Tatsunoko Fan Club News

Tatsunoko Fan Club News (竜の子ファンクラブニュース) was an irregularly-published newsletter by Tatsunoko Production that ran from 1978 to 1982, covering their different works and containing a mixture of original exclusive information as well as fan submissions.

Overview

The newsletter lasted 20 issues, and included illustrations from Tatsuo Yoshida's archives along with other material published by staff members. There would also be reports on the launch parties for new programming, the staff's baseball games, and different features for various Tatsunoko works.

Unfortunately by August 1982, fans would find that the newsletter would wrap up with no further issues (despite Tatsunoko reminding them of renewal); the official Tatsunoko Shop also closed down that October due to the construction plans for a new building. This would be a new Head Office, though their store would not reopen and Tatsunoko would only wind up putting out a much different newsletter later on, titled "Tatsunoko Friend".

During the time of its run, some of the Tatsunoko Fan Club staff would also put out the self-published booklet "TATSUNOKO CAKE" in December 1981, focusing on the company's sci-fi works and containing many staff member interviews and settei for them. There is also evidence of "Mini News" issues dedicated to specific projects that were in development, such as the scrapped Sadamoebius and Challendar anime works.

Issues

This listing is a work in progress; please feel free to edit information where known. Features relevant to the Gatchaman franchise will get special mention on this wiki and if applicable, links to articles describing or translating their content. Nobody on this wiki owns copies (yet) so please do not assume such; available information is found through other archiving efforts of the issues or photos of their content in sales listings.

1. No.0 (August 1978)
2. No.1 (September 1978) - Cover feature: Gatchaman II. Contains settei of characters like Gel Sadra, Dr. Rafael, and PiMa.
3. No.2 (November 1978)
4. No.3 (January 1979)- Cover feature: Divine Legend Sadamoebius (unproduced). Contains the Gatchaman II story feature The Phantom Hawk Getz (early look at the script for episode 28 of the series).
5. No.4 (May 1979)- Cover feature: Space Science Challenge Team Challendar (unproduced). Contains a profile on Dr. Pandora.
6. No.5 (July 1979) - misprint of 1978, Cover feature: Gowapper 5 Godam
7. No. 6 (September 1979)- Cover feature: Gatchaman Fighter. Contains the Gatchaman II fanfiction submission The Galactress is a Black Rose.
8. No. 7 (November 1979)- Cover feature: Cheerful Dwarves of the Forest, Belfy and Lillibit
9. No. 8 (February 1980)- Cover feature: The Great Undersea War: 20,000 Miles of Love
10. No. 9 (May 1980)- Cover feature: Space Science Challenge Team Challendar (unproduced)
11. No. 10 (July 1980)- Contains the early titles for episodes 41 to 48 of Gatchaman Fighter, and a recap of what challenges the Ninja Team are facing up to now, as well as fan letters about the original series.
12. No. 11 (October 1980)- Cover feature: Muteking the Dashing Warrior. Contains the short story "Fly Forever!! Phoenix Warriors", based off the final episode of Fighter. There is also a short feature about San Diego Comic-Con and the USA Tatsunoko Fan Club (at the time run by Fred Patten), who met up with Koki Narushima, Ippei Kuri, and Sadao Miyamoto.
13. No. 12 (December 1980)- Cover feature: The Great Undersea War: 20,000 Miles of Love
14. No.13 (May 1981)- Cover feature: Golden Warrior Gold Lightan
15. No.14 (July 1981)- Cover feature: Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
16. No.15 (??)
17. No.16 (??)
18. No.17 (March 1982)
19. No.18 (??)
20. No.19 (August 1982)- Cover feature: Gowapper 5 Godam