by Toshio Okazaki]

Ultra Monster paintings by Toshio Okazaki

01 Sep 2010

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).

Ultra kaiju painting by Toshio Okazaki --
[+]

Ultra kaiju painting by Toshio Okazaki --
[+]

Ultra kaiju painting by Toshio Okazaki --
Alien Guts, Windam, Gyango, Black End, Kingsaurus III, Bemstar

Ultra kaiju painting by Toshio Okazaki --
Alien Icarus, Gomora, Muruchi, Alien Baltan, Alien Magma, Kemular

Ultra kaiju painting by Toshio Okazaki --
Dancan, Giradorus, Astromons

Ultra kaiju painting by Toshio Okazaki --
Gandar, Gabora, Alien Metron, Agira, Antlar, Seabozu, Woo

Ultra kaiju painting by Toshio Okazaki --
Gubira, Takkong, Pestar, Gamakujira, Bemular

Ultra kaiju painting by Toshio Okazaki --
Eleking, Alien Kuuru, King Joe, Zemistiar

Ultra kaiju painting by Toshio Okazaki --
Geronimon, Jirass, Alien Pegassa, Dino-Tank

Ultra kaiju painting by Toshio Okazaki --
Pegassa, Hydra, Black King, Mephilas, Verokron, Starbem Gyeron, Red King, Dorako, Godola

[Source: Ultra Kaiju (Shōgakukan Nyūmon Hyakka Series #97), 1979]