Jason Waltrip: Amazon Gazonga Vol. 1 - Triple Action [Eternity Comics, March 1993]

 

A commissioned clean up of Jason Waltrip's comic series for Eternity, a comic imprint of Malibu comics. The story was drafted in 1992 but released in March of 1993. This book is a triple feature book that features William Jung and Dan Danko's Gigantor themed series, alongside a short called Armored Road Police by Tim Eldred (very much based off of Armored Tank Police). 

This is a historical document in the variety of localization influencing Western artists to create similar works. Jason and his twin brother, John, were behind Robotech: The Sentiels and a variety of other anime-themed works of a similar form. 

Lots of elements are appropriated for this story based on a variety of series and sources. For one, Gazonga's nemesis, Devia, is heavily based on Naga the Serpent from Slayers, which would have had some localization/showing in California right around the time that this was made. The Amazon tribe's leader wears a mask similar to that of the female saints from Saint Seiya. Overall, from an aesthetic standpoint, this is a rarely documented example of the early influences that anime had on Western fans, mainly in the early 1990s.