Monday, January 13, 2014

Science Fiction Non-Fiction: Alex Ross (Battle Of The Planets) II

"I loved the designs of the characters - the translucent beaks and sleekness of the costumes, the fact that they had the thigh-high boots. Nothing was really going on like that in American super-hero design at the time.  It was a true departure."

-Alex Ross, G-Force: Animated: The Official Battle Of The Planets Guidebook-

The influence of this series on American kids everywhere resulted in the indoctrination of kids like Alex Ross to the world of Japanese anime Tatsunoko-style.  An then one day those same kids would rise up like the fiery Phoenix and become artists and writers in their own right.  In some cases, as with Ross, some would deliver their very own stunning interpretations of these very Japanese heroes.

Ross not only painted some of the most impressive G-Force images ever made but spearheaded the campaign needed to bring a new comic book to life via Top Cow decades after the brief run by Gold Key and artist Winslow Mortimer.

Ross was bringing the very things he loved from his childhood back to life for a new generation.

The power over kids resulted in people like myself returning to the series and delivering it the kind of tribute it deserved long, long ago.  And efforts to immortalize this classic anime and pay it homage continue even today some forty years on right here at Musings Of A Sci-Fi Fanatic.

1 comment:

Roman J. Martel said...

Wow his stuff is great. It's great to see what inspires folks and how they use that inspiration in ways no one expects.