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The Protagonist Boards a Giant Robot to Battle Monstrous Foes.
In Mazinger Z, created by Go Nagai, the protagonist merges with a mechanical body, pulling children—who had previously remained in a safe zone—into the heart of the action.
In Tetsujin 28-go (1956–) by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, the giant robot is remotely controlled and has no will of its own. The hero, operating it from a distance, remains safe—much like today’s drones.
In contrast, Mazinger Z features a small fighter jet piloted by the protagonist that docks directly into the robot’s head—arguably the most dangerous and targeted part of the machine.
Children perceived the battles that unfolded there as real, and were thrilled by them.
They imagined themselves climbing into miniature robots called “Chogokin,” fighting, getting hurt, and rising again and again.
In 1972, Go Nagai launched both the TV animation and manga serialization of Mazinger Z in parallel. By linking the world of the story with character merchandise, he laid the foundation for the expansive world and market of giant robot franchises that continues to this day.
Under the supervision of Go Nagai and Dynamic Production, Shueisha Manga Art Heritage has produced fine art prints of this landmark work.
This print recreates the traditional technique used from the postwar period through the late 1970s, combining metal plates and movable type.
The artwork portion of the manga is etched onto a zinc plate, while the speech bubbles are carefully cut out with a scroll saw and filled in with movable type.
Printing was carried out by Kazui Kobo in Tokyo, using Gmund Cotton Max White paper.
This art print is, in a way, an OOPARTS—an “Out Of Place Artifact” that defies its time and place.
It will be sold as a set along with a photograph of the printing plate.
The photo is printed using collotype by Benrido in Kyoto, with ink applied in a way that gives the surface a tactile texture you can feel with your fingertips.
Go Nagai made his manga debut with Meakashi Polikichi (serialized in Bokura) in 1967. In 1968, he began publishing Harenchi Gakuen in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series was a tremendous hit. In 1972, he launched two series, Devilman in Weekly Shonen Magazine and Mazinger Z in Weekly Shonen Jump, while the animated versions were being developed for television simultaneously. In 1973, he started serializing Cutie Honey in Weekly Shonen Champion. His works span a wide range of genres, from gag comedy to dark fantasy, science fiction, and horror. As of 2024, he continues to publish series. In 2019, he was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier) by the French government.
The protagonist rides on a giant robot, battling strange enemies.
In 1972, Go Nagai launched both the TV animation and manga series projects at the same time. By bridging the story’s world with character merchandise, this franchise created a giant robot universe and a new market, which continues to thrive today. This paved the way for such series as Getter Robo (1974–), Mobile Suit Gundam (1979–), and Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995–).
Mazinger Z was followed by the sequels Great Mazinger (1974) and UFO Robot Grendizer (1975–), which were big hits in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. In 2024, Grendizer was rebooted as the animated series Grendizer U.
