Awesome Japanese Retro Sci-Fi Art Collection

July 5, 2010 8:48 AM

An AWESOME collection of sci-fi illustrations by the prolific Shigeru Komatsuzaki (1915-2001), whose fantastic work appeared on plastic model kit boxes and in magazines and picture books in the 1960s to 1970s. via

I really wanted to provide a link to a site with more info about Komatsuzaki but it's proved very difficult to find one.... I thought there would at least be a Wikipedia page...

posted by Monkeymoo (18 comments total)

Previously
I don't know how I missed that before....
posted by Monkeymoo at 8:51 AM on July 5, 2010

"ATTACK BOY" is exactly what I'd like to look like after robo-transmogrification.
posted by a small part of the world at 9:01 AM on July 5, 2010

I hope I never need help like this.

Komatsuzaki's careful treatment of the Thunderbird vehicles suggests to me that he took his craft very seriously. I'm sure he faced some pressure to make those illustrations look more juvenile.
posted by Chinese Jet Pilot at 9:02 AM on July 5, 2010

Thunderbirds forever!
posted by MarshallPoe at 9:16 AM on July 5, 2010

Hello, new collection of background desktop images.
posted by the bricabrac man at 9:31 AM on July 5, 2010

Love those images. Interesting how merchandising was integral to entertainment even then. The date on those Thunderbirds illustrations indicate must have been on the inside track in marketing the stuff.

The space ark illustration is something the 10 year old in me really digs, with the end of the world/biblical theme, while the grown-up me finds very curious, framing the scenario with gunmen protecting the ark and it's cargo from hordes of what look like African people. Who seem oddly more lamentful than desperate about the events at hand.
posted by 2N2222 at 9:56 AM on July 5, 2010

Nobody tell 4chan about the Giant Shocker Machine.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:04 AM on July 5, 2010

Where did the future go? I thought it would be here by now.
posted by Devils Rancher at 10:35 AM on July 5, 2010

The thing I like about the Japanese though is they do attempt to try an build the futures they've seen.
posted by infini at 10:49 AM on July 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Hello, new collection of background desktop images.

Hey, that was my comment!

As far as being a duplicate post, fine by me - I evidently missed the previous post as well. The SHADO images are great; UFO was one of my fave shows growing up.
posted by foonly at 11:19 AM on July 5, 2010

Thanks, this totally made my day. I love this aesthetic so much.
posted by drmanhattan at 11:39 AM on July 5, 2010

That "Ark of Space" illustration looks strangely familiar (which in no way diminishes it's awesomeness).
posted by gamera at 11:45 AM on July 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

At some point, the future stopped being about rockets and robots, and became more about resource management and sustainability.

AND THAT'S NOT FAIR.
posted by Graygorey at 11:57 AM on July 5, 2010 [3 favorites]

Did everyone see the great comment thread? It starts on the first post, by Steve.
posted by jragon at 12:06 PM on July 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Thanks for this. I have a new line of beer labels for my homebrew now.
posted by spock at 9:12 PM on July 5, 2010

I like STEVE'S comments and all his friends chiming in.
posted by joelf at 11:16 PM on July 5, 2010

Some of these illustrations were adapted for the most excellent Mix-UP series of techno mix albums.
posted by mkb at 6:38 AM on July 6, 2010

Wait... can a plane LAND on a backwards-rolling conveyor belt? MY MIND SHE IS BLOWN
posted by FatherDagon at 12:35 PM on July 6, 2010