It must be art week here at JNC. Having visited the tranquil papercraft of Ohta Takashi, we shall now blast off in a spaceship shaped like an electric guitar to the world of Shusei Nagaoka.
Remember how, in the 70s, it was mandatory bands to release at least one album cover depicting the group in some state of interstellar travel? Japanese artist Shusei Nagaoka was one of the top illustrators in this genre, launching musical acts like ELO, Deep Purple and Earth, Wind & Fire into deep space.
In 1984, Nagaoka turned his pen to a series of ads for Mitsubishi Motors, and thus these images — of a Mitsubishi Cordia serving as intra-space station transportation and a Mitsubishi Starion GSR-X parked beside a ghostly space lady on the Milky Way — were born. Far out!
All we know is, we need Nagaoka to draw our team standing atop giant JNC logo flying through the cosmos. If someone can make that happen, we’ll perform a rousing rendition of Boogie Fever.
Works in order of appearance:
Birth (for Mitsubishi Starion GSR-X), 1984
Station (for Mitsubishi Cordia XP), 1984
Bridge (for Mitsubishi Cordia XG), 1984
[Source: Pink Tentacle (some images NSFW)]
I always had a soft spot for Mitsubishis: my first car was a Mitsu Colt. So I got the “Station” poster as my current desktop now!
Last Tuesday when I first visited that page on Pink Tentacle it still said Cordia under the poster called Birth (Starion poster). I see they corrected the caption now! 😉
That is some fabulously funky artwork. A friend of mine was a huge ELO fan in the ’70s and ’80s. I’ll have to show him that Pink Tentacle page. “Station” is now my new desktop. I’ve always like the Cordia. Shame he didn’t do one for the Tredia while he was at it.
Galaxy express 999.
Totally far out, but as much as I stare at these pieces, the Mitsu’s look more and more like they don’t belong there lol. It’s as if they were cut off of a Tamiya model box and pasted in.
Interesting, to say the least.
It just occurred to me that these would look awesome as van murals on the side of a Mitsubishi Delica.
Makes me miss my 88 Tredia Turbo 🙂
i have always been a fan of the Starion. came across this by accident and brought a smile to my face. Bravo.