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This was the frontispiece illustration for Issue 42, 1972 (October 2 Issue) of Weekly Shonen Jump. In 2024, we photographed the illustration using a high-resolution camera. We then digitally retouched the photograph and printed it on 100% cotton paper using an archival inkjet printer. It has been turned into a manga-art piece, packaged as a set containing the illustration in its original size and an enlarged A1-size version.
The cover of the same issue features the illustration that namede later "Mazinger Z: Giant Machine God" (MAZ_RC_003_A1). When you turn the cover page, this illustration appears along text that reads “Thrilling New Series!” and “Sci-Fi Robot Manga Mazinger Z.”
The background is green. We see the black figure of a giant robot. There are gleaming yellow eyes. Their red outlines are reminiscent of kumadori makeup used in kabuki performances. Kuma refers to the boundaries between light and shadows, and the red beniguma represents a sense of justice and courage in kabuki. Koji Kabuto steps forward, raising both hands in the air as if he were clawing at something. Perhaps he has the ability to control forces that can be either divine or demonic.
What you see on the right is a submission stamp for Shonen Jump. It reads, “Shonen Jump... Manuscript.” It is customary for the text of a serial work to be labeled with this type of stamp, which indicates the issue of publication and other information. To highlight the uniqueness of original manga artwork in the form of a printed manuscript, we printed the work with a preserved image of the submission stamp.
During the process, Go Nagai himself gave the work the title Mazinger Z: Darkness of Spirit.
*The work is made up of a set of 2prints
*Signature on prints (seal)
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.
Never-before-seen color and detail
A collection featuring realistic colors that cannot be produced with the offset printing process used for comics and manga magazines. Available in two sizes, A2 (420 mm x 594 mm) and A1 (594 mm x 841 mm). This collection is printed on the 100% cotton velvet fine art paper used in museum collections.
At Shueisha, we have been digitally archiving manga since 2007. We initially captured color originals with the EverSmart Supreme II high-precision scanner. Since 2015, we have been using the Phase One IQ180 high-resolution digital camera. As of 2020, we are using the iXG100MP model from Phase One's Cultural Heritage series. We are able to capture and save ranges of color that cannot be reproduced by commercial printing, and we can even capture the texture of the paper that the artist used.
For the Real Color Collection label, we send these captured and adjusted images to a printer that has undergone color management. The pigmented inks used in Epson inkjet printers are light-resistant and retain their original color even in the kind of light conditions that would cause dye color inks used on the originals to fade.
Not only do the ranges of color exceed those produced by the offset printing methods used for comic covers, but we are also able to achieve levels of light resistance and durability that even exceed those of the original pictures drawn on paper.
A set of original size prints and enlarged original prints
The collection, based on works drawn on paper, contains a set of two types of prints, one in the original size (often B4) drawn by the artist, and another enlarged to A2–A1 size. One can witness the precision that went into the original size prints. The blown-up prints allow one to feel the impact of the work and notice details that only become apparent when the artwork is enlarged.
The original box includes a blockchain-linked sales certificate
All works are registered to Startrail PORT, NFT management service. Works include a blockchain-linked sales certificate with an affixed NFC tag sticker (letterpress printed by Kazui Press). You can view the information recorded on the NFT by scanning the NFC tag sticker with a smartphone. We will send you your product in an original Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage box.
Work Size A2 (420 mm x 594 mm) or A1 (594 mm x 841 mm)
Paper used Velvet fine art paper
Printing Method Archival Inkjet Print
Package Contents
Main product
Blockchain-linked sales certificate (letterpress printed by Kazui Press, linked with NFC tag sticker)
Matte paper
Special paper to absorb any harmful substances
Instruction manual
Storage case (Foil stamped interior/exterior)
