Uchusen (Japanese: 宇宙船, Hepburn: Uchūsen, lit. 'Spaceship'), also known as Space Magazine Uchusen, is a Japanese magazine about science fiction and tokusatsu films, television series, and other media. First published in 1980 by the company Asahi Sonorama, the magazine's publication frequency alternated between quarterly and bi-monthly over time before it temporarily ceased publication in 2005.

Uchusen
First issue of Uchusen, 1980
CategoriesScience fiction[1] and tokusatsu media
FrequencyQuarterly (formerly bi-monthly)
Founded1980
CompanyHobby Japan
CountryJapan
Websitehobbyjapan.co.jp/uchusen/

In 2008, the magazine was revived as a quarterly publication by Hobby Japan.

Publication history

edit

The first issue of Uchusen was published in January 1980.[2][3] Early issues of the magazine, published by Asahi Sonorama,[2] feature articles about older science fiction media, information regarding new and upcoming media at the time of the issues' publication, and blueprints and diagrams of robots, spaceships and mecha.[3] The magazine would become known for publishing articles and information related to special effects, as well as tokusatsu media franchises like Godzilla, Kamen Rider and Ultraman.[4]

Uchusen was first published in a quarterly format, but its publication frequency alternated between quarterly and bi-monthly over the decades.[3] The magazine ceased publication in 2005 after 119 issues.[3]

After acquiring the magazine's trademark from Asahi Sonorama, Hobby Japan revived Uchusen in 2008 as a quarterly publication.[3][4][5] The first issue of this new edition of Uchusen, published on April 1, 2008, continued the numbering of the magazine's original run by being numbered as Uchusen's 120th issue.[3]

References

edit
  1. ^ Toole, Mike (17 November 2019). "O Big O, Where Art Thou?". Anime News Network. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b Murakami, Takashi, ed. (2005). リトルボーイ 爆発する日本のサブカルチャー・アート [Little Boy: The Arts of Japan's Exploding Subculture]. Japan Society. p. 133. ISBN 978-0913304570.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Johnson, Bob (4 April 2008). "No April Fools, Uchusen Returns!". SciFi Japan. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  4. ^ a b "特撮雑誌「宇宙船」がホビージャパンから復刊". ITmedia News (in Japanese). 6 November 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  5. ^ "持てる知略と戦術をつくし天下を動かすのは―我ら「萌え軍師」なり 「イラストでまなぶ!萌え軍師事典 ―戦国時代編―」 9月30日発売". DreamNews.jp (in Japanese). 25 September 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2020.

Further reading

edit
  • Ragone, August (2014). Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters: Defending the Earth with Ultraman, Godzilla, and Friends in the Golden Age of Japanese Science Fiction Film. Chronicle Books. p. 27. ISBN 978-1452135397.
edit