Artist Benimaru Itoh Discusses Creating the 1993 Star Fox Comic for Nintendo Power

Artist and writer Benimaru Itoh recently discussed his work on the 1993 Star Fox comic published in Nintendo Power. Released to coincide with the launch of the original Super Nintendo Entertainment System game, the comic served as an early attempt to expand the sci-fi adventure's universe beyond the confines of the cartridge and game manual. Itoh previously worked as a freelance commercial illustrator and puzzle maker, catching Nintendo's attention through his contributions to Shogakukan's official Nintendo game guidebooks. Following the conclusion of Shotaro Ishinomori's The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past comic serial in Nintendo Power, Nintendo selected Itoh to write the next magazine adaptation.

Because the original Super Nintendo title featured limited exposition, Itoh expanded heavily upon concepts provided by the development team. When asked how he became involved, Itoh explained that Shigeru Miyamoto and other Nintendo staff appreciated his stylized illustrations in the Japanese guidebooks. According to Itoh, Miyamoto requested that he develop the story freely. The comic introduced several notable narrative elements to the franchise. It featured Fox MacCloud hiding out on his home planet of Papetoon and stealing from imperial ships, detailed the fate of Fox's mother alongside Andross's role in her death, placed Fox's father inside a whale-shaped spaceship, and portrayed Falco Lombardi as a motorcycle-riding street thug. The comic also introduced the original character Fara Phoenix to the Lylat system.