Original Robot Carnival Nightmare Model Cel – 1987 Pre-Production Artwork
Up for sale is an original, one-of-a-kind pre-production model (settei) cel from Nightmare (Chicken Man & Red Neck), the haunting short film directed by Takashi Nakamura for the 1987 anthology Robot Carnival.
This striking setup combines line art model designs with a fully painted reference cel, making it highly collectible. Model cels like this were created as reference guides for the animation team to ensure consistent proportions and colors. Unlike most anime of the era, Nightmare was never merchandised, and very little original production art survived — making pieces like this exceptionally rare.
Robot Carnival has often been compared to Disney’s Fantasia in spirit: a collection of nine shorts by celebrated directors, unified by music and visual storytelling. The anthology is framed by an opening and ending directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira). Nightmare remains one of its most visually striking and unforgettable segments.
This exact design also appears in the Robot Carnival Storyboard & Design Collection (ロボットカーニバル 絵コンテ集) — note that book images are shown here for reference only and are not included with this sale.
Cel Details
Designation: Model sheet cel from Nightmare short
Accompanying Sheet: Comes with a blank douga paper (stuck to cel)
Condition: Very good; minor paint loss consistent with age
Image Size: 7.25 in × 10 in
Overall Size: 10 in × 12 in
Stored in a climate-controlled environment
Includes three printed reference screen captures (not included in production materials)
Certificate of Authenticity
This cel will ship with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) issued by Soul of Tokyo.
Shipping & Packaging:
Artwork is professionally packaged in a new polypropylene bag and shipped securely to ensure safe arrival.
At SoulofTokyo.com, we specialize in authentic, hand-selected anime cels and genga from the golden era of Japanese animation. Add this rare piece of anime history to your collection today!
Have questions about the terms used in this listing? Check out our blog post explaining common anime art terms and the animation process: