General Sci-fi designs across various media

[M'Kyuun]

While sharing our thoughts about the late Gil Gerard of Buck Rogers fame, I thought @electric indigo made an interesting post citing guys like Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and Syd Mead, among others for their contributions to sci-fi design. I'm sure there are any number of idea guys at ILM today that come up with designs, and sites like ArtStation exist as a marketplace for such folks. 

As a huge Sci-fi fan, I'm not only interested in the designs themselves, but the people and the stories behind those creations. I wasn't sure there was a generalized place to talk about that here, so I figured I'd make one. If I'm wrong, Moderators, do your thing. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to the conversation.

[Big s]

I’ve seen a few interviews with Syd Mead in the Blu-ray for Turn A, and he had some interesting ideas about how he always liked to start with the engine and power supply before making shapes of the vehicles like the Spinner and even his mobile suits. Still not sure about that mustache though 

[M'Kyuun]

1 hour ago, Big s said:

I’ve seen a few interviews with Syd Mead in the Blu-ray for Turn A, and he had some interesting ideas about how he always liked to start with the engine and power supply before making shapes of the vehicles like the Spinner and even his mobile suits. Still not sure about that mustache though 

I think he just took the usual Gundam crest and moved it down, probably as a signature difference since all the other suits kept the crest up on top of the head.

While Superheroes aren't generally considered Sci-fi, in my mind they fall into the bucket more often than not. Batman, with all his gadgets, is a particular favorite and I wanted to mention the late Anton Furst for his iconic Batmobile design, followed by Chris Nolan's and Nathan Crowley's Tumbler, still one of the most unique rides for the Caped Crusader, as well as Rocksteady's car-cum-tank Batmobile in Batman: Arkham Knight, to Patrick Tatoupolos', Ed Natividad's and Dennis McCarty & Team's Batmobile design for Batman vs Superman. The Batmobile for me is a star unto itself whenever it's featured, and while there have been countless versions of it over the decades, these particular designs stand out for me. Of course, I grew up watching the old '66 Batman show, and that Batmobile, the iconic heavily modified Ford Lincoln Futura, still stands out as well, although I prefer the more modern takes.

I've also been a huge fan of the S.H.I.E.L.D. flying car since first seeing it in a friend's comic book back in the 80s focusing on breakdowns and cutaways for a plethora of Marvel Comics gadgetry. That image burrowed itself into my psyche, and I still think it one of the coolest bits of hardware in a vast universe of interesting and cool hardware, including my other favorites, Tony Stark's many Iron Man suits. I was really pleased when the flying car was featured in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Coulson's cherry red convertible, L.O.L.A. LEGO even made a set of it, much to my joy. 

As the LEGO Speed Champions Team seem to be exploring more media as fodder for sets, I hope LOLA get the treatment eventually. 

Since I'm talking about flying cars now, I have to mention the Delorean from Back to the Future Part II, which gave an already cool sci-fi vehicle, a sporty time machine, a flight mode with tires that curl under nigh parallel to the road, a look I've dug since seeing the old SHIELD car in that aforementioned comic.

Staying with the car theme, I'll wrap up with the Mach 5 from Mach GoGoGo, or more famously known as Speed Racer. Much like many Batmobiles and James Bond vehicles over the years (another worthy mention), the Mach 5 blends style and gadgetry to create a formidable sci-fi vehicle wielded against the forces of evil. Ironically, I'm not a car guy by any stretch, but I'm enamored with cars with secret transformations, hidden weapons and functions, and other capabilities beyond those of normal cars. Guess I need to throw the whole inventory from M.A.S.K. in there, too. So much goodness. I'd love to see MASK make a comeback in a grittier show in the vein of G.I. Joe Resolute with both the old vehicles and new ones. It's such a great concept: it deserves a good show and some really badass toys, models, etc.

 

Edited December 19 by M'Kyuun

[pengbuzz]

One that interested me was the Nightflyer from the 80's movie Nightflyers:

Better pics of it here:

https://propstore.com/product/nightflyers-1987/blue-alien-spaceship/

The ship was designed by production designer/illustrator Guy Hendrix Dyas, and built by David Sandefur (at least from the info I could gather):

https://forthehellofitreviews.wordpress.com/2018/12/16/nightflyers-george-r-r-martins-novella-vs-syfy-channel-series/

Edited December 20 by pengbuzz

[M'Kyuun]

I'm still quite partial to the Bubbleship from Oblivion. It's such a sublime design.

It also reminds me of Kawamori's Variable City Police Machine, a mecha that deserves a toy, IMHO.

[JB0]

I am quite fond of Ron Cobb's Gunstar, from Last Starfighter. it is a distinctive design that feels very believable. And also, those missile bays! Betcha the Starfury can't do a death blossom!

 

[F-ZeroOne]

So this design may seem a little familiar... 😅

https://www.sfxb.co.uk/mecha/imperialships.html

As you can probably tell, I've loved this wasp-like carrier design since childhood. A little background context for those who may be unaware of the series this ship comes from; "Star Fleet" (original Japanese title "X-Bomber") was a Japanese anime-like puppet SF action series created by Go Nagai - yes, that Go Nagai - which was very popular in the UK and Europe for a brief period in the early 80s (popular enough that Brian May - yes, that Brian May - released a cover version of the shows Western theme song featuring guitar work by Eddie van Halen - do I still need to say it? 😅).

It existed in a brief transition period for mechanical designs in Japanese popular media where after the release of "Gundam" but before "Macross" some creators were still figuring out just where the mecha trend was going next so some of the mecha and vehicles have an interesting mix of "Super Robot" like aesthetic mixed with "Real Robot" like technical detail.

There have been various physical media releases of the show both in Japan and the West in past years, which feature interviews with some of those involved but as it was not a huge success in Japan I suspect many of the stories behind it are going to be at best difficult to unearth...

Edited December 20 by F-ZeroOne

[M'Kyuun]

1 hour ago, JB0 said:

I am quite fond of Ron Cobb's Gunstar, from Last Starfighter. it is a distinctive design that feels very believable. And also, those missile bays! Betcha the Starfury can't do a death blossom!

 

You're not wrong! The Gunstar is a lovely design. What's really cool about it is that it was rendered entirely in CG, as were many space shots in that film, giving it an otherworldly yet oddly realistic look that early CG had. I've not seen The Last starfighter in some time, but I remember being enthralled by it when I saw it so many years ago. Not sure if it has held up, especially with all the 80s cheesiness, but the premise was fantastic as were so many of the themes within. I was also enthralled with Centauri's transforming space car. An oldy but goody.

27 minutes ago, F-ZeroOne said:

So this design may seem a little familiar... 😅

https://www.sfxb.co.uk/mecha/imperialships.html

As you can probably tell, I've loved this wasp-like carrier design since childhood. A little background context for those who may be unaware of the series this ship comes from; "Star Fleet" (original Japanese title "X-Bomber") was a Japanese anime-like puppet SF action series created by Go Nagai - yes, that Go Nagai - which was very popular in the UK and Europe for a brief period in the early 80s (popular enough that Brian May - yes, that Brian May - released a cover version of the shows Western theme song featuring guitar work by Eddie van Halen - do I still need to say it? 😅).

It existed in a brief transition period for mechanical designs in Japanese popular media where after the release of "Gundam" but before "Macross" some creators were still figuring out just where the mecha trend was going next so some of the mecha and vehicles have an interesting mix of "Super Robot" like aesthetic mixed with "Real Robot" like technical detail.

There have been various physical media releases of the show both in Japan and the West in past years, which feature interviews with some of those involved but as it was not a huge success in Japan I suspect many of the stories behind it are going to be at best difficult to unearth...

I wasn't familiar at all with this. I've always like insectile features transposed to mechanical vehicles and mecha, so I can understand the allure of the carrier ship. Pretty neat history, especially the involvement of two of Rock's most notable guitarists.

Speaking of insectile inspirations, I'm reminded of the Jigabachi  helicopter from GitS: Stand Alone Complex. I bought a model of it some years ago and have yet to build it. It's a neat design, though.

[F-ZeroOne]

Yes, as far as I'm aware "Star Fleet" is somewhat more obscure in the US. As it happens, I was browsing a local HMV (yes, we still have those) the other day and much to my surprise they actually had "The Star Fleet Project" CD (Mays cover mini-album of the series music)! I guess it must have been re-issued fairly recently!

If you like insectoid designs, and you're not already familiar with it, you may want to check out "Aura Battler Dunbine"... 😄 

[M'Kyuun]

6 hours ago, F-ZeroOne said:

Yes, as far as I'm aware "Star Fleet" is somewhat more obscure in the US. As it happens, I was browsing a local HMV (yes, we still have those) the other day and much to my surprise they actually had "The Star Fleet Project" CD (Mays cover mini-album of the series music)! I guess it must have been re-issued fairly recently!

If you like insectoid designs, and you're not already familiar with it, you may want to check out "Aura Battler Dunbine"... 😄 

I had a very limited knowledge of it having seen pics or models of the purplish-bluish mecha over the years. Irecognized some insectile qualities in that mecha alone, but prompted by your suggestion,  I checked out a review/synopsis on YT. First, I wasn't aware that Tomino san was behind it, or that it was one of the first isekai anime. Beyond that, concerning the mecha design, most definitely insectile. Pretty cool. 

[pengbuzz]

2 hours ago, F-ZeroOne said:

Yes, as far as I'm aware "Star Fleet" is somewhat more obscure in the US. As it happens, I was browsing a local HMV (yes, we still have those) the other day and much to my surprise they actually had "The Star Fleet Project" CD (Mays cover mini-album of the series music)! I guess it must have been re-issued fairly recently!

If you like insectoid designs, and you're not already familiar with it, you may want to check out "Aura Battler Dunbine"... 😄 

I first saw "Star Fleet" on Showtime cable, and was immediately taken by it. Years later I learned Brian May did the theme

[AN/ALQ128]

I think outside of Kawamori, one of my favourite mechanical design people has to be Ikuto Yamashita. His work on the Yukikaze OVAs is excellent, nails the otherworldly alien insect look of these (in-universe) AI generated fighters while still maintaining ancestral design elements to current day aircraft for that touch of groundedness. Also, he did the EVAs from Evangelion, incredibly iconic in their own right. 

[Graham]

On 12/21/2025 at 3:45 AM, JB0 said:

I am quite fond of Ron Cobb's Gunstar, from Last Starfighter. it is a distinctive design that feels very believable. And also, those missile bays! Betcha the Starfury can't do a death blossom!

 

It always annoys me that we have never had (as far as I know) a detailed, mass produced Gunstar collectable toy.

[JB0]

7 hours ago, Graham said:

It always annoys me that we have never had (as far as I know) a detailed, mass produced Gunstar collectable toy.

Yeah, I don't think there's been any mass-market Gunstar. No toys, models, or statues. Just resin kits, 3D-printer files, and people selling the output from those 3D printer files. 

[F-ZeroOne]

21 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

I first saw "Star Fleet" on Showtime cable, and was immediately taken by it. Years later I learned Brian May did the theme

Sorry, have to make a correction to a common misconception here - May did not perform the shows theme for the series itself; instead he produced a cover version of it. The story goes that he and his son enjoyed watching the show, and May was inspired to do his own version. The Japanese original, "X-Bomber", has a very different Japanese language theme (and its a rare case where a Western substitution was probably the better option!).

Regards "Dunbine", the actual original series itself can be argued to be "of its time" (i.e. its a bit of a long slog if you're not used to "classic" TV anime) but it also shows off Tominos genius for world building (and his penchant for bizarre character names) and the interior workings of the "Dunbine" mecha were rather ahead of their time - I'm looking at you, Hideki Anno... 😉 

Edited Monday at 07:34 PM by F-ZeroOne

[tekering]

On 12/21/2025 at 5:32 AM, F-ZeroOne said:

"Star Fleet" (original Japanese title "X-Bomber") was a Japanese anime-like puppet SF action series created by Go Nagai - yes, that Go Nagai - which was very popular in the UK and Europe for a brief period in the early 80s

Oh, that's where Big Dai-X comes from!

[M'Kyuun]

Oddly, though I've always had a strong interest in robots in sci-fi, I didn't grow up watching any Super Robot shows, not even Voltron. I did see Mighty Orbots, however, and really liked the show. Too bad it only got one season (Thanks, Tonka. Grrrr😠). It was only decades later that I learned Mighty Orbots was based on God Mars, and there were even plans to release a retooled version of that toy that more closely resembled the MO animation model. I'm digressing, but all this is to say I never cultivated a liking for the vast majority of Super Robots. I liked Big O- cool show and the mecha was cool, and I really enjoyed the Netflix Voltron series (still haven't seen the original Japanese Go Lion or the watered-down American versions), and I've tried twice to watch Super Robot Wars, which I own, but have yet to complete after close to a decade. I'm not sure why they don't appeal to me, but they just don't. I do like most of the Gundam series that I've watched, but Gundam is its own thing, just like Macross, which is awesome. I think one aspect that puts me off of most early Super Robot stuff is the combiner aspect and the fact that all the ships that make up the robot just look like disembodied poorly disguised robot parts. The greatest appeal of Transformers to me was always their realistic and believable alt modes, and that is still one of the most alluring aspects. The Dinobots and Insecticons are oddballs, as I really like them, too. By my own preferences, I shouldn't, but I do. I think it's the fact that they're robotic dinosaurs and robotic insects instead of going the BW route of realistic animals. I like BW, but more for the storytelling than the robot forms, although, admittedly, I have quite a few toys, so make of that what you will. At the end of the day, I'm still more of a vehicle/gadget/robotic animal alt mode fan than of realistic creatures/organic things.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

On 12/20/2025 at 11:45 AM, JB0 said:

I am quite fond of Ron Cobb's Gunstar, from Last Starfighter. it is a distinctive design that feels very believable. And also, those missile bays! Betcha the Starfury can't do a death blossom!

 

Cobb was huge in the 80's, I think he was responsible for the mecha designs in Robot Jox:

You can see more of conceptual art on his website.

[AN/ALQ128]

Would be remiss to ignore one of the more contemporary influential mech designers in the west, Aaron Beck.

Responsible for a decent chunk of Avatar, District 9, Call of Duty IW. Kind of the originator of the "tacticool" hard surface concept art trend of the 2010s. 

[Big s]

4 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

Cobb was huge in the 80's, I think he was responsible for the mecha designs in Robot Jox:

You can see more of conceptual art on his website.

I have a love hate for the robot Jox, crash and burn and other movies in that series. They’re fun trash and the robots are cool yet goofy at the same time and are the real stars of the films

[sketchley]

Lots of good SF designs.  The Gunstar was also influential in my youth.

Another one that stuck with me is the "Trimaxion Drone ship" from Flight of the Navigator.  The effects used to make it were also groundbreaking in 1986—probably why it was so memorable:

 

https://propstore.com/product/flight-of-the-navigator/trimaxion-drone-ship-model-with-replacement-animation-morphing-stair-sequence/

 

Not sure who designed it, but what appeared on screen was very inspired and inspiring.  Found some images on the evolution of the design.  Glad they went with the polished/brushed steel.  It's truly a less-is-more when it comes to surface detailing.

[JB0]

12 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

Cobb was huge in the 80's, I think he was responsible for the mecha designs in Robot Jox:

You can see more of conceptual art on his website.

Yeah, I typed, refined, and deleted an entire side-jaunt about the iconic and genre-defining Nostromo from Alien. If someole wants therr sci-fi hardware to look believable and lived-in, they're still referencing the Nostromo today.

[sh9000]

https://www.ilm.com/how-to-build-an-x-wing-star-wars-model-50-ilm/

[F-ZeroOne]

Thanks for that link, fascinating - oh, wait, wrong franchise!

[Big s]

6 hours ago, JB0 said:

Yeah, I typed, refined, and deleted an entire side-jaunt about the iconic and genre-defining Nostromo from Alien

Some of the Fox films and Orion and some other 80’s R rated studios had some great designs back in the day. The stuff from the Aliens films and of course Terminator and Robocop had some amazing things going on that I think everyone would agree are some very iconic designs, but it is nice to give some credit to those goofy lesser designs in crazy B movies like Ice Pirates and Battle Beyond the Stars

[electric indigo]

Another early treasure trove of spaceship designs is "Space: 1999", showcasing the talents of model builders Brian Johnson (2001, The Empire strikes back) and Martin Bower (Alien, Outland, Flash Gordon). Both never bore the title concept designer, but their hands-on approach produced iconic ships like the Eagle Transporter and the Nostromo.

[F-ZeroOne]

"Space: 1999" is a great shout, but I guess almost any "Gerry Anderson" series would count, at least the ones with a vehicular focus (*cough*"The Secret Service"*cough*). If we're mentioning "Space: 1999" I guess "UFO" also counts; after all "Space: 1999" started life as a sequel series for "UFO"!

[F-ZeroOne]

And while we're on the subject of British TV SF - "Doctor Who" (I recently learned that the space station model used for the opening of "The Trial of a Time Lord" incorporated parts from "Macross" model kits!), "Blakes 7" (one of the reasons British TV SF had a bit of a reputation for slightly ropey effects is that "Blakes 7" replaced a police drama series in the schedule, and was given the same FX budget!) and even "Red Dwarf", which had some fantastic model work for a supposed "comedy" series.

[M'Kyuun]

On 12/23/2025 at 12:00 AM, sketchley said:

Lots of good SF designs.  The Gunstar was also influential in my youth.

Another one that stuck with me is the "Trimaxion Drone ship" from Flight of the Navigator.  The effects used to make it were also groundbreaking in 1986—probably why it was so memorable:

 

https://propstore.com/product/flight-of-the-navigator/trimaxion-drone-ship-model-with-replacement-animation-morphing-stair-sequence/

 

Not sure who designed it, but what appeared on screen was very inspired and inspiring.  Found some images on the evolution of the design.  Glad they went with the polished/brushed steel.  It's truly a less-is-more when it comes to surface detailing.

 

I totally agree with your view that the earlier designs with more surface detail are preferable to the smooth ship design the eventually went with. However, one needs to consider the times, and if the entire ship was a CG construct, it would've been easier, I'd think, for them to render it all smooth than to try to incorporate all the patterns (which resemble the gyri and sulci of the brain. Wonder if that was intentional?) I always thought it a cool design, nonetheless.

The Eagle from Space: 1999 is such an iconic design, and definitely worth a mention. I've always loved the real-world utilitarianism of it. 

I hadn't given any thought to the Nostromo when I started this thread, but it's an absolutely brilliant design- monstrously huge, utilitarian in the extreme, replete with structures that imply large scale storage- the fact that it is an ore refinery in space was not lost on the model designers, and I think it speaks to that quite elegantly, even if the ship itself doesn't fit the traditional description. I appreciate the info and backstories to some of these designs as well. 

I discovered the work of Swedish designer Simon Stalenhag a couple years ago via the Amazon Prime show, Tales from the Loop, which built a series of stories around his artwork. It's a dark and gritty show, and I loved both the stories and the way they so faithfully brought his art to life in the show. I wish The Electric State had been done as well, but they went for a completely different vibe focusing more on humor. It didn't work as well, alas. For me, Simon's allure is the way he paints odd and otherworldly technologies, images, and objects into everyday mundane scenery; that juxtaposition is appealing, and Simon's an impressive artist to boot, so the photo realism of his work makes an impression. I hope to see more of his work influence sci-fi in shows and film, as it strikes a chord.

[M'Kyuun]

Another designer I'd like to highlight is Junji Okubo, better known as Izmojuki. He became known to me via his myriad 'vertical tank' designs for the 2002 Steel Battalion XBox game. I've never played the game, sadly, but I've been in awe of the designs since, so much so that I use them as my wallpaper on my PC to this day. Sadly, only a few of his designs were ever translated into toy or model form and I never managed to pick any of them up. I'd likely be in for a few if Moderoid ever turned their sights towards doing them. I love the heavy realistic industrial aesthetic he applies to his mecha designs. Just beautiful!

[F-ZeroOne]

Talk of British SF in general, and a documentary about a certain comic I rewatched over Christmas, reminded me of a couple designs. "2000AD" - The Galaxys Greatest Comic - is perhaps oddly despite being a SF anthology work not overly well known for its iconic designs but there are a few that spring to mind. Judge Dredds Lawmaster motorcycle, for example (which has existed in various guides over the years). Theres also the Blitzspear from "Nemesis the Warlock", an early example at least for me of a biological/technological hybrid and finally and perhaps the least known but very much from the "industrial everyday work thing" of spaceship construction, the "Speedo Ghost" from "Ace Trucking Co".