Few anime have stood the test of time in pop culture quite like Sunrise’s neo-noir space western Cowboy Bebop. 25 years after Spike Spiegel and the crew of the Bebop first graced the airwaves, the series is still regarded as one of the greatest animated shows to ever release with deep, colorful, and memorable characters getting by in a galaxy teeming with criminals. As the beloved anime celebrates a major anniversary, Crunchyroll is bringing the series to this year’s San Diego Comic-Con with a special exhibit that honors the legacy of the show and invites fans aboard the Bebop once more.
The gallery is made in partnership with Crunchyroll and Mondo and features a collection of commissioned art from a wide variety of creatives to showcase the setting, characters, and themes that make Cowboy Bebop stand out among the crowd. JJ Harrison, Utomaru, La Boca, Tom Whalen, Murugiah, Sachin Teng, and more all contributed to the exhibit with each artist bringing their love for the legendary series and own artistic style into their portrayal of the world. The exhibit will be available to view at the Comic-Con Museum which opens its doors next month alongside the convention from July 18 through July 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Cowboy Bebop takes place in the far-flung year of 2071 and follows a group of space bounty hunters led by ex-Red Dragon Syndicate hitman Spike Spiegel alongside former ISSP officer Jet Black, amnesiac con artist Faye Valentine, eccentric electronics prodigy and skilled hacker Edward, and genetically engineered Welsh Corgi Ein. They spend their days rounding up criminals for cash all while facing disastrous mishaps along the way and confronting their individual pasts. In a further celebration of its 25th anniversary, the series also has a limited edition Blu-ray release letting fans relive Spike and his crew’s adventures all over again.
Cowboy Bebop‘s Legacy Looms Large in Pop Culture
To this day, Cowboy Bebop remains one of the best series for fledgling anime fans who want to really dive into the medium. That’s partly thanks to a spectacular English dub that sees Steve Blum iconically portray Spike alongside Beau Billingslea as Jet Black, Wendee Lee as Faye Valentine, and Melissa Fahn as Edward. The Sunrise production hailed from a stellar creative team too with director Shinichirō Watanabe, screenwriter Keiko Nobumoto, character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto, mechanical designer Kimitoshi Yamane, and composer Yoko Kanno making up the collective team known as Hajime Yatate. Their work has also served as inspiration for a number of excellent projects to follow it, including the ending of John Wick: Chapter 4 per director Chad Stahelski.
SDCC will officially open up on July 20, but fans can get into the Comic-Con Museum and check out the Cowboy Bebop exhibit early on July 18. Tickets are available on the museum’s website or at the door. Check out the trailer for the series below.
