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?
Category: Toys & Models
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.
Japanese Robot Invasion! 1980s Anime Mecha Models Arrive in the US, Part II
The second half of our look at the early history of mecha model kits in the U.S.; including Battletech, R.O.B.O.T., and court battles!
Japanese Robot Invasion! 1980s Anime Mecha Models Arrive in the US, Part I
The first part of a deep dive into the origins of gunpla and mecha modelling in the U.S., looking back to the 1980s when Japanese model kits invaded hobby store shelves and wargaming tables.
Left in the Dust: Uncovering the Secret of the Stampede Valkyrie
Before Macross sequels hit video shelves and airwaves, Shoji Kawamori’s Stampede Valkyrie was one of a handful of rarely seen and now mostly forgotten designs created for Macross side-projects.
Gunpla Boom Ephemera: Kunio Okawara’s Gouf Lady
With the gunpla boom riding high and Bandai rolling out its new Mobile Suit Variations series, original Gundam mechanical designer Kunio Okawara tried his hand at sculpting an original garage kit.
Stream•Base: Riding the Gunpla Boom in the Early Days of Gundam Model Mania
The gunpla boom of the early ’80s saw an explosion of interest in mecha modeling and provided unprecedented opportunities for a group of model enthusiasts that dubbed themselves “Stream•Base.”
Kenichi Sonoda, Lumroid, and Hobby Shop Musasiya
Before he started working for Gainax and ARTMIC, a young Kenichi Sonoda illustrated a series of popular advertisements for a hobby shop in Osaka.
Flip Through Nitto’s Second S.F.3.D Original Catalogue
Take a quick trip back to 1984 and check out the latest SF3D Original kits from Nitto.
In Pursuit of the Powered Suit: The Class of ‘83
Parallel to the development of giant robot anime in the 1970s, Studio Nue’s revolutionary renderings of Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers powered suit changed the game, and in turn lead to smaller, more “realistic” powered suits appearing in the pages of manga weeklies and hobby magazines.