Evidence #25: (You can still) Rock in Animerica Segment (Vol. 4, No. 2, 1996?)

It's been almost a year since the last Animerica, but better late than never...

Download Here! (size: 74.3mb)

I've been meaning to get this out for months at this point, but better now than later. I say that because November 18th will mark the 20th anniversary of Mamoru Oshii Ghost in the Shell. And what a better way to celebrate an occasion on this site by having a scan of the Animerica issue it's based upon.

I first saw Ghost in the Shell in high school when I was able to rent anime from Blockbuster, and I wasn't too sure about the film other than looking at it as another "right of passage" to becoming an anime fan at that time. I have seen the movie a couple of times here and there in the past 13 or so years since my first showing, but it wasn't until last semester when I saw the film again for my Contemporary Art class, where I discussed essential films by Mamoru Oshii. Thanks to the help of the film and Brian Run book Stray Dog of Anime, really helped me understand the film in a much different light than I had before. There is also an article on studio Gainax, Street Fighter II, and much more.

This is also a good time to point out that I am putting out this issue as a .pdf file instead of filling up my blog post with tons and tons of pages. I have been wanting to do that for a long time now, and with it being almost 5 years too late, better start now than later. This was also an issue that was autographed by Trish Ledoux at some past Animazement, and I am not even sure where I found this issue to begin with. It might have been at a local con for all I know years ago. Also, the corner of the book has some wear on it, and you can thank my cat Bubbles for wanting to chew on it because she is a dumb cat. The interview with Oshii by Carl Horn at the time this issue came out is really interesting to read, which I have lifted quotes from Oshii in the interview for my school project, which was most helpful.

The next release might either be during Christmas, or on our 5th anniversary, who knows at this point. But I will go ahead and let you guys enjoy your post-Halloween blues.

Evidence #6: (You can still) Rock in Animerica Segment (Animerica Vol.4 No.9)

Yea, I'm still around.

So yea, its been a while since I did one of these anime magazine "show and tell" with you internet folks, so I am back with some more evidence of anime printing past as I get to show you this next magazine of Animerica's cover of Armored Trooper Votoms.

To give a brief description of what Votoms is, well have to go back to the war torn gritty era of animes past, where we storm the beach heads of Ryouske Takahashi  mind, and get dropped back to that hellish year of 1983. Armored Trooper Votoms is a unique mecha series even for today's anime fans, because it's more focused on war through the eyes of your typical military grunt, who has no special qualities about them other than to fight and to survive. Votoms follows one particular soldier by the name of Chirico Cuvie, a former Red Shoulder under the Gilgamesh Confederation who was betrayed by his military after a suspicious mission went wrong. Chirico arrives in Uoodo City and is on the run from the Gilgamesh army from then on. Another unique thing about this series is that instead of the mechs being used as "the main guys robot suit to fight the opposing forces", its taking in context that the mechs in the show are just tools. Chirico uses the Votoms in the series like a case of beer at a frat party, as soon as one is gone another is in hand, except these mechs do not contain alcohol, sadly.

This was one of the Animerica's I picked up at Animazement a couple of months back, which my hunt for these magazines still continue and will. I mean, what good is this blog without me talking and showing anime mags? It would just be another boring "new podcast and justin.tv link" here and there. I mean, come on, who wants to see that?

So, the post must go on:

Here we have the Animerica interview with Takahashi. It pretty much contains bio info on Takahashi, his work and characters bios are seen here. Interesting read if you get the chance to go through it. Good stuff!

Here we have a Trish Ledoux editorial, just for the heck of it.

.

Here we have a report of the convention tour of 1996 and a report on Noburo Ishiguro and he talks about his days working on Macross and mentions some famous people from Gainax from the glory days, and a anime Q n A with Ishiguro.

Here we got the latest anime in japan including Gall Force: Revolution and Gundam Wing from 1996, the Viz "Shop by mail" listing, and Animerica's anime reviews of Mad Bull 34, Battle Royale High School and a few more to boot.

Here's another review of 4 anime series of Legend of Crystania, Landlock, St Tail and Memories

 We also got a Sega Saturn review of Shining Wisdom and Legend of Oasis, just showing a bit of this magazine age. Hey, I like my Sega systems thank you.

Of course, what magazine isn't complete without some advertisements thrown in. Marvel at the price of Ghost in the Shell VHS tapes back in 1996 when it was NUMBER ONE IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!! I scored the Gunbuster DVD collection on ebay last year for about 25 bucks and gotta say, so worth it.

Wow. Here is what I wanna know, who got the grand prize to the MD Geist cell? Please, if your reading this blog, one day, tell me who you are, because I gotta know. To some of you, yes, there are Suncoast that still exist in the known universe. One in particular (last time I was there for Animazement) was the Cary Towne Center. Go and see for yourself (im to lazy to post a google link on it, you guys can do that).

And how can we forget that lovely FAN ART!!!

Well, I think that is about everything on this issue.

So yea, to give a brief personal lifestyle background on yours truly (or you can just skip to the bottom if you don't care), I've had an interesting month. I was "subject for termination" from my previous job back on the 21st of July and right now I am part of the "lucky" few (million it seems) that are unemployed at the moment. But, I am looking forward to school starting up the end of this month for my Digital Rendering and Game Design Degree from my Community College down the road. So for money I got unemployment I am working on getting and using whatever Financial Aid that is left over from paying for school. Of course I would have more in my savings if the fuel pump on my car didn't go out and cost me 600 bucks to get it fixed. Oh yea, I am currently trying to find a roommate by the end of this month. So that's my personal life as of now, but as long as I got internet and a place and magazines to go over, I think I should be good.

Well, enough of my sob story, I just hope this was interesting to read and gives you good content to check out. And I must part with you on this, You sometimes gotta run... with us!