You may not know his name, but if you’ve watched Armor Hunter Merowlink, Evangelion, or Gurren Lagann then you’ve seen his work.
Animal Style: Rediscovering Remnants of the Garage Kit Boom
The discovery of a third version of Akira Toriyama’s Lisa garage kit spurs a bit of discussion on the nature of small hobby shops during the garage kit boom years of the ’80s and ’90s.
ARTMIC Fan Book Available Now
Bigger and better than our earlier efforts, this one is all about the design studio behind Mospeada and Bubblegum Crisis.
The Iconic Monobike of Venus Wars
When you think of the 1989 classic Venus Wars, you inevitably think of one thing: monobikes.
Suit Up For A Very Minor Bubblegum Crisis Mystery
During the heyday of Crisis, a number of full-sized Hard Suits were made and used to promote the series. Some of these ended up in the fans of fans in the early 2000s.
Akira Toriyama’s 4 Million Yen Model Kit
In 1985, Akira Toriyama partnered with a fledgling model kit company to produce an injection molded plastic kit based on an original design.
Why do we Model? Mecha, Miniatures, and Historical Imagining
For decades, mecha fans have built model kits. What fuels this preoccupation, and what can we learn from the history of miniatures about mecha anime?
Latest Zimmerit ‘Zine Now Available
Hobby Shopping: Japanese Model Shop Ads 1980-89 is now available on our revamped web shop.
The ’80s Mechanical Designer Who Left Early: Akira Kagami
A quick look at a little known mechanical designer turned manga artist.
Not So Big in Japan: Heavy Metal Miniatures
After the release of Dungeons & Dragons in Japan in 1985, hobby magazines began pushing imported metal miniatures to hobbyists. Despite regular coverage for a few years, miniatures as a model hobby never seemed to catch on.