SciFi Art of Leiji Matsumoto

[Malcadon]

For those who do not know, Leiji Matsumoto is an iconic animator and illustrator from Japan. His best known works includes Space Battleship Yamato (Starblazers in the west), Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999 (stated as "three-nines"), Queen Emeraldas, and the Daft Punk music video Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem. Much of his works are grand sea voyages across the universe, often intermixed with whimsical fantasy and wanderlust. People might ask "Why are there navel warships and a steam train cruising around space? That doesn't make any sense!!", but much of this his works have always been about fantasy and adventure first, with the scientific stuff as window dressing.

I find his art to be visually breathtaking; his style to be beautifully stylized and timeless; his worlds to be evoking and wondrous; his women to be unearthly beautiful nymph-like beings; his heroes/heroines to be stoic bad-asses; and his characters to be fun and relatable.

Beyond his works in manga and anime, he also illustrated the translated works of Andre Norton*, CL Moore** and Michael Moorcock***, which I like to share with this community. You can find this work at this french blog. (just a heads-up: there is nudity in the art, but its all tasteful)

There is something awesome in seeing Northwest Smith (aka "The Original Han Solo") being drawn as Captain Harlock (aka the Paton Saint of Anime and Stoic Bad-Assery). Although, the funny thing is that the Northwest Smith pictures came out six years before he start publishing his Captain Harlock manga. OK, that is even better!

Enjoy!

* Solar Queen 1 - Sargasso of Space; and Solar Queen 2 - Plague Ship
** Nymph of Darkness and other stories; Julhi and other stories; Judgment Night; Black God's Kiss and other stories; and Shambleau and other stories
*** Warrior of Mars - City of the Beast

[kesher]

Thanks for that link! The illustrations for the lesser-known Moorcock novels were wonderful!

[ritt]

Thanks for sharing this!

Us Sword & Planet fans don't get to see much Kane of Old Mars art.

[Malcadon]

Thanks guys! Its great to see that Matsumoto's iconic works are still appreciated.

Folks might be wondering why I put this on a D&D forum in the first place. What I forgot to address on the first post was that, when someone says "Lets play a D&D game set in space!", most people right away think of "Spelljammer", but my first thought is the collective universe of Leiji Matsumoto. While his worlds are lacking in the Tolkienesque elements so ingrained in D&D, Matsumoto's works are adventurous, fantastic, and casually uses mythology and fairy tails elements. While TSR threw sailing ships into space, crewed them by D&D races and called it a setting, Matsumoto made spaceships into sailing ships, crewed them machine people, space elves and other fantastic races, and gave them cool-ass rapier/pistol-combo weapons.

With a number of great scifi OD&D-clones available, his works are a great inspiration for them.

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There are also two things I wish to share: The guns used in Captain Harlock, and some simple rules to make that possible.



The Cosmo Percussion M78 "Cosmo Dragoon" or "Gun of the Warrior" (based on the real-life Colt M1848 "Dragoon" revolver) is a powerful beam pistol capable of killing a Metanoid in one shot. It is an extremely rare gun (only 4 or 5 are know to exists, although GMs can change this) and is never available for sale — you must earn or inherit it. Its is also difficult to master, but the beam becomes amplified with experience. When someone becomes proficient with this weapon, they are said to become a true "Space Warrior".

This handgun can do 3d6 damage, plus an additional 1d6 with each improvement to to-hit. The shooter needs to be a 3rd level Fighter (or equivalent to-hit ability) to use the weapon without suffering a -4 penalty due to recoil. Although ammo was never established with this weapon (a normal thing with old-school energy weapons), GMs could rule that it requires powerful batteries or capacitors that limits its use to six shots before needing reloading. Range should be based on a normal energy pistol, based on the rules being used.

Alternatively, a GM could use the rules for a fireball spell (sans the explosive area of effect) for this weapon.




The Gravity Saber (or Gun Saber) is a combination sword/rifle weapon. This is a relatively common weapon. This is a weapon of officers and swordsmen. The blade can be used to fence like a rapier, or it can enhance the strike by firing into the target at the tip of the blade. This results in smoke coming out of deep wounds. As a gun, it can fire like a rifle. They can be fitted with a scope for long-range use, at the cost of making it bulky in close-quarter combat. Some variations have a telescoping blade/barrel that allows them to work as a sniper rifle (this is a rare feature).

As a saber, it can do the damage of a normal sword, with the option of an added damage die at the cost of one shot. As a gun, it can do the damage of a normal energy rifle or equivalent. The number of shot capable with this weapon was never established, GMs should set this to the rate of normal energy rifle. Range should be based on a normal energy pistol (or energy rifle, if a scope is used).

Alternatively, a GM could use the rules for a magic missile spell for the rifle portion of this weapon.