All original drawings are included in full size! The ultimate Golgo!
“Big Comic” & “Golgo 13” This is Taka Saito’s first super gorgeous illustration art book to commemorate the 50th anniversary. A selection of extremely valuable color drawings, famous scenes, etc. from all “Golgo 13” works are carefully selected in full size. This is an unprecedented book that provides an overview of Golgo’s 50 years of history.
- All illustrations are recorded in “original size”!! Notes written in the corners of the manuscript and dirt on the manuscript are faithfully reproduced. You can directly feel the tension and power of writing.
- Famous scenes are recorded as double-page spreads! Many famous scenes from 50 years of history are recorded as double-page spreads! Famous scenes such as “The Midnight Sun is the Moan of Love” and “The Death Shadow of the Setting Sun” are brought to life.
- Takao Saito explains the illustrations! Takao Saito himself explains the illustrations. This is a valuable interview with Mr. Saito talking about his paintings.
This book is, surprisingly, Takao Saito’s first collection of illustrations. From his vast body of work, we have narrowed it down to “Golgo 13” and carefully selected illustrations that Mr. Saito is deeply fond of.
- Shogakukan, October 25, 2017
- ISBN 9784091990495
- 10″ x 14.25″, 152 pages, hardcover
- ¥6050
- Order online: eBay
As with all AE format material (Artist’s Editions, Artifact Editions, Gallery Editions, Art Editions, Studio Editions, etc.), this is a collection of classic comic material and I’ll be reviewing the book and not the story. For a complete list of all current and announced editions, with review links, please visit our Index. Also, see What is an Artist’s Edition and our Artist Index. This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
I don’t have a lot of experience with manga, but several series have captured my interest over the years, and nostalgia plays a role. Saito created a unique look for Golgo 13 and here we get to see a selection of art boards spanning his career. The book includes an introduction, a chronological look at his art by decade, an interview, and closes with the colophon. Here is the translated introduction:
The history of “Golgo 13” began with the first issue of Big Comic New Year (published by Shogakukan) on November 29, 1968.
It is no exaggeration to say that author Saito Takao, who has been serializing the series for 50 years without a single break, is a “living legend” in the world of gekiga.
Despite the many requests from fans hoping for a release, Saito has not had an “illustration artbook” until now. This is completely unexpected for someone who has been an artist for over 60 years.
In response to these requests and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Big Comic magazine and the birth of “Golgo 13,” the planning for this artbook, “Saito Takao “Golgo 13” Illustration Artbook TAKAO SAITO WORKS “Duke-Togo” HISTORY!!” has begun. The illustrations to be published were selected after careful selection and careful selection of the huge number of precious original drawings stored in the Saito Production warehouse in Tokyo. All illustrations are life-size, and even the dirt caused by aging and notes written in the corners have been reproduced exactly as they are.
Looking at this illustration collection, you will feel as if you have entered the Saito Production warehouse and are looking at the original drawings as an editor in charge or a member of the Saito Production staff.
It would be a great pleasure if you could enjoy the 50-year journey of Duke Togo, the one and only star in the history of gekiga, through this collection.
Shogakukan Big Comic Editorial Department
It’s a wonderful collection and monograph, but the focus is heavily on covers and big iconic images. While taking photos I was drawn to the interior pages, and after having this I can only pine for full story collections in this same design and production.
The artwork presents very well: no visual or production issues. The boards vary in size throughout, and have aged from off-white to tan. Blacks show gradients. No pencils in the art are visible. A lot of different mediums and techniques employed throughout. Correction fluid is used throughout. Word balloons appear to be typed out and then pasted in. I like the Saito-Pro stamp at the top and bottom of every interior page.
The design is direct and engaging. The edge notes, colour coded for each decade, list the year and the story name, and if it’s a cover. Putting large chapter headers on the artwork is a strong design choice, but it was only done when the space was clear of art. The art spread throughout the interview works well as a visual representation and text break. I’m less of a fan of the dust jacket and then a belly band over that; I know it’s a common sales tool in some markets, and it’s a throw away item, but most of us can’t do that and take the extra steps to keep it all.
Production is quite good: a sewn binding of heavy matte paper. The binding is too tight, and took a lot of work to get the pages to mostly open fully. The book comes with a dust jacket and belly band in a plastic bag.
This is my first purchase from Japan, and it was an adventure. I was looking on Amazon Japan and found the shipping to be quite high, with some language and purchasing barriers. Then I switched to eBay and found the book at a higher price but free shipping, and I could use Paypal, so it went smoothly. I received the book two days after I purchased it, via FedEx from Japan. It’s now sold out from Amazon, so eBay is the best method.
