This Is Animation Issues #3, #5 and #7: The Super Dimension Fortress-1 Macross are three large volume books (120 pages each) with dust cover published by Shogakukan. The books include material from the Super Dimension Fortress Macross animated TV series in chronological order over the three issues. Issue #3 covers SDF Macross episodes 1-7, Issue #5 covers episodes 8-18, and Issue #7 covers episodes 19-36. Each issue is laid out the same, with color picture episode summaries, black and white line art sections, painting/background artwork and cast/crew interviews. Each book also includes a pull-out poster and some feature colored line art of the characters or vehicles. These books are a patchwork of material from the series and are far from definitive as a collection. There are some interesting production pieces to be found within (like scene layouts and paintings) but overall this series lacks a lot of artwork particularly when considering these books have a combined print of over 300 pages. While disappointing overall, I can recommend these books for fans of early Macross painted art and those curious about production trivia.
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The Super Dimension Fortress Macross Model Hobby Handbook 1
(Published 1983)
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross Model Hobby Handbook 1 is a small volume (40 pages) published by Shougakukan. This book is 26.0 cm (10 1/4 inches) tall by 21.0 cm (8 1/4 inches) wide. This full color book (printed entirely on glossy construction paper) features photographs of plastic Macross models and dioramas as well as some small amount of mechanical line art and drawn logos. There are numerous images of VF-1 Valkyrie models, prototype Destroid models and unofficial custom model work. The book also features an early Destroid development history that mentions the "Earth Trekkers", described as walking versions of more traditional artillery. Although there is little material here to attract fans not into model building, this book is famous as the published source for two rare pieces of Macross art; the Battroid and Fighter mode line art of the VEFR-1 Electronic Warfare Valkyrie and the Cruiser mode line art of the pre-crash Alien StarShip-1 from the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross animated TV series.
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Macross Journal Extra: Sky Angels: VF-1 Valkyrie Special Edition
(Published May 27, 1984)
Macross Journal Extra: Sky Angels: VF-1 Valkyrie Special Edition is a small volume (96 pages) published by M.A.T. (Multi-configuration Analysis Team). This book is 25.7 cm (10 1/8 inches) tall by 18.2 cm (7 1/8 inches) wide. This book is a doujinshi (self-published work) authored by Masahiro Chiba himself, writer of all the official mechanical specifications and trivia for the Macross vehicles and space craft. The pages of this volume are filled with extensive technical trivia, descriptions and fictional history about the VF-1 Valkyrie variable fighter development, production and operation. The book is formatted and written (almost entirely in Japanese text) as if this were a real technical dossier for a military jet fighter and as such, the writing is at times technical and demanding. Although fictional, the trivia within this volume is all written using a real system of measurement (units in metric) to describe such details about the VF-1 Valkyrie as physical dimensions for length, width and height as well as weight/mass, thrust, range, fuel, speed ratings, armor strength, weapon velocities, explosive yields, and more highly detailed information. The book also features many pieces of unique artwork - all uncolored - including line art, schematics, emblems/logos, paintings, technical displays/readouts, mechanical diagrams, performance charts and even photographs. Since the book is an unofficial published work, it is not part of the official continuity for the Macross universe. However, since Macross co-creator Masahiro Chiba wrote this book, some trivia later became official continuity via inclusion in Macross products like the Macross Chronicle. With the exception of a VF-1 Strike Valkyrie schematic and brief mention of a "Beam Cannon Pod" in the armaments table, this book is written from a 2012 perspective that does not include Super Dimension Fortress Macross The Movie: Do You Rememeber Love? It is also worth noting much of the technical trivia and format of this book was used as the basis for the Variable Fighter Master File VF-1 Valkyrie Vol. 1 (Published 2009). For Macross fans that love the "real robot" style of anime that Macross helped establish and popularize, this book is one of the most valuable collections of hard science fiction and world building ever published for Macross.
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Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love? Data Bank
(Published 1984 and 1992)
Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love? Data Bank is a very large volume (404 pages) with dust cover, cardboard slipcase, a film strip and a folded poster schematic of the VF-1S Strike Valkyrie published by Shogakukan. If you are a fan of the 1984 Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love?, this book is an absolute must to own. There are extensive sections of uncolored line art including characters, valkyries, zentradi vehicles, spacecraft, locations, interiors and miscellaneous drawings. The book also features a large section of screen pictures from the film, pictures of background paintings and some other colored artwork and line art. The Data Bank has been reprinted over the years, particularly in 1992 (likely to benefit from the release of Macross II: Lovers Again). However, the 1992 editions no longer include the film strip included with the original Data Bank books. For obvious reasons, the Data Bank is known among fans as "The Gold Book".
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This Is Animation The Select: Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love?
(Published September 11, 1984 and 1992)
This Is Animation The Select: Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love? is a large volume (144 pages) with dust cover published by Shogakukan. The book is 31 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 3/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). Like many other books in the series, This Is Animation The Select Macross: Do You Remember Love? has numerous color photos of the animated movie, 40 pages of black and white line art featuring character designs and mecha, production paintings/sketches and some interviews. Much of the line art appearing within this book is also to be found within the Gold Book with the quality varying from superior to inferior when compared to that book. Although the collection of line art in this book is not comprehensive, some of the individual drawings within are printed larger on the page than what is found in other books. The book does feature some rarer drawings, such as a size comparison chart of Mecha for the movie. This book is strongly recommended for fans of the Macross movie.
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Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love? Special Preview
(Published July 9, 1984)
Macross The Movie: Do You Remember Love? Special Preview is a small volume (104 pages) published by Shogakukan. The book is 26 cm tall by 21 cm wide (10 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). This book contains a fold-out poster, 15 pages of colored line art of mecha, ships and characters, 17 pages of color pictures from the animated movie, 15 pages of uncolored line art, 8 pages of Mari Ijima photographs, music sheets, merchandise and even the floor layout for a live Macross event. While most of this book is a mixed bag, there are several unique pieces of line art within; the SDF-2 Megaroad Bridge Exterior, the SDF-1 Macross city zone cross-section, VF-1 Valkyrie and SDF-1 Macross transformation diagrams and lastly concept artwork not found anywhere else for the HWR-00 Destroid Monster Mk II. This volume is more fan book than art collection but it does feature some material to interest fans of the animated movie Macross: Do You Remember Love?
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Best Hit Series: Macross Flashback 2012 Graffiti
(Published October 5, 1987)
Best Hit Series: Macross Flashback 2012 Graffiti is a small volume (66 pages) with dust cover published by Shogakukan. The book is 26 cm tall by 21 cm wide (10 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). This book contains a small collection of Minmay paintings, 25 pages of color pictures from the animated OVA, 15 pages of song lyrics, 10 pages of uncolored mecha, ship and character line art, and 5 pages of interviews. The line art is high quality and all the color pages of paintings and color screen shots of the anime are good quality. The content within the book isn't extensive simply because the animated OVA of The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flash Back 2012 is a short 30 minute feature. Nonetheless, this book is a worthwhile purchase for any fan of the Flashback 2012 OVA.
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Entertainment Bible .27: Macross Illustrations
(Published 1990)
Entertainment Bible .27: Macross Illustrations is a very small volume (145 pages) with a dust cover published by Bandai. The book is 17 cm tall by 10 1/2 cm wide (6 3/4 inches tall by 4 1/4 inches wide). The book covers material from The Super Dimension Fortress Macross TV series, The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? film and The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Flashback 2012 special. There is 111 pages of uncolored character and mechanical line art from the three productions with the remainder of pages featuring colored line art of the mechanical designs with some color photos from the animated shows. This is basically a quick reference pocket book that is not comprehensive and does not include anything that cannot be found in better books. At one time this probably served as a fun portable reference guide to share with friends at school but in the world of today the book is more a publishing curiosity.
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This Is Animation Special 5: Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers Again
(Published December 20, 1993)
This Is Animation Special 5: Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers Again is a small volume (98 pages) with a dust cover published by Shogakukan. The book is 21 cm wide by 26 cm tall (8 1/4 inches by 10 1/4 inches). This volume contains line art of characters, mecha, ships and vehicles from the Macross II animated television series presented in a familiar format to that of This Is Animation Special Macross Plus and This Is Animation Special Macross 7. There are 6 full page paintings by Haruhiko Mikimoto, 9 pages of colored character concept art, 16 pages of uncolored character line art, 29 pages of screen shots from the animation (separated into 6 episode sections, each prefaced by a large Mikimoto painting), 3 pages of Haruhiko Mikimoto paintings of the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross characters, 8 pages of uncolored Haruhiko Mikimoto portrait-style character drawings, 15 pages of uncolored mecha, ships and vehicles line art and lastly 8 pages of uncolored line art of various characters, mecha, vehicles, ships, locations, buildings, and equipment. Scattered amoung the 16 pages of character line art are text breakouts featuring brief interviews. Like the other This Is Animation Special books, the collection of artwork is not exhaustive and suffers from noticeable gaps in the line art catalog (especially for the large space craft of the Mardook). Line art quality is high despite the small size of the book sometimes limiting viewable detail in the smaller printed images. Nevertheless, this book remains one of only two dedicated line art books made for the Macross II series and is a worthwhile acquisition for any fan.
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This Is Animation Special Macross Plus
(Published March 1, 1995)
This Is Animation Special Macross Plus is a small volume (98 pages) with a dust cover published by Shogakukan. The book covers the four episodes of the Macross Plus OVA and features line art and screen pictures from the anime. You can't go wrong with this book for Macross Plus artwork, but this book includes material beyond Macross Plus. It contains a series of newly drafted fighter mode schematics of the VF-1A/D/J/S (including Super and Strike variants), the VT-1 (w/t FAST Packs), the VF-4, the VF-11B (w/t FAST Packs), the VF-17D/T, the YF-19, the YF-21 and the VF-5000. The book also reprints a large amount of VF-1 line art along with the odd piece of redrawn artwork (GBP-1S Armored Valkyrie missiles and the GU-11 Gun Pod) and new artwork (VF-1 detailed cockpit panel and VF-1 fighter cross-section drawing). The last section of the book also contains over a dozen pages of full color variable fighter squadron colors. This is an indispensable book for those that love the Valkyries of Macross.
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This Is Animation The Select Macross Plus Movie Edition
(Published October 20, 1995)
This Is Animation The Select Macross Plus Movie Edition is a small volume (98 pages) with a dust cover published by Shogakukan. The book features line art and screen pictures from the Macross Plus Movie Edition. The material within this book is much more tightly focused on Macross Plus and includes more line art not seen in the OVA book. It also features what appears to be a diary of Shoji Kawamori as he travels to the USA for research. It includes full color photographs of the real world aircraft that inspired many of the Valkyrie designs and also includes interviews. This book uses better quality paper than the OVA book and has better quality screen pictures. This book is definitely worth buying if you're a Macross Plus fan.
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Macross Plus Archives and Macross Plus DVD Set Case
(Published August 24, 2007)
Macross Plus Archives is a small volume (24 pages) published by Tarkus. The booklet is published in a landscape format that is 13.5 cm tall by 19.0 cm wide (5 1/2 inches tall by 7 1/2 inches wide). This booklet is included as part of the Macross Plus Remastered DVD Set (released 2007) and is a collection of exclusively black and white line art presented on 24 pages of glossy white paper bound into a simple booklet. Surprisingly, this tiny booklet from a DVD set is one of the best line art books ever published for Macross Plus. There are hundreds of pieces of art within the brief 24 pages of this booklet, all in high contrast and reproduced faithfully to the original drawings. There is art included within the archives booklet that has rarely been published, such as certain drawings of the YF-19 and YF-21 mecha and the 30mm gun pod with bayonet. More importantly, the booklet has line art never before published in any Macross book, such as the YF-19 arm weapon unit, the VF-11 Target Craft, the Hospital Motorcycle and concept art for the Drone Fighter and Gun Pods. The only disadvantage of the booklet is the small format which inherently limits the artwork within. For fans of Macross Plus line art, this booklet is a must-have publication.
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This Is Animation Macross 7 Animation Materials
(Published July 5, 1995)
This Is Animation Macross 7 Animation Materials is a large volume (200 pages) with a dust cover published by Shogakukan. The book is 30 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 3/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). This book contains a large amount of black and white line art from the Macross 7 animated TV series, some colored art and a brief 3-page interview. The uncolored line art includes mecha, spaceships and characters spread across 150 pages. The 40 pages of colored art is composed primarily of character work including concept art but also contains some colored mecha concept drawings that were later reprinted in Shoji Kawamori MACROSS Design Works. The print quality of this book is spectacular and all the line art appears in sharp lines and beautiful detail. The one failing of this book is a surprising lack of vehicle and location art one would almost certainly expect to find in most major publications that cover a TV series like Macross. Almost none of the cars, vans, aerial craft or other such vehicles from the series are to be found within and there are even notable gaps in the mecha catalogue, such as the police mecha from City 7 or the VF-11MAXL Custom with the Fold Booster. Despite such ommissions, art of a few cars and motorcycles are found within and this is still THE book to own for animation material from the Macross 7 TV series.
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Macross 7 Sketchbook
(Published 1995)
Macross 7 Sketchbook is a small volume (96 pages) in landscape format published by Movic. This landscape format book is 29.8 cm (11 3/4 inches) wide by 21.0 cm (8 1/4 inches) tall and features only uncolored line art of characters and mecha from the Macross 7 television series. The line art is presented upon single sided pages (meaning there is far less art here compared to books with typical double-sided pages) and there is no table of contents, publication details or page numbers. While the print quality of this book is excellent, there is very little artwork inside that cannot be found in better books and the collection of art within this book is far from comprehensive. This book does have the distinction of featuring large, full-page pictures of line art and the rare, alternate version of the Fz-109F Battroid.
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This Is Animation Special Macross 7
(Published January 10, 1995)
This Is Animation Special Macross 7 is a small volume (98 pages) with a dust cover published by Shogakukan. Inside is line art of characters, ships and vehicles from the Macross 7 television series presented in a similar fashion and book size as that of This Is Animation Special Macross Plus. Like the Macross Plus book, there is plenty of mecha art and some color pages with screen shots of the animation. There is also many color pages of concept artwork for the Macross 7 characters and numerous interview pages. Line art quality is high, albeit somewhat small due to limitations of the size of the book itself which is 21 cm wide by 26 cm tall (8 1/4 inches by 10 1/4 inches).
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Macross Dynamite 7 Establishment Materials List
(Published 1997)
Macross Dynamite 7 Establishment Materials List is a small volume (64 single-sided pages, 128 total) in landscape format published by Movic. This landscape format book is 29.8 cm (11 3/4 inches) wide by 21.0 cm (8 1/4 inches) tall, very similar to the Macross 7 Sketchbook. Just like the sketchbook, this book contains only uncolored line art of characters, locations and mechanical designs from the Macross Dynamite 7 original video animation series. There is no table of contents, title pages, publication information or page numbers and all line art is presented uncolored upon single sided pages (hence, there is far less art within compared to more common books with double-sided pages). The print quality of this book is excellent and the images are large on the page. Sadly, a large portion of art from the animated series is simply absent from this book and what is included is incomplete. In some instances we are treated to only a single mode of a variable fighter (such as the VF-22 Sturmvogel) without any other line art for the other modes. Despite these flaws, this is the only dedicated book of artwork published for the Macross Dynamite 7 series. This book is also one of the rarest line art books for all of Macross and would be valuable for any fan of the Macross Dynamite 7 series.
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Macross Zero (booklet) and Macross Zero Blu-Ray Set Case
(Published 2008)
Macross Zero (booklet) is a small volume (20 pages) published by Tarkus. This landscape format booklet is 13.5 cm tall by 17.0 cm wide (5 1/2 inches tall by 6 5/8 inches wide) and published as part of the Macross Zero Blu-Ray Set released in 2008. The booklet is a collection of uncolored character, mecha and miscellaneous line art, 2 pages of colored CGI models and 4 pages of interviews presented across 20 pages of glossy white paper bound into a simple book. This tiny booklet - like the Macross Plus Archives booklet - is a rare cache of line art, only this volume contains Macross Zero line art. A large amount of line art is squeezed into these 20 pages and (despite the tiny size of each drawing) is reproduced in excellent high-contrast quality. Also included is a small amount of art that has rarely been published, such as certain mechanical drawings of the VF-0 Phoenix and SV-51 valkyries and the VF-0 Angel missiles. There is also concept art of some valkyries, ships and other mechanical designs. As a publication for a blu-ray set, the booklet is quite small and thus it unfortunately limits the artwork contained therein. However, most of the material within has not been printed uncolored in other publications, making this a must-have volume for any fan that enjoys the line art and mechanical design of Macross Zero.
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Macross Modelers Vol. 1, Feb. 2016
(Published February 7, 2016)
Macross Modelers Vol. 1, Feb. 2016 is a small volume (10 pages) published by GA Graphic. This pamphlet is 29.8 cm (11 3/4 inches) tall by 21.0 cm (8 1/4 inches) wide. This is a large format pamphlet created by GA Graphic in collaboration with the group "Macross Modelers" and was released freely during the Wonder Festival 2016, a semi-annual event (February and August) held in Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. This pamphlet features information about Macross Delta, including several full-color large images of the VF-31 Siegfried computer-generated model as well as colored schematics of the fighter mode and a color battroid mode drawing. There is also a color CG image of the Sv-262 Draken III fighter. The pamphlet also has a written interview with creator Shoji Kawamori and one of the animators on the new Macross Delta series. This pamphlet is a promotional publication for generating interest in the new upcoming animated series Macross Delta.
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Macross Febri October 2016 "Macross Delta" Special Issue
(Published August 2016)
Macross Febri October 2016 "Macross Delta" Special Issue is a large volume (160 pages) published by Ichijinsha. This book is 21.0 cm (8 1/4 inches) tall by 14.8 cm (5 3/4 inches) wide. This Macross edition of Febri (released August 2016 but dated as the October 2016 issue of Febri) is a small, nearly pocket-sized book that serves as a fan book for the Macross Delta animated TV series. Inside is an episode guide to the Macross Delta series, numerous staff/cast interviews, a development history of variable fighters, a Macross encyclopedia, small amounts of character/mecha line art, some location/environment paintings and two Macross Delta illustrated stories. There is very little in the way of notable mechanical art within this small book. This book is likely most useful for fans craving trivia about the Macross Delta series or potential fans wanting to learn about the show.
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Macross Delta: Gekijyou No Walkure (Passionate Walküre)
(Published February 8, 2018)
Macross Delta: Gekijyou No Walkure (Passionate Walküre) is a small volume (42 pages) published by Bandai Visual Co., Ltd. This pamphlet is 29.8 cm (11 3/4 inches) tall by 21.0 cm (8 1/4 inches) wide. This is a large format pamphlet printed on glossy paper produced as a promotional publication for Macross Delta The Movie: Gekijyou No Walkure (Passionate Walküre). The pamphlet is primarily focused upon the idol performers who provide singing for the various characters in the animated film. It also contains information about music, soundtracks, live performance production information, a little writeup about computer generated effects, a brief interview with character designer Mita Chisato and another interview with Macross creator Shoji Kawamori. The pamphlet ends with 10 pages advertising all manner of Macross merchandise. The pamphlet does include 6 pages of character and mechanical art, including art of the VF-31S Armored Siegfried. Since a book dedicated to Macross Delta mechanical art has yet to be published, this is possibly the only art source for the Macross Delta movie.
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The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Remember Me (case cover art), Data Book, and Operation Manual
(Published 1993)
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Remember Me is an NEC PC-9801 compatible high-density floppy disk video game with two small 40-page manuals released by Family Soft. The game container case is 25.3 cm tall by 18.5 cm wide (10 inches tall by 7 3/4 inches wide) which holds FOUR 5 1/4 inch floppy disks and two game manuals each 21.0 cm tall by 15.0 cm wide (8 1/4 inches tall by 5 3/4 inches wide). The Data Book contains 3 pages of color character art (by Haruhiko Mikimoto) 4 pages of color mechanical art (VF-3/VF-X3 Star Crusader, SDP-1 Stampede Valkyrie, LDR-04 Mk XV Destroid Maverick and QF-9iE Ghost II), 8 uncolored character profile pages, and 20 pages of uncolored mechanical line art. The Operation Manual is mostly written instructions for the game with a small story section and all interspersed with uncolored mechanical line art. Included at the end of the Operation Manual is a short 12-page manga. The colored and uncolored line art in the Data Book are high quality drawings of the Macross mechanical designs, many of which are drawn in unique dramatic poses. The artwork is presented in fairly large images for a small book and the print quality and contrast are excellent. Fans of the mechanical designs from the original television series and feature film era should find much to enjoy in these two video game manuals.
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The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Skull Leader (case cover art) and Operation Manual
(Published 1994)
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Skull Leader is an NEC PC-9801 compatible high-density floppy disk video game with one small 48-page manual released by Family Soft. The game container case is 25.3 cm tall by 18.5 cm wide (10 inches tall by 7 3/4 inches wide) which holds SEVEN 3 1/2 inch floppy disks and one game manual 21.0 cm tall by 15.0 cm wide (8 1/4 inches tall by 5 3/4 inches wide). The operation Manual has 21 pages of video game play instructions, 7 pages of uncolored character line art (by Haruhiko Mikimoto), 11 pages of uncolored mechnical line art and closes with a 6-page manga. The quality of the mechanical design artwork is rather inconsistent and many of the designs appear to be creative interpretations of the actual mecha rather than faithful to the original official designs. However, the print quality of the book is generally good and the art within could be of interest to fans.
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Macross Digital Mission VF-X Flight Manual: Sony Playstation
(Published 1997)
Macross Digital Mission VF-X: Flight Manual: Sony Playstation is a small volume (112 pages) with a dust cover published by Shogakukan. The book is 25.8 cm tall by 18.5 cm wide (10 1/8 inches tall by 7 1/4 inches wide). This is a companion book for the Macross Digital Mission VF-X video game released in 1997 for the Sony Playstation. It contains 13 pages of colored character line art, 5 splash pages of drawn and computer-generated art, 14 pages of variable fighter specifications with colored schematics (including GERWALK mode and Battroid mode schematics), a 44-page gameplay and mission guide, 15 pages of uncolored mecha, ship and vehicle art and finally 16 pages of interviews with staff. The content is designed as a game guide for owners of the VF-X video game, but the art inside can be valuable for non-gaming fans. While the book lacks any unique content that cannot be found in more comprehensive books, several pieces of art found within are the best published versions of that art. This can be a good book for collectors, but unlikely to be valuable to those that do not want a game aid for playing the video game.
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Macross Digital Mission VF-X2: Offical Visual Guide: Sony Playstation
(Published 1999)
Macross Digital Mission VF-X2: Offical Visual Guide: Sony Playstation is a small volume (112 pages) with a dust cover published by Movic. The book is 29.8 cm tall by 21.3 cm wide (11 3/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). This is a companion book for the Macross Digital Mission VF-X2 video game released in 1999 for the Sony Playstation. It contains a visual collection section containing 7 pages of colored character line art, 1 page of voice actor messages, 6 full page digital and hand drawn paintings, 10 pages of valkyrie specifications (with statistic ratings in video game terms), a 15-page gameplay guide, a 30-page mission guide, 19 pages of interviews with game makers, 7 pages of uncolored mecha, ship and vehicle art and ending with 4 pages of Macross media history. The content is primarily for gamers of the VF-X2 video game, but the book does offer digital and hand drawn art as well as a small section of uncolored line art for non-gaming fans. Overall an interesting book but not particularly useful other than an aid for playing the video game.
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Macross Digital Mission VF-X2: Perfect Offical Clue File: Sony Playstation
(Published 1999)
Macross Digital Mission VF-X2: Perfect Offical Clue File: Sony Playstation is a small volume (112 pages) with a dust cover published by Kobunsha. The book is 25.7 cm tall by 18.2 cm wide (10 1/8 inches tall by 7 1/4 inches wide). This is a guide book for the Macross Digital Mission VF-X2 video game released in 1999 for the Sony Playstation. The first 72 pages contain guides for each mission of the video game followed by a 40 page making-of-the-game with storyboards for the animated sequences and interviews with the artists and game developers. The last 40 pages include a very small amount uncolored character and mecha line art. This book is primarily for players of the video game and offers little in the way of content for non-gamers.
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Shoji Kawamori Macross Design Works
(Published December 1, 2001)
Shoji Kawamori MACROSS Design Works is a large volume (207 pages) with a dust cover published by Movic. The book includes nearly all Shoji Kawamori's Valkyrie line art from the Macross anime television series, movies and video games. This book is an excellent compilation for those that love Kawamori line art of the Macross Valkyries and contains so much material it will give you new found respect for Kawamori's Macross creations of the last 20+ years. The book also contains a significant portion of line art never published before. However, in spite of the excellent compilation of Valkyrie artwork, this book does suffer from two major problems. The first problem is the book tries to present too much artwork in too small a format. This is really a volume that should have been in an oversized format to allow for much larger print sizes, especially for those sections with too many drawings presented upon a single page. The second problem with this book is the print quality; through some strange process I've never seen in any art book before or since, the lines of the drawings themselves have been "smoothed" or "blurred" in some fashion. It is difficult to write a description, but the result is more a problem than a benefit. The advantage is printed art in solid black lines without any noise or pencil/inking flaws. However, the disadvantage is printed art that loses fine detail and thickens the contrast (occassionally with truly terrible results). It is uncertain why this printing method was used, but it is less than ideal for presenting line art even if only those closely examining the art are likely to notice the differences. Despite these problems, the book gets almost everything else right and is a fantastic compilation. For those wanting most of the Valkyrie art without spending hundreds of dollars to collect the individual out-of-print volumes for each Macross series, this is THE book to purchase.
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Kazutaka Miyatake Design Works Macross & Orguss
(Published June 1, 2005)
Kazutaka Miyatake Design Works Macross & Orguss is a small volume (114 pages) with a dust cover published by Movic. The book includes Kazutaka Miyatake art from the animated productions Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Macross: Do You Remember Love?, Macross Plus, Macross 7, Macross Dynamite 7, Macross Digital Mission VF-X and Super Dimension Century Orguss. This book is a noteworthy compilation of mecha art, character/creature designs and concept drawings for those that admire the art of Kazutaka Miyatake. The content and quality of the artwork within is somewhat of a mixed bag. Like the Shoji Kawamori Macross Design Works, this book presents drawings far too small on the page and should have been in an oversized format to allow for better presentation. The print quality of the art work within is faithful to the original art (thankfully absent is the poor line quality of the SK Macross Design Works book) but no effort was made to properly prepare or source the art. Some drawings are so small and the contrast so dark that fine details are nearly eliminated. This book was a perfect opportunity to correct contrast and image problems that plagued older books but instead some of the line art appears taken directly from poor quality sources and simply reprinted. Lastly, one would expect a book of this type to feature most of the available artwork for major designs like the SDF-1 Macross, yet there are more absent drawings than one would think. In spite of the aforementioned failings the book does contain many great pieces of Miyatake artwork including numerous intriguing concept drawings. The dust cover and front/back book cover also feature new Miyatake line drawings of the SDF-1 Macross apparently dated from April 2000. The book is worth purchasing even if sometimes the product does not meet all expectations.
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Shoji Kawamori Design Works
(Published March 20, 2006)
Shoji Kawamori Design Works is a large volume (207 pages) with a reflective dust cover. This book includes examples of Shoji Kawamori's art from Gundam, Patlabor and Ghost in the Shell to much more extensive work on series like Eureka Seven, Aquarion and Armored Core. The book is printed on high quality paper and includes plenty of material, but the picture quality ranges from good to poor. A significant amount of the line art is actually scanned rather than printed. The result produces digitized versions of the original line art with small but noticeable pixels. Some pictures are so poor you can even see jpeg artifacts from the low quality file compression, printed right on the page! If you adore the work of Kawamori beyond Macross, this book is for you. Macross fans are likely to find interest only in the small amount of Macross Zero line art present, since Macross Zero is without a dedicated art book (for shame, Big West!). I hope digitization is not the preferred method of the future for Japanese anime art books because line art in print does not render itself well to low quality digitization.
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Junya Ishigaki Works: ROBO No Ishi
(Published November 5, 2009)
Junya Ishigaki Works: ROBO No Ishi is a large volume (208 pages) with a dust cover published by Ichijin Sha. The book is 21 cm wide by 30 cm tall (8 1/4 inches tall by 11 3/4 inches wide). This book is a vast collection of robot, character, ship, vehicle and equipment art work from Junya Ishigaki spanning over 18 years from 1990 until 2008. There are 15 pages of colored art at the front, followed by the large midsection of 188 pages of uncolored line art and ending with a 5 page interview section. An impressive amount of art work is to be found within this book, collecting vastly different designs from all kinds of projects across all kinds of genres. Included within is art from titles such as Gundam 0083 Stardust Memory, Gundam X, Gundam Wing, Xenosaga, Aim for the Top 2!, and Fullmetal Alchemist. For Macross fans, the book contains Ishigaki drawings for Macross Zero and Macross Frontier and also features his concept art for those productions. The format of the book is generally adequate for the plentiful content and the print quality is excellent. The one flaw of the book is the attempt made to accomodate such a vast amount of work therein, necessitating smaller individually printed drawings in order to fit all that content on each page. In spite of that flaw, Junya Ishigaki Works: ROBO No Ishi is highly recommended for fans of his work.
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Miyatake Kazutaka Mega Designer Created Mega StructureS
(Published April 27, 2017)
Miyatake Kazutaka Mega Designer Created Mega StructureS is a large volume (124 pages) with a dust cover in landscape format published by Hobby Japan. This landscape format book is 29.8 cm (11 3/4 inches) wide by 21.0 cm (8 1/4 inches) tall. There is a table of contents and individual title pages all dated by year in chronological order. The content within this book is basically like a career portfolio and/or selective retrospective of Miyatake's art work for over 40 years from 1972 to 2017. The art work within is a mixed collection of sketches, drawings, finished line art and paintings that appear carefully picked as samples of the body of work done by Miyatake during his career. Only a small portion of Macross line art is included, featuring front/rear art of the SDF-1 Macross Attack mode, the Destroid Monster front/rear views and a few schematics from Super Dimension Fortress Macross, the front/rear art of the Battle 7 attack mode from Macross Seven and concept art work of the Sigur Berrentzs from Macross Delta. This book is really only for fans of Miyatake and features only a few small samples of his work from the Macross series.
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Macross Variable Fighter Designers Note
(Published November 9, 2017)
Macross Variable Fighter Designers Note is a large volume (272 pages) with a dust cover published by SB Creative. This book is 28.5 cm tall (11 1/4 inches) by 21.5 cm wide (8 1/2 inches). A simple table of contents starts the book, followed by 180 pages of uncolored line art and finishing with 89 pages of colored computer generated images (interspersed with additional drawings, concept art and schematics). The Macross Variable Fighter Designers Note is different from other Macross art books both by an emphasis on quality line art and by comprehensive coverage of each mechanical design. Line art appears faithfully prepared from good quality sources, mostly avoiding problems with line weight being too thick/thin or suffering contrast issues. The vast majority of drawings are printed large so readers can properly view fine detail. Nearly all drawings are accompanied with brief notes (all in Japanese) written by the original artists, all of which are surprisingly legible. The exhaustive content found in this book is very impressive and it is clear effort was spent presenting each variable fighter with as complete a portfolio as possible. There are gaps in the art catalog, some more noticable than others (a notable ommission is the FAST Pack-equipped GERWALK mode of the VT-1 Super Ostrich). However, it is difficult to fault the creators of this book when so much content is featured all in one single volume. Nonetheless, the book does have two flaws that are important to note. First, the line art - while generally reproduced faithfully - is digitized. The digitization is high resolution and mostly free of low quality compression artifacts, but the byproduct of digital imagining/printing is a blocky fuzziness absent from the hand drawn originals (and from the older Macross art books). This issue is minor and likely indiscernible to most readers without the benefit of a high resolution scan. The other minor flaw is found in the sections of computer generated (CG) art for Macross Zero, Macross Frontier and Macross Delta. While the CG images are sharp, bright and lack any minor problems, the inclusion of too much content per page leads to several pages filled with tiny images almost not worth printing. Despite these flaws, the Variable Fighter Designers Note is an impressive compilation of Macross variable fighter line art and CG images. The Designers Note is perfect for fans that lack a large collection of Macross art books, many of which are decades old, expensive and difficult to obtain. It is also important to note that despite the flaws of digitization, the art in this book is high quality and far superior to the 2001 book Shoji Kawamori MACROSS Design Works. The Designers Note is highly recommended.
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B-Club #79
(Published June 1992)
B-Club #79 is a small volume (114 pages) published by Bandai. This book is a magazine publication (issue #79) about Japanese anime and entertainment that covers a variety of entertainment properties. There are 38 pages of Macross II content such as mecha and characters (17 colors pages and 12 uncolored pages) with 2 pages of Super Dimension Fortress Macross material, 1 page of Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? material and 1 page of Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 material. The rest of the magazine covers a wide selection of anime and entertainment news typical of the early 1990s era. There is also a notable double-page colored splash of the VF-2SS Valkyrie II equipped with the Super Armed Pack (SAP) drawn by Shingo Takeba. While the content within is not exhaustive, this book is a valuable collection of uncolored/colored line art for Macross II as well as full color reference for many Macross II, Super Dimension Fortress Macross and Macross 2036 mecha and characters.
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Animage 11 Vol. 161
(Published November 1991)
Animage 11 Vol. 161 is a large volume (200 pages) published by Tokuma Shoten. The book is a publication about Japanese anime and entertainment and as such the book does not cover any one entertainment property exclusively. The few pages within the book that do cover Macross are mostly devoted to Macross II (6 color pages and 5 uncolored pages) while the rest of the book covers a vast array of anime and entertainment news typical of the early 1990s era. The Macross II material in the book features line art, concept line art, and colored pictures of mecha and character designs. This book is notable for publishing the VF-XS Valkyrie II concept line art and colored art of the mecha.
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Great Mechanics DX.9
(Published June 2009)
Great Mechanics DX.9 is a large volume (145 pages) published by Futabasha. The book is 18.5 cm wide by 25.8 cm tall (7 1/4 inches wide by 10 1/4 inches tall). The book is a publication about Japanese anime and entertainment focusing almost exclusively on mechanical design. Within is an extensive 25-page section devoted to Macross that covers the major variable fighters from the VF-0 Phoenix to the VF-25 Messiah. This Macross material includes numerous uncolored images of the variable fighters including 5 pages of colored art for the Macross Frontier VF-25 Messiah and variants. The major draw of this section covering Macross is the large amount of written trivia that describes the details of the Macross mecha.
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Great Mechanics G - Summer 2015
(Published June 2015)
Great Mechanics G - Summer 2015 is a small volume (98 pages) published by Futabasha. The book is 29.7 cm wide by 21 cm tall (11 3/4 inches wide by 8 1/4 inches tall). The book is a publication about Japanese anime and entertainment focusing almost exclusively on mechanical design. The small 8-page section devoted to Macross covers the armored variable fighters, largely centering upon the VF-1J GBP-1S Armored Valkyrie. This book is notable for publishing one of the better (and larger) printed images of the GBP-1S Armored Valkyrie concept line art.
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Document of Macross (Volumes 001 - 003)
Document of Macross (Volumes 004 - 006)
(Published 2012)
Document of Macross (booklets) are several small volumes (18 pages each) published by Kadokawa. These portrait format booklets are 25.7 cm tall by 18.0 cm wide (10 1/4 inches tall by 7 inches wide) and each of these six booklets was included separately in a monthly issue of the Japanese magazine NewType Ace, released in 2012. This series of six booklets feature various pieces of Macross artwork and provide details about both the creators of Macross and the development of the early Macross animated productions. The content is focused entirely on the Super Dimension Fortress Macross TV series and chronicles how it was adapted into the animated film Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? Included within each issue is a widely varied assortment of mecha and character line art (both colored and uncolored), as well as paintings, animation cells, concept art, scene designs, locations, screen captures, and iconography. Although the booklets are smaller than most art books the print quality of the drawings and images within are rather good (despite some digitization). Also included is the odd piece of rare or never-seen-before Macross art, such as line art of an internally mounted cannon on the SDF-1 Macross, line art of the opened/closed barrels on the external gun turrets of the SDF-1 Macross and ARMD space vessels, and a drawing of the VF-1 Valkyrie Battroid mode cockpit in profile. Despite most of this art previously appearing in other dedicated books and containing only a small amount of rare/never-seen material, the Document of Macross is worthwhile and can be recommended.
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Tenjin Hidetaka Artworks Of Macross Valkyries
(Published 2005)
Tenjin Hidetaka Art Works of Macross Valkyries is a large volume (127 pages) with a dust jacket in a landscape format published by Kobunsha. Contained within are large, mostly full page pictures of Tenjin Hidetaka's paintings of various Macross Valkyrie variable fighters. The quality of this book is exceptional and each picture is full of detail in sharp print and vibrant colors. The book contains only paintings and no line art. Many Macross fans who have seen the art of Tenjin Hidetaka on plastic model boxes or other book covers can now enjoy these pictures in a collected, dedicated volume. The book also features a small amount of new work specifically created for this book as well as some behind the scenes art for Macross Zero. If you are a fan of art and Macross, the only question you should be asking yourself is why you don't own this book.
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Tenjin Hidetaka Artworks Of Macross Valkyries - Second Sortie
(Published 2011)
Tenjin Hidetaka Art Works of Macross Valkyries - Second Sortie is a large volume (112 pages) with a dust jacket in a landscape format published by Kobunsha. The book is 30.0 cm wide by 22 cm tall (11 3/4 inches wide by 8 3/4 inches tall). Like the first volume, this second book contains large, mostly full page pictures of Tenjin Hidetaka's paintings of various Macross Valkyrie variable fighters. The print quality is exceptional and each picture is presented in full, crisp detail and vibrant colors. The book contains only paintings (collected pictures of all Tenjin Hidetaka covers for the many plastic model kit boxes) and no line art. The book also features a small amount of exclusive artwork and some behind the scenes art for Macross Frontier. Just as with the first volume in this series, this second sortie of art from Tenjin Hidetaka is an absolute must-own book for all fans of Macross artwork.
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Tenjin Hidetaka Artworks Of Macross Valkyries - Third Sortie
(Published 2016)
Tenjin Hidetaka Art Works of Macross Valkyries - Third Sortie is a large volume (128 pages) with a dust jacket in a landscape format published by Kobunsha. The book is 30.0 cm wide by 22 cm tall (11 3/4 inches wide by 8 3/4 inches tall). This third volume in the series is setup just as the first two books (those books covering material from 1999-2005 and then 2005-2010, respectively), containing large, mostly full page pictures of Tenjin Hidetaka's paintings of various Macross Valkyrie variable fighters. Once again, each painting is presented in top quality detail and color. Most of the content within is paintings (a collection of Tenjin Hidetaka's covers for the many plastic model kit boxes and DVD/Blu-Ray video sets) with some small amount of line art. The book also features a brief section of behind the scenes art for the Macross Frontier films and the current Macross Delta series. This third book is notable for featuring English translations of the Japanese annotations of each picture, although the brief interview at the book's end has no translation. This third volume is yet another quality publication of finely crafted art from Tenjin Hidetaka and supplements an ever-growing portfolio of work that has become the ne plus ultra of Macross mechanical art that all fans should covet.
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Macross Frontier Archives
(Published 2009)
Macross Frontier Archives: 3D & Setting Document Collection is a small volume (98 pages) with a dust cover published by ASCII Media Works. The book is 28.5 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). Presented by Dengeki Hobby Books, this volume collects 51 pages of photographs of completed Bandai plastic model kits of the Macross Frontier VF-25 variable fighters. The book also includes a short interview with Shoji Kawamori, 4 pages of custom model paint schemes, 4 pages of colored model schematics, 3 pages of the CG models from the show and 31 pages of uncolored line art drawings of the various component parts of the VF-25 Messiah. This book is for model collectors and model builders, with comprehensive material of all the VF-25 Messiah variants from the Macross Frontier animated television series. Those fans uninterested in Macross Frontier plastic models may not find much in the way of material to enjoy.
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Macross The Ride Visual Book Vol. 1
(Published 2011)
Macross The Ride Visual Book Vol. 1 is a small volume (80 pages) published by ASCII Media Works. The book is 29 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 2/5 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). Presented by Dengeki Hobby Books, this volume features photographs of completed Bandai plastic model kits of the various Macross variable fighters. The book features a 7 page interview with Shoji Kawamori and Tenjin Hidetaka, 4 pages of full color character art, and the rest filled with mostly photographs of plastic models of valkyries with a small amount of hand drawn art and CG modelling. This book (and volume 2) is a visual companion to Macross The Ride, a serialized novel presented in twelve installments (later collected into two volumes) published from January to December 2011 in Dengeki Hobby Magazine. These two "Visual Books" expand upon the original visual supplements for the written story to provide a more comprehensive visual context for the vehicles, characters and settings as described within the novels for Macross The Ride.
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Macross The Ride Visual Book Vol. 2
(Published 2011)
Macross The Ride Visual Book Vol. 2 is a small volume (80 pages) published by ASCII Media Works. The book is 29 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 2/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). Presented by Dengeki Hobby Books, this volume features photographs of completed Bandai plastic model kits of the various Macross variable fighters. The book features a 3 page interview with Kazutaka Miyatake, 4 pages of full color character art, a 10 page manga, and the rest filled with mostly photographs of plastic models of valkyries with a small amount of hand drawn art and CG modelling. Like the Volume 1 book, this second Volume is a visual companion to Macross The Ride, a serialized novel presented in twelve installments (later collected into two volumes) published from January to December 2011 in Dengeki Hobby Magazine. These two "Visual Books" expand upon the original visual supplements for the written story to provide a more comprehensive visual context for the vehicles, characters and settings as described within the novels for Macross The Ride.
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FANKY Planning: Battleships of the Galaxy Part 2
(Published November 2015)
FANKY Planning: Battleships of the Galaxy Part 2 is a small volume (42 pages) published by Taiyo Teikoku. This book is 25.7 cm (10 1/8 inches) tall by 18.2 cm (7 1/8 inches) wide. This book is a doujinshi (self-published work) that features uncolored schematics of the large Macross space ships and is part two of a series. Each set of ship schematics typically consist of one top view schematic and one profile view schematic. This volume profiles both official Macross space ship designs and also a number of fan-created craft. Accompanying each set of schematics is a brief profile with trivia and technical statistics for the ship being featured. In this volume, space ships such as the Northampton class, Guantanamo class, Uraga class and the Battle Class vessels are featured as well as ships like the Daedalus II and Saratoga II from the Macross video games. The book is of course unofficial and sometimes the schematics are too simplistic, but the book can be enjoyed by fans of the ships who enjoy technical details of the various designs.
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Variable Fighter Master File VF-1 Valkyrie Vol. 1
(Published July 2009)
Variable Fighter Master File VF-1 Valkyrie Vol. 1 is a large volume (125 pages) with a dust cover published by SoftBank Creative. The book is 28.5 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). The Master Files are a series in which each book details unique information about a class of Variable Fighter, in this case the original VF-1 Valkyrie. This volume contains extensive trivia about the VF-1A/D/J/S Valkyrie (all written in Japanese) as well as many other variants for the Valkyrie class. The trivia covers a complete component breakdown of the craft including detailed descriptions of the technology, engines, weapons, sensors and FAST/Super Packs. There are also extensive schematics of all three modes, drawings of the instrumentation panels (both Block 4-5 and the film version Block 6), pilot flight suits, the logos/graphics/modex painted on the hull and pages about the OverTechnology of Macross for the VF-1 series. There is also a brief section on the VF-0 Phoenix, a section about the CVS-101 Prometheus, a story and squadrons information section. In addition to the plentiful trivia, there are hundreds of pieces of computer drafted line art, computer generated model art, component diagrams, several cutaway diagrams and dozens of customized squadron markings. The artwork (both line art and CG paintings/models) are all new creations, though some appear to be cleaned versions of older schematic/cross section line art. This book is an in-depth collection of VF-1 Valkyrie trivia and an impressive volume of art for the original variable fighter all in high quality print. A brief disclaimer inside a dotted line box (written within the credits on the last page of the book) states the Master File is not part of the official Macross continuity.
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Variable Fighter Master File VF-1 Valkyrie Vol. 2 Space Wings
(Published December 2010)
Variable Fighter Master File VF-1 Valkyrie Vol. 2 Space Wings is a large volume (125 pages) with a dust cover published by SoftBank Creative. The book is 28.5 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). The Master Files are a series in which each book details unique information about a class of Variable Fighter, in this case the original VF-1 Valkyrie. This volume contains extensive trivia about the Space-based Wings of the VF-1 Super Valkyrie, FAST Packs and Armor configurations (all written in Japanese). The trivia includes numerous FAST/Super Pack variants including detailed descriptions of the technology. There are also extensive schematics, drawings of the instrumentation panels and the logos/graphics/modex painted on the hull. There is also a section on the VF-1 transformation systems, various GBP-1S Armor variants, an updated VF-1X/P craft incorporating some VF-0 features, several story sections, details of the GU-11D gun pod (for the VF-3000 Crusader), profile fighter mode schematics of the VF-4 Lightning III, the VF-3000 Crusader and the VF-5000 Star Mirage. Also included there are numerous pieces of computer drafted line art, computer generated model art, component diagrams, several cutaway diagrams and dozens of customized squadron markings. The artwork (both line art and CG paintings/models) are all new creations. This book is an in-depth collection of VF-1 Super/Armored Valkyrie trivia and an impressive volume of art for the original variable fighter all in high quality print. A brief disclaimer inside a dotted line box (written within the credits on the last page of the book) states the Master File is not part of the official Macross continuity.
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Variable Fighter Master File VF-19 Excalibur
(Published May 2010)
Variable Fighter Master File VF-19 Excalibur is a large volume (125 pages) with a dust cover published by SoftBank Creative. The book is 28.5 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). The Master Files are a series in which each book details unique information about a class of Variable Fighter, in this case the YF-19/VF-19 Excalibur. This volume contains extensive trivia about the YF-19/VF-19A/F/S Excalibur (all written in Japanese) as well as many other variants for the Excalibur class. The trivia covers a complete component breakdown of the craft including detailed descriptions of the technology, engines, weapons, sensors, stealth, fold boosters and FAST/Super Packs. There are also smaller sections covering information about the pilot flight suits, the logos/graphics/modex painted on the hull and even information about the forward-swept wing design. In addition to the plentiful trivia, there are hundreds of pieces of computer drafted line art, computer generated model art, dozens of schematics of all modes, component diagrams, a cutaway diagram and dozens of customized squadron markings. The artwork (both line art and CG paintings/models) are all new creations and none of the art is hand drawn with pencils or inks. As a result the book has a very modern, digital feel to all the art which should please young Macross fans but might not appeal to all older fans. Nonetheless, this book is a treasure trove of trivia and a visual feast of art for the VF-19 Excalibur all presented in high quality print. A brief disclaimer inside a dotted line box (written within the credits on the last page of the book) states the Master File is not part of the official Macross continuity.
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Variable Fighter Master File VF-25 Messiah
(Published April 2011)
Variable Fighter Master File VF-25 Messiah is a large volume (125 pages) with a dust cover published by SoftBank Creative. The book is 28.5 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). The Master Files are a series in which each book details unique information about a class of Variable Fighter, in this case the VF-25 Messiah. This volume contains extensive trivia about the VF-25F/G/S/RVF Messiah (all written in Japanese) as well covering the YF-24 Evolution and YF-25 Prophecy. The trivia covers a complete component breakdown of the craft including detailed descriptions of the technology, engines, weapons, sensors, stealth, and FAST/Super Packs. There is also information about the EX-Gear system, Inertia Store Converter, instrumentation panels, the pilot flight suits, and the logos/graphics/modex painted on the hull. There is also a story section and a portion about the generations of variable fighters from VF-1 Valkyrie, to VF-11 Thunderbolt, VF-17 Nightmare, YF-19/VF-19 Excalibur, YF-21/VF-22 Sturmvogel II and VF-171 Nightmare Plus. In addition to the plentiful trivia, there are hundreds of pieces of computer drafted line art, computer generated model art, schematics of the fighter and battroid modes, fighter schematics of the YF-24 Evolution, component diagrams, a cutaway diagram and dozens of customized squadron markings. The artwork (both line art and CG paintings/models) are new creations, that look very clean and sharp. The book has trivia and artwork to spare for the VF-25 Messiah all presented in high quality print. A brief disclaimer inside a dotted line box (written within the credits on the last page of the book) states the Master File is not part of the official Macross continuity.
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Variable Fighter Master File VF-22 Sturmvogel II
(Published September 2014)
Variable Fighter Master File VF-22 Sturmvogel II is a large volume (125 pages) with a dust cover published by SoftBank Creative. The book is 28.5 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). The Master Files are a series in which each book details unique information (all written in Japanese) about a class of Variable Fighter, in this case the YF-21/VF-22 Sturmvogel II and its many variants. The trivia covers a complete component breakdown of the craft including detailed descriptions of the technology, engines, weapons, sensors, stealth, fold boosters and FAST/Super Packs. Of course, the smaller sections are included for details about the pilot flight suits, the logos/graphics and information about the composite material wing that alters shape and size. In addition to the plentiful trivia, there are numerous pieces of computer drafted line art, computer generated model art, dozens of schematics of fighter modes (no GERWALK), component diagrams, a cutaway diagram and dozens of customized squadron markings. The artwork (both line art and CG paintings/models) are all new creations and possibly the most visually accomplished of the Master File series, all presented in high quality print. While not entirely bereft of newly created statistics or schematic drawings, this Master File does suffer a substantial lack of notable technical trivia and is without sufficient material on the GERWALK and Battroid modes. This book was a chance to fill some long-standing gaps in the YF-21/VF-22 Sturmvogel official trivia (caliber of gun pod, height of the Battroid mode, etc) and a chance to add some exciting new trivia, but instead features almost no technical facts/statistics that fans can use to compare their favorite variable fighters. It is difficult not to see this Master File as a missed opportunity, especially compared to the superior amount of content within the VF-19 Excalibur volume.
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Variable Fighter Master File VF-4 Lightning III
(Published August 2016)
Variable Fighter Master File VF-4 Lightning III is a large volume (125 pages) with a dust cover published by SoftBank Creative. The book is 28.5 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). Each Master File book describes and depicts a class of Variable Fighter, this book detailing the VF-4 Lightning III. This volume contains extensive trivia about the VF-4 Lightning III (all written in Japanese) as well as numerous variants. The trivia covers a complete component breakdown of the craft including detailed descriptions of the technology, engines, weapons, sensors, and newly designed FAST/Super Packs and Strike Packs. There are also smaller sections covering information about the pilot flight suits, the logos/graphics/modex painted on the hull and customized squadron markings. In addition to the plentiful trivia, there are hundreds of pieces of computer drafted line art, computer generated model art, dozens of schematics of fighter modes and component diagrams. The artwork (both line art and CG paintings/models) are all new creations and presented in high quality print for a very modern, digital look. Although detailed, this book features little notable content compared to the better, earlier books in the Master File series. There is a lack of technical revelations from the written trivia and also a lack of schematics for GERWALK mode, Battroid mode or even front/rear Fighter mode schematics (though there are some non-schematic drawings of a front view of the fighter mode). For what is supposed to be a dedicated technical dossier on a variable fighter, this book is underwhelming and disappointing.
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Variable Fighter Master File VF-31 Siegfried
(Published March 2017)
Variable Fighter Master File VF-31 Siegfried is a large volume (128 pages) with a dust cover published by SoftBank Creative. The book is 28.5 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). Each Master File book describes and depicts a class of Variable Fighter, this book detailing the VF-31 Siegfried and its many variants. The text includes component descriptions typical of the Master File series, accompanied by smaller sections detailing pilot flight suits, logos and customized squadron markings. The usual computer drafted line art, computer generated model art, schematics of fighter modes and component diagrams are all included. Unfortunately, this VF-31 Siegfried volume suffers all the failings that have plagued most of later Master File books, specifically a lack of notable content. Much of the technical jargon here is mirrored from other Master File books without much differentiation or embelishment. Since very little Macross Delta technical trivia exists, the absence of notable mechanical trivia here only serves to highlight the weaknesses of the book. This book also lacks any schematics for GERWALK mode, Battroid mode or front/rear Fighter mode drawings (there are also no cutaway diagrams). As one of the only dedicated sources of mechanical/technical trivia for Macross Delta, this book can only be described as lazy and continues the disappointing lack of content fans have sadly come to expect from the later Master File books.
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Master Archive Mobilesuit Earth Federation Force RX-78 Gundam Volume One
(Published 2011)
Master Archive Mobilesuit Earth Federation Force RX-78 Gundam Volume One is a large volume (125 pages) with a dust cover published by SoftBank Creative. The book is 28.5 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). Published by the same company and released in a similar format as the Master Files for Macross, the Master Archive is a series in which each book details unique information about a class of Mobile Suit from the Gundam universe, in this case the RX-78 line of Gundams. This volume contains extensive trivia about the RX-78/-1 through -6, the FA-78-1, the RX-78-7 and the RX-78NT-1 Alex Gundams (all written in Japanese). This book also covers the FF-X7 Core Fighter and SCV-70 White Base. The trivia describes each version of the RX-78 series with detailed logos/graphics/modex painted on the hulls and technical specifications. A structure section details the component parts of the mobile suit including the internal chasis, the head unit, and other technology which then leads into a detailed section on the core fighter (with schematics). There is also an E.F.F. Mobile Suit Development History section, the Gundam pilot space suits, and lastly the White Base section. In addition to all the trivia, there are hundreds of pieces of computer drafted line art, computer generated model art, component diagrams, cutaway diagrams and some variant paint schemes. The artwork (both line art and CG paintings/models) are new creations that all look very clean and sharp presented in high quality print. This book is sure to please any fan of the RX-78 Gundams.
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This Is Animation Patlabor The Movie & Original Video Animation Series
(Published 1994)
This Is Animation Patlabor The Movie & Original Video Animation Series is a large volume (258 pages) with a dust cover published by Shogakukan. The book is 30 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 3/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). This book begins with 34 pages of color photographs from the animated film Patlabor The Movie and the Mobile Police Patlabor OVA Series. After the color pages, most of the remaining 224 pages is filled with extensive uncolored line art from both the animated movie and OVA series that includes the robot (labor) designs, vehicles, equipment, weapons, locations and characters. There is also 17 pages of black and white photographs of real world location scouting done for the movie, 3 pages of staff/cast listings for the movie and OVA, a 7-page interview with legendary film director Mamoru Oshii and a one-page synopsis summary. The print quality of this book is excellent, all line art appears reprinted faithfully and many of the best characters and mechanical designs are featured in full page detail. This book has an incredible collection of art all masterfully laid out in quality print and is quite simply one of the best line art books for any anime production. Highest recommendation.
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This Is Animation Patlabor 2 The Movie
(Published 1993)
This Is Animation Patlabor 2 The Movie is a large volume (258 pages) with a dust cover published by Shogakukan. The book is 30 cm tall by 21 cm wide (11 3/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). The book starts with 48 pages of uncolored character line art, a 1-page interview with Yuuki Masami, 15 color pages of characters, mecha, vehicles and equipment, 111 pages of uncolored mecha, vehicles and equipment line art, interspersed with four more 1-page interviews (Yutaka Izubuchi, Shoji Kawamori, Hajime Katoki and Yoshinori Sayama), 4 pages of uncolored extra character line art and lastly 75 pages of uncolored key animation and layout frames. Despite covering material from the second animated film, this book was published before This Is Animation Patlabor The Movie & Original Video Animation Series (1994) and set the excellent standard of print quality found in both books. All line art appears reprinted faithfully to the original drawings and most of the best character and mechanical line art are given full page spreads. The high quality of the presentation and content in this book cannot be overstated. Highly recommended for Patlabor art fans.
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Cowboy Bebop The After
(Published 1999)
Cowboy Bebop The After is a small volume (96 pages) with a dust cover. This book is composed of nine sections: characters with full-page color pictures of each, episode guide with synopsis color pictures, music section with track listings for the soundtracks, a short guide detailing inspirations and homages for the show, a small guide to all the fictional aspects of the Bebop universe, interviews with creative staff, gallery of color artwork, merchandising and a small section of line art. This is a great book for covering basically everything in the series, but aside from some great color art the book doesn’t cover any one thing all that well. Some sections are small and the line art section mostly consists of really small drawings. Still, this book is a good find if lacking the larger more dedicated art books for this series.
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Cowboy Bebop Sketch Book and Cowboy Bebop Blu-Ray Set
(Published 2015)
Cowboy Bebop Sketch Book is a large volume (140 pages) published by Funimation. This landscape format booklet is 12.5 cm tall by 17.0 cm wide (4 7/8 inches tall by 6 5/8 inches wide) and published as part of the Cowboy Bebop Blu-Ray Set released in 2015 (North American release). The booklet is a collection of black and white line art of characters, locations, ships, and equipment presented across 140 pages. There is no other material within the book. Though this small book makes the art work within a little small on each page, it does contain a large amount of material which is sure to please any fan of the drawn art for the Cowboy Bebop series.
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The Art Of Nausicaa
(Published 1984 and 2001)
The Art of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a large volume (192 pages) with a dust cover. The book covers everything from the 1984 film adaptation by Studio Ghibli. It features hundreds of quality color pictures, concept artwork, line art and full-page paintings. This book is by far mostly artwork with very little text, but it does feature what I believe may be notes or an interview in the back of the book (some 13 pages). This high quality volume is the ultimate visual guide to the Nausicaa film.
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Basic Art of the Five Star Stories Characters 1 Mirage
(Published 1988)
Basic Art of the Five Star Stories Characters 1 Mirage is a small volume (64 pages) published by Toys Press. The book is 28 cm tall by 21.5 cm wide (11 inches tall by 8 1/2 inches wide). This book contains plenty of black and white line art of characters and mechanical designs from the Five Star Stories. The focus of the book is upon the Mirage Knights Corps and other characters and mecha from the Amaterasu Kingdom Demesnes. Although the book is small, it does feature some colored mecha and characters. There is also a detailed section covering the LED Mirage with written descriptions of the machinery, weapons and capabilities of the infamous Mortar Headd. Though there is not a lot of material that can be fit into a volume this small, what is within the book is an excellent collection of Five Star Stories line art printed in a large - often full page - format.
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Basic Art of the Five Star Stories Characters 2 Colus
(Published 1988)
Basic Art of the Five Star Stories Characters 2 Colus is a small volume (64 pages) published by Toys Press. The book is 28 cm tall by 21.5 cm wide (11 inches tall by 8 1/2 inches wide). Like the Characters 1 Mirage book this second volume of Five Star Stories artwork focuses upon black and white line art of characters and mecha. This time the focus is upon the Trio de Colus on the planet Jüno, covering the characters and mecha of that kingdom. The layout and content are similar to the Characters 1 Mirage book, filled mostly with black and white line art, some full color art and then a focused section, in this book the Rogue Mirage is detailed. There is also some maps of the Trio de Colus and details on the infantry and tanks of the Colus armed forces. This is another small collection of art, but most of the drawings are full page displays of the beauty of the Five Star Stories line art that most fans should adore.
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Characters Six: Twin Tower
(Published 1993)
Characters Six: Twin Tower is a small volume (32 pages) contained inside a foil-finished cardboard case published by Toys Press. This oversized book is 36.5 cm tall by 26 cm wide (14 1/4 inches tall by 10 1/4 inches wide). This very large format book is filled with full color drawn line art of characters and mechanical designs for the fictional world of the Five Star Stories, written and drawn by Mamoru Nagano. The quality of this book is very apparent in the high quality materials, being printed upon a coated, matte style paper that is both very durable and produces a superior premium presentation for the artwork within. Nearly the entire content of book is composed of full page pieces of art and the image quality is extraordinary. The content is primarily character designs and mechanical designs, the latter focused entirely upon the Jagd Mirage (aka Green Demon). The book also features extensive written trivia (in Japanese) for the Jagd Mirage and has two large fold-out pages featuring even larger lateral colored line art of the famous Mortar Headd. Several beautiful, full-page paintings are also found throughout the book that showcase either the Jagd Mirage or a character design. This book and the silver cardboard case it comes in is simply one of the most lavish publications of Japanese mechanical and character artwork. Nagano's work is treated lovingly in a book clearly designed to emphasize art appreciation, almost as if it were high art. This publication is a must-own for any fan of the Five Star Stories.
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Newtype 100% Collection Neon Genesis Evangelion
(Published 1997)
Newtype 100% Collection Neon Genesis Evangelion is a large volume (178 pages) with a dust cover published by Kadokawashoten. This book features a great amount of material from the 26-episode animated series released in 1995 by Gainax. The first 78 pages feature full page color pictures and paintings of characters and mecha followed by 10 pages of episode guides and movie information. The book then has a small section of colored line art of characters and mecha before a section of roughly 70 pages of black and white line art of mecha, angels, characters and locations. The book ends with voice actor information. This book is an incredible resource for the Neon Genesis Evangelion animated TV series and includes an amazing amount artwork. The collection of art feels comprehensive from what I can tell and with the exception that some line art is a little too small on the page, I cannot imagine any fan being disappointed with the content of this volume.
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Sunrise Art Book Series V - The Vision of Escaflowne
(Published 1996)
Sunrise Art Book Series V - The Vision of Escaflowne is a large volume (112 pages) with a dust cover published by Movic. The book covers almost all the material from the 26-episode 1996 animated series by Sunrise. It features dozens of quality color pictures, line art of characters, mecha, logo and cards as well as many full-page paintings. This book also features interviews and some concept artwork. The artwork within this book is high quality and - if not exactly exhaustive - is an excellent guide to most of the Escaflowne art.
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B-Club Special: Akira Mechanix 2019
(Published 1988)
B-Club Special: Akira Mechanix 2019 is a large volume (128 pages) with a dust cover published by Bandai. The book is 29.5 cm tall by 20.8 cm wide (11 3/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). This B-Club special edition is a fan book covering everything about the 1988 animated film Akira from photographs of model kits, clothing, custom props (including a full-size mock up of the power bike), merchandise, collectibles, and more. There is a 6-page section summarizing the story and displaying pictures from the film, 37 pages of uncolored and colored line art of vehicles, weapons, equipment and locations, a 10-page article on the science and technology of the power bike, 16 pages of full-page color paintings and logos, 6 pages of large schematics of the power bike and other vehicles, 4 pages on the military of Neo-Tokyo, 2 pages about playland, 4 pages of uncolored character art and 7 pages about Neo-Tokyo.
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Akira Animation Archives
(Published 2002)
Akira Animation Archives is a large volume (194 pages) with a dust cover published by Kodansha. The book is 30.0 cm tall by 21.2 cm wide (11 3/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). This book is an extensive visual catalogue of the art materials from the 1988 animated film Akira which includes storyboards, extensive key-animation drawings, full color and black and white character/mechanical line art, and full paintings and backgrounds. The material within this book is extensive and comprehensively covers every behind-the-scenes aspect of the film production. The book is also interspersed with sections of written material about the film and most of the drawings within are annotated, all in Japanese. This is one of the best books you can own if you enjoy the production design and animation of this landmark animated film.
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Complete Gunbuster
(Published 1990)
Complete Gunbuster is a small volume (80 pages) with a dust cover published by General Products. The book is 29.5 cm tall by 21.0 cm wide (11 3/4 inches tall by 8 1/4 inches wide). This book contains black and white line art of characters, mecha and ships from the six-episode animated OVA series Gunbuster created by Gainax in 1988. Like many similar such art books, the collection of animation material included here is not quite exhaustive but covers most of the important pieces to be considered comprehensive. In addition to the black and white line art, the book also includes many full color, full page pictures of characters and mecha from the series. There are also screen caputres from the anime and some interviews with creators and staff. This book is an excellent resource for the art of Gunbuster.
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