Stardate: February, 1980. While American fans were dashing off angry missives to the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization newsletter about the lack of "Japanimation" on local TV stations, over in Japan proto-otaku were applying the ancient art of paper-folding to American sci-fi standards. Like the Battlestar Galactica, above. I discovered these images in a moldering, twenty eight year old issue of the Japanese edition of "Starlog" magazine found in a dark corner of an obscure Nishi-Ogikubo used book shop. The author-folder, mysteriously described only with the initials "SSK," goes to great pains to explain that no scissors or glue were used in their construction.
Below: the first, and I suspect only, time an origami "Nostromo" from Alien has ever been attempted. The tantilizing caption read, "I'm working on a giant, detachable refinery section too." I like to imagine he's still working on it even now.
Next: a Millennium Falcon and Darth's TIE Fighter. Click to see 'em bigger.
Origami Cylon Raider and X-Wing Fighter. I can't count the number of times I attempted to make similar things in high school math class. In my case, I wound up with neither a good-looking X-Wing replica nor a functional knowledge of mathematics. Great.
Finally, a handful of "mecha" from that great granddaddy of modern sci-fi make an appearance. The Pan-Am Shuttle and the Moon Lander from 2001: A Space Odyssey. What, no "Discovery"?
Check this out.
http://newgeneration.mukade.jp/
Posted by: Aceface | March 10, 2008 at 10:41 PM
Holy crap, the C/FO. That's a name I've not heard in literally years... now I feel quite old. Old! *shakes cane, watches un-subbed, un-dubbed third-generation VHS tape copy of Good morning Althea*
Posted by: Davecat | March 11, 2008 at 09:50 AM
If only I had an old copy of their newsletter. I'd try folding it into an origami version of the SDF-1.
Posted by: Matt | March 11, 2008 at 05:09 PM
C/FO LOL!
I used to have my parents drive me out to their little get togethers back in the 80's because it was pretty much the only way to see any "Japanimation".
One time the special guest was some guy claiming to be the original voice of "Spritle" from Speed Racer.
I actually laughed out loud while he was speaking and it turned out I was right.
He was full of BS.
Posted by: Paulkaiju | March 12, 2008 at 12:21 AM
Couldn't find SDF-1,But...
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~BU9T-SM/vf1.html
Posted by: Aceface | March 12, 2008 at 12:55 PM
I see your Valkyrie and raise you one Evangelion:
http://www.origami.gr.jp/~komatsu/etc/shelves/eva.html
Posted by: Matt | March 12, 2008 at 03:01 PM