MONDO MACROSS MINMEI! ROBOTECH-inspired UltraMOD Collage ART by Sean Danconia
“DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC VALKYRIES? (ESCAPE FROM MACROSS 23)”! | Limited Edition Art | Gloss Canvas Giclee | Sean Danconia
It’s been more than 38 years since the première of Macross and its cinematic summary—Macross: Love Do You Remember? (超時空要塞マクロス 愛・おぼえていますか)—and other than a brief recap + added footage in Macross: Flash Back 2012 (超時空要塞マクロス), no true update to the original anime masterpiece has ever been made.
In fact, due to legal issues and creative differences among various rights holders + creators, The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (known in the USA as ROBOTECH: THE MACROSS SAGA) is one of the few uber successful anime epics that has never known a proper sequel despite the existence of a range of Macross spin-offs + prequels. None of these attempts ever recaptured the magic of the original. So it was with this goal in mind—plus a desire to see a third John Carpenter “ESCAPE From” film—that Sean Danconia went to work on the story and visual development for the ultimate imagined MACROSS sequel.
The Art is painstakingly hand-drawn in Haruhiko Mikimoto’s long abandoned original style with Pop-Surreal “UltraMOD” collage nods to: Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner), Paul Laffoley, Kazuo Kamimura, Leiji Matsumoto, Jack Parsons, Blake’s 7, Tadanori Yokoo, 80s/90s Cyberpunk, Big Daddy Roth, Ninkyo Eiga cinema and Masumone Shirow.
Tied together with Danconia’s own “SUPER PULP” science fiction multiverse (more on that in future articles), “DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC VALKYRIES? (ESCAPE FROM MACROSS 23)” applies a Philip K. Dick-inspired mind-bending metafiction storyline to the original Macross that allows for both a satisfying conclusion to the original series + films (including Carl Macek’s beautiful mess) while acting as a gateway to Danconia’s upcoming SUPER PULP offering with TAMIAMI.
Below: Visual references used in the art.
Some plot points from Danconia’s storyline:
Following the events of Macross: Love Do You Remember, Megazone 23, ORGUSS and Flashback 2012, Hikaru Ichijyo wakes to find himself back on earth, retired and married to the stunning Lynn Minmei—living in a penthouse condo overlooking the glorious Macross City. But something isn’t right and he knows it.
His mind is a jumble of upside down memories—and not just his own. Most disturbing are recurring dreams of several different men—a former “Black Light” Special Forces Army Lieutenant named “Snake”, a UFO enthusiast from Tennessee named Dean, a man named Jack obsessed with rockets along with several iterations of himself—all of which are clues to a Mega Enigma unfolding around him…and then there is the Woman with scarlet hair…and Minmei’s face.
As he searches for clues to his lucid dream, Hikaru discovers that all is not as it seems in Macross…as indeed, the city is actually a ship (based on alien tech) which was once known as the MEGAROAD-01, lost somewhere in space, powered by a strange Japanese puzzle box lodged at its center, which only Minmei can interface with…
Get ready true believers for the ultimate cyberpunk sequel to Macross, Robotech, Escape from New York and so much more…this summer from John Carpenter, Sean Danconia, Shoji Kawamori and Super Pulp Publishing comes the world’s first 4D animated feature—ESCAPE FROM MACROSS 23!—based on a brief conversation between Philip K. Dick and Paul Laffoley (from the other side)!
((ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻>
Above: The original trailer for Macross: Love Do You Remember? (1984)
More than any other influence, it’s the iconic, beautiful character designs of Haruhiko Mikimoto (and his spiritual sensei—Leiji Matsumoto) that Danconia relied on as a jumping-off point in creating his Macross-homage-collage, embodying the still prevalent Showa-era (ninkyo) and European aesthetic sensibility of post-war Japan.
Mikimoto’s semi-naturalistic (space) operatic archetypes stand in stark opposition to today’s homogeneous super-cute (chibi) stylizations. Instead, his art represented the nobility, empathy and mystery of the characters in question, promoting a thematic suspension of disbelief and of course—adoration on the part of the audience for his heroes.
Unfortunately, as with Matsumoto himself, this “old-school” style has been abandoned, at least in part and along with many other famous artists, Mikimoto has changed with the times. So “ESCAPE FROM MACROSS 23” is not just a grateful tribute to what once was—it’s also a critique and (friendly) rebellion against what currently IS.
Video features: Limited Edition Gloss Canvas of “Do Androids Dream of Electric Valkyries? (Escape from Macross 23)”
Above: Rough sketches and blocking in advance of final art completion
Danconia's view:
"I was fortunate enough to have turned the TV on to WVNY (ABC) at 7:00 am in the early 80’s to catch the first episode of Robotech: The Macross Saga. I was immediately enthralled with this animated series that took me—a child—seriously. Unlike GIJOE or Transformers, Macross had a continuing, compelling science fiction storyline that made sense, filled with high drama and all the trials that life might throw at you—including death. It was a soap opera for kids—unlike anything that I had ever seen, with identifiable characters that I wanted to be and/or date. Plus giant transformable robots. ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶
The Beautiful Mess of a Macross Gateway Drug! The (amusing) History of Robotech from Secret Galaxy
Months later, when I happened to come across Silver Snail comics in Toronto (thanks to my Mom) packed with an entire floor of Macross Japanese toys, books and anime—my fragile little mind was forever blown. They even had a single copy of the VHS for Macross: Love Do You Remember playing in a glass case on the first floor. ٩(●ö●)۶
For all this and more, Carl Macek + Harmony Gold (and Comico) are owed a massive debt of gratitude, irrespective of the particular imperfections in their delivery of the original Macross subject matter. Without them, none of this would have likely ever come to light on American (and Canadian) shores. Moreover, the voice actors and musicians hired by Macek are tremendous talents in their own right and therefore made the material that they touched all the more wonderful and highly accessible."
Various references in “Do Androids Dream of Electric Valkyries? (Escape from Macross 23)”:
Lynn Minmei / Minmay x Eve Tokimatsuri (時祭 イヴ) x Babalon (The Scarlet Woman)
Title is a tribute to Philip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” (Blade Runner)
VF-1S Megaroad Valkyrie “Death Proof” Skull Squadron Special Edition
Jack Parsons + Thelemic-themed Paul Laffoley-isms around the perimeter of the art
Roy Fokker (ロイ・フォッカー) holding a Japanese puzzle box, adorned with Kabbalistic symbols
The SDF-2 MEGAROAD-01, hand-drawn with Thelemic holographic logos tying into the storyline
Minmei’s S.T. Dupont lighter + cig, “borrowed” from Kazuo Kamimura, ignites the MEGA ENIGMA within…
Japanese Irezumi tattoos featuring an Octopus, Dragon and various Ukiyo-E-inspired wave motifs
Custom Hanafuda cards flying about, first designed around 1573 and perfected in the last 1800s by Nintendo
Hikaru Ichijyo riding the Megazone 23 “Garland” motorcycle, with “metatime” quantum mods
Hello Kitty-inspired Lynn Minmei doll + Moschino charm bracelet
Kustom Kulture x 80’s cyberpunk color-scheme, with nods to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth (Rat Fink, etc.)
Hand-drawn movie titles based off of the original ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK logo
Minmei’s beret stolen from Eve Tokimatsuri on the cover of NEWTYPE (The Moving Pictures Magazine)
Top left of the Art contains code lifted from suspected alien radio transmissions including the “WOW! signal”
Repeated 93 + JWP 93—references to Jack Whiteside Parsons + KHJ 93 AM + Crowley’s obsession with 93
Tadanori Yokoo-inspired Mandala structure + upgrade to his hand-drawn pencil trace / silk-screen technique
Above: Ultra-vibrant Inkpress Gloss Canvas Giclee print w/ archival ink, available here.
Custom variants (panels, triptychs, etc.) of ALL art is normally available. Please feel free to get in touch via our Contact Form.
Stay tuned for “ESCAPE FROM MACROSS 23” PART 2, featuring Hikaru Ichijyo (Rick Hunter) front and center with a Captain Harlock x Snake Plissken vibe.