Inside Daicon IV’s 40th Anniversary Exhibit

Inside Daicon IV’s 40th Anniversary Exhibit
DAICON III and IV Opening Animation poster.
Richard Eisenbeis

Back in 1983, a group of amateur animators called DAICON FILM created a short, yet high-quality, anime opening for the fourth Nihon SF Taikai convention (or “DAICON”) as it’s more commonly known. The people behind the DAICON IV Opening Animation would go on to create their own studio, GAINAX, in the coming years—including anime legends Hiroyuki Yamaga (Royal Space Force – The Wings of Honnêamise, Mahoromatic) and Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gunbuster).

Last weekend’s Wonder Festival 2023 Summer convention featured a special exhibition to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the DAICON IV Opening Animation. While it featured original cells and design documents for the DAICON IV Opening Animation (in addition to those of its predecessor, the DAICON III Opening Animation), that was only the start of what was on display.

The exhibit also showcased merch from the first four Nihon SF Taikai conventions as well as numerous props from the various other DAICON FILM projects. This included everything from the costumes used in the Super Sentai-inspired Patriotic Squadron Great Japan to the Muppet-style puppets created for Hayauchi Ken No Daibouken.

Check out our full gallery of the exhibition below.

Items and other merch from the first four Nihon SF Taikai conventions.
Richard Eisenbeis

Items and other merch from the third Nihon SF Taikai convention.
Richard Eisenbeis

Items and other merch from the third Nihon SF Taikai convention.
Richard Eisenbeis

Items and other merch from the fourth Nihon SF Taikai convention.
Richard Eisenbeis

Items and other merch from the fourth Nihon SF Taikai convention.
Richard Eisenbeis

Items and other merch from the first four Nihon SF Taikai conventions.
Richard Eisenbeis

Items and other merch from the first four Nihon SF Taikai conventions.
Richard Eisenbeis

Items and other merch from the first four Nihon SF Taikai conventions.
Richard Eisenbeis

Filming equipment used by DAICON FILM.
Richard Eisenbeis

Filming equipment used by DAICON FILM.
Richard Eisenbeis

Filming equipment used by DAICON FILM.
Richard Eisenbeis

Costumes and props used in Patriotic Squadron Great Japan.
Richard Eisenbeis

Costumes and props used in Patriotic Squadron Great Japan.
Richard Eisenbeis

DAICON FILM behind-the-scenes photo album.
Richard Eisenbeis

Material used in Daicon Film’s Return of Ultraman.
Richard Eisenbeis

Storyboards for Daicon Film’s Return of Ultraman.
Richard Eisenbeis

Costumes used in Daicon Film’s Return of Ultraman.
Richard Eisenbeis

Vehicle props used in Daicon Film’s Return of Ultraman.
Richard Eisenbeis

Vehicle props used in Daicon Film’s Return of Ultraman.
Richard Eisenbeis

Puppet designs for Hayauchi Ken No Daibouken.
Richard Eisenbeis

Puppet used in Hayauchi Ken No Daibouken.
Richard Eisenbeis

Puppets used in Hayauchi Ken No Daibouken.
Richard Eisenbeis

Storyboards for Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushū.
Richard Eisenbeis

Puppets used in Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushū.
Richard Eisenbeis

Props and models used in Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushū.
Richard Eisenbeis

Props and models used in Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushū.
Richard Eisenbeis

Programme and merch for Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushū.
Richard Eisenbeis

Animation cells from the DAICON III Opening Animation.
Richard Eisenbeis

Animation cells from the DAICON III Opening Animation.
Richard Eisenbeis

Animation cells from the DAICON III Opening Animation.
Richard Eisenbeis

Animation cells from the DAICON III Opening Animation.
Richard Eisenbeis

Animation cells from the DAICON III Opening Animation.
Richard Eisenbeis

Animation cells from the DAICON III Opening Animation.
Richard Eisenbeis

Animation cells from the DAICON IV Opening Animation.
Richard Eisenbeis

Animation cells from the DAICON IV Opening Animation.
Richard Eisenbeis

Animation cells from the DAICON IV Opening Animation.
Richard Eisenbeis

Animation cells from the DAICON IV Opening Animation.
Richard Eisenbeis

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