Hirofumi Ichikawa
Hirofumi Ichikawa (市川 裕文 Ichikawa Hirofumi) is a Japanese author, illustrator and toy designer perhaps best known as the architect of the high-concept Binaltech and Alternity franchises. He's a noted Transformers fan who has made the jump to working on the brand in an official capacity for Takara. Prior to this, he wrote numerous fan-comics and magazines (called dōjinshi in Japan), mainly focusing on introducing Japanese fans to the Hasbro/American version of Transformers and the concepts and characters within. Among them was a very indignant magazine decrying the "funny" dub of Beast Wars that was presented in Japan, as it had removed much of the "serious sci-fi" edge that had made the show immensely popular with the English-speaking fanbase. But perhaps his most well known pre-official work is Transformers Chronicles, a sort of "bridge" story for his take on the lead-up to Generation 2. This book was translated to English, but has long since sold through its short run.
Ichikawa's art style is toy-based; his Transformers almost always have the toy's proportions and detailing down exactly, not approximations or "influenced" altered cartoon models. The only changes made are there to make them more "realistic" by adding in joints for motion that the toys may lack. These joints are always very realistic in terms of mechanical detailing of the pistons and rotating joints necessary for real-life machines, similar to the mechanical detailing artist E. J. Su employs. In terms of story, Ichikawa has a definite preference for the Western take of Transformers, enjoying its more sci-fi-oriented and older-aimed feel, though he eschews the more metaphysical/mystical aspects of the fiction, especially Primus.
Ichikawa worked as a translator for western comics, as well as writing, illustrating, and coloring X-Men: The Manga. He also created promotional art for the Capcom game Marvel Super Heroes on the magazine Comic Gamest, as well as publishing his original story Boldor The Invincible Neighbour on Bandai's sci-fi magazine, Cyber Comix. As he has stepped back from working on the Transformers brand full time, he has since shifted his focus to his creator-owned projects like Boldor and Rainfall.
Writing
Prose stories
- "From Here to Alternity"
- "To Mega Therion"
- "The World Is Flat!"
- "Ace of Swords"
- "Foreshadows"
- "Hunt for the Planicrons"
- "Alternation"
Known toy bios
- Road Rage and Crosscut
- Megaplex
- Clampdown and Deep Cover
- RoadHauler and Sunstorm
- G1 GoBots
(Bug Bite, Bad Boy, Treds, Small Foot, Path Finder, and Road Ranger) - Insectron Clone Army
(Zaptrap, Salvo, and Shothole) - Overcharge
- Cobalt Sentries
(Howlback and Garboil) - Magnificus and Ga'Mede
- Twincast and Flip Sides
Binaltech
- Smokescreen
- Lambor
- Hound
- Streak
- Dead End
- Tracks
- Smokescreen GT
- Meister
- Swindle
- Grimlock
- Ravage
- Overdrive
- Laserwave
- Wheeljack
- Prowl
- Skids
- Black Convoy
- Rijie "Electro Disrupter Mode"
- Bluestreak
- Argent Meister
- Arcee
- Convoy
Alternity
- Convoy
(Vibrant Red, Ultimate Metal Silver) - Convoy - Super Black
- Megatron
(Blade Silver, Premium LeMans Blue, Diamond Black) - Bumble
- Cliff
- Skywarp
- Starscream
- Thundercracker
Masterpiece[1]
Other prose
- "Beast Wars Universe" (co-written with Fumihiko Akiyama)
- "World of the Transformers" (information database/website)
- Several entries of the Facebook version of Ask Vector Prime
Comics
- "Linkage"
Binaltech
- "Outlier"
Alternity
Masterpiece
Known packaging art
- Grizzly-1
- Double Punch with Beeline
(reused from Transformers Collection)
Binaltech
Other illustration work
- "World of the Transformers" illustrations
- "Beast Wars Reborn" illustrations
- Pioneer LaserDisc and DVD pack-in booklets
- Cybertronian: The Unofficial Transformers Recognition Guide Volume 5 (front cover)
- BotCon Japan 1997 commemorative T-shirt design
- The Transformers Classics Vol. 2 (Japanese reprint cover)
Known toy design work
Deco
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers
Collector's Edition
Detailing
With the beginning of Energon, Ichikawa was given the job of "mech design", taking the engineering designs of many toys and finalizing the aesthetic details, sculpts, etc. The toys he is known to have worked on include:
- Energon Class
- Mega Class
- Command Class
- Leader Class
- Supreme Class
- Scout Class
- Deluxe Class
- Voyager Class
- Ultra Class
- Leader Class
- Supreme Class
- Bumblebee Brawn (drill only)
Studio Series '86
Concept art
Alternity
Gallery
-
Grizzly-1's packaging art for BotCon Japan 1998. -
Reissue Smokescreen packaging art. -
The Sonic Assault Team, from Linkage.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Not all, but yes. I wrote most of Diaclone/Microchange repaints bios, except MP Tigertrack/Clamp Down/Bluestreak/Enemy & other cassettes (though I did original e-Hobby and Encore)."—Hirofumi Ichikawa, Twitter, 2022/12/18
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "IDW様、表立った関わりはありませんでしたが、コミック発デザインの玩具図面を描いたり、デルタマグナスなどのバイオ設定でアイデアを拝借しました。僕が外観のデザインをした玩具キャラクターも沢山描いてくれましたし、何よりも素晴らしい物語で楽しませて頂きました。本当にありがとうございます！"—Hirofumi Ichikawa, Twitter, 2022/12/15
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Personal correspondence between Ichikawa and Doug Dlin on alt.toys.transformers mentioning the Galaxy Force/Cybertron toys he worked on
