Amin Abbas

Japanese mechanical illustrator and designer Hidetaka Tenjin received the Comic-Con International’s Inkpot Award at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 last month.

Tenjin attended the event in person, where Udon Entertainment offered early copies of Tenjin’s Artistry of Macross: From Flashback 2012 to Macross Frontier book before its October 18 release. The book is the first in a series that Udon Entertainment will release featuring Tenjin’s art from the Macross franchise.

Speaking exclusively to Arab News Japan, Tenjin discussed his reaction to being awarded and how unexpected it was.

“It came at an unexpected time. Just before my panel session at San Diego Comic-Con started, the staff of the event took the microphone and announced the inkpot award and handed the trophy to me,” Tenjin said.

“I didn’t know anything about the inkpot award. It was my first time attending SDCC as a guest, and this time I was there for the release of my first art book ‘Hidetaka Tenjin the Artistry of Macross’ in North America. The panel session ended successfully with the audience applauding for the award. Actually, at that time, I was wondering if it was the SDCC participation award,” Tenjin said.

He added that after receiving the award, he did some research and discovered that well-known actors and writers who have made great achievements have also received the same award. Overwhelmed with surprise, Tenjin’s first reaction to the situation was questioning whether there had been a mistake. Nevertheless, he expressed his happiness for being recognized and tatting this achievement.

“It’s been over 20 years since I started working as an illustrator, designer, and voice actor, but I’ve simply continued to pour my passion into my work. I feel like I was able to prove the importance of that, and now I’m very happy and fulfilled. I also received a supplementary prize. Lifetime pass for future Comic Cons. With this, it seems that you can enter the Comic Con at any time, including your family. Some people seem to envy this one!”

“Japanese anime content is still highly respected around the world. In order to make that power even more valuable, and to deliver its charm to everyone around the world, I intend to create many works,” he added.

Tenjin also discussed his publication, saying that “I’ve been involved with MACROSS in a professional capacity for over two decades now, but I originally started off as a fan myself, so the prospect of bringing my art to a new international audience is something I’m extremely excited about.

He added that the “Artistry of Macross” not only marks his first published work outside of Japan, but also the first art book to be released in North America bearing the MACROSS name.

“While I’m more than a little nervous at the prospect, I hope that people enjoy it and that it helps to introduce them to the world of MACROSS,” Tenjin said.

Tenjin began his drawing career at the age of three and has since become a renowned professional artist in Japan’s anime production and plastic model kit industry. His art style brings a realism to some of anime’s most iconic mecha properties, which among them most notably includes The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and its many sequels.

Bandai and HASEGAWA, two of Japan’s top model kit manufacturers, routinely work with Tenjin and showcase his artwork on their retail products, such as the widely popular Master Grade Gundam model kit series. Tenjin’s expertise also expands beyond anime-related titles. Most recently, he has illustrated box art for Bandai’s newest line of Star Wars vehicle and character model kits.

Tenjin takes an active role in his mechanical design art and has worked on many high-profile projects in the last decade, including Macross Zero, Macross Frontier, Macross Frontier: The False Diva, Macross Frontier: The Wings of Farewell, Macross Delta, Hellsing Ultimate, Knights & Magic, SAINT SAIYA LEGEND of SANCTUARY, Genisis of Aquarion and Aquarion Evol. Tenjin continues to be an integral part of the Macross franchise.