More extraordinarily complex draughtsmanship from Katushiro Otomo’s 2182-page manga masterpiece “Akira”.

**Possible Spoilers**

The above images are taken from the end of Akira book 3 published by Dark Horse comics, I used to have the colourised version compiled by Epic Comics but alas, it’s long since vanished! For those of you perhaps more familiar with the 1988 animated movie but not the Manga, I’d thoroughly recommend checking it out, the story is massively more complex, intertwining a multitude of characters and many recurring, explicitly described locations…

The reason I chose to feature this set was I still vividly remember how much of an effect these illustrations had on me as an aspiring artist/designer, the detail is beyond phenomenal. Of particular interest is not just the superb architectural designs but the way the building are crowned with differing mix of signage, communication arrays, air conditioning systems, water towers etc….

Akira volume 01 is available over on Amazon http://is.gd/dxk1Q and all good bookshops!

** Edit – Also check http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/ a good place to pick up all the volumes at retail – cheers for the tip DQN

More on Katsuhiro Otomo here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsuhiro_Otomo

Super detailed draftsmanship from the absolute master of techno-Illustration; Katsuhiro Otomo, the Japanese Illustrator behind the legendary cyberpunk manga-fest “Akira”. This image is taken from the Epic Books Akira Collection “Part 10″ fairly close to the epic sagas end.

The Akira Manga ran from Dec 1982 through June 1990, and was the basis for the simply stunning 1988 animated feature film, although the story is only loosely connected. The most fasicanting thing with Otomos work is the unbelievable attention to detail, every element is impeccably fashioned and has function. take for a example the above Illustration, Otomo has not just drawn this fighter jet, it’s designed to be as realistic as possible, his take on exactly how a US Navy jet would look in 2019. For case in point note the tilting Canard Wing and airspeed pitot tube (thanks Pete/NelC) at the front of the craft…simply amazing stuff!

Read more about Katsuhiro Otomo at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsuhiro_Otomo and the Akira Manga: (Warning Spoilers!!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsuhiro_Otomo

Lower B/W image via Flickr user: art_files