Macross Attack Team Sky Angels Complete Collection

[Shawn]

I can't really compete with a life-long fulfillment of a complete Takatoku collection like some others have posted here, but I will offer this one up. Here is what I believe is the complete Sky Angels doujinshi collection from the famous "Macross Attack Team (MAT)" fan circle.

Setting the time machine back to 1985ish, I remember walking down to the back of my local hobby store, Military Emporium in El Cajon, Ca and seeing an awesome Valkyrie book on the rotating book stand (it was the Special Edition VF-1 edition). I didn't have money at the time, but went back sometime later to get it but it was gone. 

Other San Diegans may remember this store and the owner Greg who was always very,very intimidating. But as he kept all the cool Macross models in the far back of the store, I'd have walk past all the revolutionary war miniatures in the front which was what he enjoyed much more than transforming jets. He was curt and didn't suffer fools, which I certainly was at 15 years old.
https://squadpainter.blogspot.com/2016/09/military-emporium-my-first-game-store.html

 

Flash forward another 15 years and I remember asking on alt.fan.macross if anyone recalled a book with a valkyrie flying across the sky, but no one recalled. After building up a rather large collection of old 80's Hobby Japans thanks to ebay and Storm Peng and others, I saw an ad in the back from Hobby Store Lark which had the cover shown...that was it!
Now I knew what it was! Sky Angels VF-1 Valkyrie Special Edition!! I've included a version of the ad from the General Products catalog here, but the Lark ad was very similar. 

 

More time passes and Yahoo Japan Auction is growing quite popular. I've got my proxy bidders in place and have been spending way too much money on things I never thought I'd ever see in Macross collecting. Then "IT" appears for the first time ever...Sky Angels Special Edition! Now I'm finally going to get it, only 20 years later (this was 2005 ish?). I'm the high bidder and the auction grows nearer to close, then with just a few minutes to go...I'm going to win it..WHAM! I LOST! WHAT! Arghhhh!! It sold for $750 US!! I was 2nd highest bidder, just edged out. I slunk my head down and sighed-gone again.

 

After 6 months or a year another Special Edition VF-1 issue popped up on YJ, and this one I did win at around $300ish if my memory serves me right.

Once I received my Special Edition it was awesome...so much crazy and wild information. I had previously talked with Tanmen a few years earlier (he designed the Club-M 1/48 Ultimate Strike Valkyrie) and he mentioned he used this book for a lot of the technical data in the supplemental appendix that came with the kit.
I then wanted to know about other volumes-how many were there?
In the Macross TV Graffiti  book, there was a little pic shown of Volume 2, which was called Sky Angels "Macross Magazine".
https://www.macrossworld.com/macross/books/dou_mat2.htm

I knew from the Lark ad that this was part of the Sky Angels series, and that there was at least one other Sky Angels volume with Misa on the cover called 'Don't say Goodbye'.

 

At this point I'm going to pause for a second for an interesting side bit of fun...I was at an early MacrossWorld Con and talking with Egan Loo (Macross Compendium) about rare books and I mentioned the Sky Angels book on YJ I lost. Guess who the high bidder was at $750? Yep-he won it! I was bidding against him! He appreciated the rarity as much as I did, and it went to a good home...too funny
https://macross.anime.net/wiki/Main_Page
 

A few more years go by and YJ Auctions is still producing great results...I found a Sky Angels Vol4 "Don't say Goodbye" issue. Has some crazy Miyatake art inside.
Then I see another one, Sky Angles Volume...#3? I then realized that Vol3 was the original Valkyrie centric issue, which was later greatly expanded into the Special Edition book. Almost doubled in page size.

 

 

Finding a Vol 2 is my next challenge, and more time passes without luck. Then our own board member here "Akim" shows a pic of a small part of his Doujinshi collection...and there it is! Vol 2!! After selling one of my kidneys for some $$, a deal is made and Vol.2 is added to my collection! (THANK YOU AGAIN @akim !!)
 

 

Cue the spinning clock image and more time passes, and I find 2 newsletter type appendixes from the MAT group. Not super heavy on content, and for some strange reason newsletter #2 pretty stongly criticizes the DYRL movie. It looks like the 2nd newsletter was the end of the official MAT circle.

 

Now my Sky Angels collection is just missing Vol 1, whatever that is!

Well last month on YJ it appeared! There was no chance I was going to let this one slip away so the bidding went on...and on and I finally won, at a hefty "don't ask" price. A few weeks later it arrived. Initially I was very surprised at the size...it was just like other very early doujinshis and was literally folded over paper stapled together! Now this was a fan made magazine! I believe this has to be one of the earliest doujinshi for Macross-they mention they had watched a preview on tv and only see a small amount of animation from the show, but the valkyrie was impressive!

 

Here is the back cover with the "M" for Macross (Attack Team) embossed on the J head.

 

As a final note, below is the text from the Obi that came on the Macross Journal (vol3), showing Miyatake's sense of humor.
If you remember, Miyatake's wife was very talented and created a lot of the wonderful side art we see in various books (Gold Book/TIA) and this Sky Angels series. I pulled a few of her wonderful works in this post if you want to remember some great artwork.
https://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/49308-rip-kazutaka-miyatakes-wife/#findComment-1600187

マクロス」を御覧の諸兄には、言わずもがなの話なのだが、六分の冗談に、本気と狂気が二分ずつで「マクロス」は創られている。 どこが冗談でどこがマジかは意外と判りにくい様であるが。ま、それもそのはず、本気ほど冗談ぽく、冗談ほど念を入れる、一種独特の創り方をしているわけで。 さて、本書を手にとった諸兄には自明の理と思われるのだが、「マクロス・ジャーナル」 は、僕等番組精薄者の感性とポリシーに最も近い感覚でまとめられた、プロはだしの一冊である。「マクロス」に光と影があるとすれば、本書は正にその片側に位置するものであ 「ろう。どちらが影かは、これは大変難しい問題であるのだが......... 宮武一貴(スタジオぬえ

Google Translation:

It goes without saying for those of you who have watched "Macross," "Macross" is made up of six parts jokes and two parts seriousness and madness.
It's surprisingly hard to tell which parts are jokes and which are serious. Well, that's because the more serious something is, the more jokey it seems, and the more care is put into making it, which is a unique way of making things.
Well, this may seem self-evident to those of you who have picked up this book, but "Macross Journal" is a professionally written volume that was compiled with a sensibility that is closest to the sensibilities and policies of us, the mentally handicapped people on the show. If there is light and shadow in "Macross," then this book is definitely on one side of it. Which is the shadow is a very difficult question.
Kazutaka Miyatake (Studio Nue)

 

Here is the collection in its entirety!
Macross Attack Team (マクロスアタックチーム)
Sky Angels Vol 1 Self Titled
Sky Angels Vol 2 "Macross Magazine"
Sky Angels Vol 3 "Macross Journal"
Sky Angels Special Edition "VF-1 Valkyrie"
Sky Angels Vol 4 "Don't Say Goodbye"
MAT Information Vol 1 & Vol 2

 

Below are some pics of the books, and random images I thought were neat. Its a very text-intensive series, so break out the google translator!
MAT was also credited in the Macross Laser Disc Challenge game.
https://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/43854-macross-sf-challenge-laser-disc/

Thanks for reading!
Shawn

p.s. After 25 years Sky Angels was 'reborn' in 2009 with the SB Creative GA Series VF-1 Master File book, and continues to this day expanding on all the other valkyries in the Macross Universe.
FYI H.KATO = Hajime Katoki (Gundam Sentinel, ver KA of gundam kits, etc-including the cover for the Special Edition volume)
https://www.sbcr.jp/product/4797351828/

More information
https://www.weblio.jp/content/ヴァリアブルファイターマスターファイル

 

Unofficial World
This book is an official publication with copyright permission, and was supervised by Shoji Kawamori , the creator of the variable fighter, but at the end of the book it is stated that it is "not an official setting ." Kawamori has stated that "settings are made for fun, not to tie things down [1], " and "If the production side prepares too many settings, it takes away the fun for those who join later [2] ," showing an open attitude to external participation in setting considerations.

The roots of the project lie in the fanzine "SKY ANGELS" published by Macross Attack Team (MAT) at the time " Super Dimension Fortress Macross " was aired. The aviation magazine-style VF-1 explanatory article "Macross Journal [3] " was even quoted in the explanations of official products due to its maniacal content . [4] MAT 's founder, Chiba Masahiro, was a member of Studio Nue's circle. [Note 1] He later became the model for Dr. Chiba in " Macross 7 " and helped create the timeline and aircraft specifications for the Macross series. Chiba said that the literary setting position that Kawamori and others had been doing in the Gundam fanzine "Gun Sight [Note 2] " was vacant in Macross, so he thought it was a good opportunity to publish it in a fanzine . [5]

In the "VARIABLE FIGHTER'S AERO REPORT" published in the sequel " Macross Plus " magazine "THIS IS ANIMATION SPECIAL Macross Plus" [6] , modelers Shigeyuki Ninomiya and Kenichi Kusakari came up with the history of the development of variable fighters and the original squadrons. They also expanded the variations in a series of "Advanced Valkyrie" features in " Model Graphics ", and Hasegawa released model products based on these. The novel version of " Macross Frontier " written by Ukyo Kodachi also references the squadrons' settings . [Note 3]

Chiba, Ninomiya, and Kusakari participated in the editing of the "Variable Fighter Master File" series, continuing the same line as "Macross Journal". Ninomiya and Kusakari were in charge of the linked project "VARIABLE FIGHTER ENCYCROPEDIA" in " Scale Aviation ". Chiba wrote "MACROSS Unofficial Mecha x Machine MECHATRONICS" in " Macross Ace ".

Special Edition Credits

 

Index Vol 1

 

Index Vol 2



Index Vol 3

 

 

Index Special Edition

 

Index Vol 4

Now some random pics from inside!

This pic above is from the MAT circle being DENIED as an official fan club! Directly from Studio Nue

 

This one above was shown in color on the Laser Disc Challenge game

 

 

 

That's all folks!!

[Bolt]

Great story @Shawn !

and a great collection!

 

[Shawn]

One more small addition. In Vol 4 they gather various other doujinshi from other circles and do a small review/comment.

For L.Cat.'s "Notice" they were amazed at the quality (she eventually married Miyatake)
I've always been a fan of her work, and so were they at the time!

I have a copy of her Notice #6, I'll dig in the archives and scan it up here soon.
I guess that could be the next quest...find all her earlier volumes!

"NOTICE" published by L Cato (Yamagata)

The more I read it, the more I can only praise it.

Published in Yamagata. Even Captain Chiba was amazed by this amazing fanzine. It's still a bit tame because it's a thin paper, but if it were to be published in book form, it would likely sell better than MAT.

It is not a magazine specializing in Macross, but covers all the hot topics of anime, comics, science fiction, fantasy, and aviation. The drawing skills are outstanding, and the sense is superb. It's hard to believe that the mecha, characters, and sharp writing were all done by a single woman. It's one of the ideal anime fanzines. You can see intelligence in the way they "find it entertaining." (MAT's constant complaining is just stupidity...)

In issue 4, "Macross Journal" shows a glimpse of its hardcore side, casually pointing out that "because Prometheus is the left arm, the angled deck is unusable," and finishing off with "Nah, never mind, never mind, that's just the ramblings of a geek." They really get it. It's a big difference from a certain THQ that is "a bit of a horizontal stabilizer idiot."

(As an aside, THQ's special feature on Macross was incredibly entertaining.)

By the time I got to the fifth issue of the comic, "R-Gyo Irregular Use," I was completely blown away. It's amazing how such a highbrow way of watching anime can still be "interesting."

"S-sign please!"
 

[seti88]

Awesome artwork!

What a memory trip to an amazing time!

You can sense the passion of macross in the art and explanation even after all these years....Worth as much or more than any official macross book....

thanks for sharing @Shawn!

Edited 11 hours ago by seti88

[jvmacross]

Wait...so that probably means many of those b/w pics are actually in color?

[Gabe Q]

@Shawn Incredibly impressive! You tell the story well and I enjoyed reading it.

[MKT]

Love this story & write-up @Shawn.

I think the images are better in B/W, looks more realistic than in color.

[jvmacross]

Skyangels Vol IV has some very questionable content....The cover of Misa is fantastic....but the contents do her dirty....very dirty...I remember adding this volume and thinking WTF?  

Anyways...in reading your post and following the links...I saw this pic from the Laserdisc game...

 

...reminds me of the old furoku poster from Kawamori.....