The world of Gundam has been around since the 1970s, with the first anime series acting as a launching point for the story of the Earth Federation battling against the Principality of Zeon. 2022 is set to be another big year for the mech franchise, with the arrival of both a new series and a new movie, and it seems that a major player within the Gundam world is set to make an appearance at this year’s Anime Expo.
This year’s Anime Expo is set to take place from July 1st to July 4th, with the legendary guest from the world of Gundam being the first announced for the convention in 2022. Mika Akitaka has been a mechanical designer and illustrator for the Gundam series for quite some time, having worked on a number of different series featuring the most popular mechs within the world of anime. On top of his work in the Gundam universe, the artist has also helped in creating anime series such as Sakura Wars, A Certain Scientific Railgun, City Hunter, Date A Live, and more.
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Here’s what Anime Expo had to say with their announcement of Akitaka’s inclusion in the upcoming convention:
“We are incredibly excited to announce that renowned Mechanical Designer, Illustrator and Game Creator Mika Akitaka will appear as a Guest of Honor at Anime Expo 2022!
As we look back on and celebrate over 30 years of Anime Expo history, fans may remember that Akitaka-san previously attended the convention as a Guest of Honor way back in 1999! And, moreover, he will forever hold a very special place in Anime Expo history as the original creator of our iconic mascot MAX, who has been gracing the cover of the annual program guide since 2012.
Commercially, Mika Akitaka is best known for his work as a mechanical designer for Sunrise, where he was involved in beloved projects such as Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory and City Hunter. Akitaka-san also illustrated the MS Girl series for Model Graphix Magazine.”
What is your favorite Gundam series from the history of the mech franchise? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of mechs.
