The Psycho Chariot of the False Comet

I suppose it'd be rude of me to abandon this place without at least giving you guys a good once-over of the one massive achievement I managed to accomplish, this year. This'll likely be a long one, at least photo-wise, but it's something I had intended months ago when I built the damned thing...
Just a heads up, this won't be a review, necessarily, but just more of a photo-journal of the build, including some notes (for what I can remember) of the process.

No rest for the weary...

As you recall in my last post not even a week ago (Audible gasp!), I had gotten the HGUC Unicorn Gundam Banshee Norn. I completed it in about 2 days, which, sadly, isn't record for me. XD

But, as fate would have it, I can't finish one without something showing up to take its place...

Yes, indeed, I wasn't even gonna let this one slip away from me! The P-Bandai Hobby Online exclusive MG OZ-00MS2 Tallgeese II was -while irritating in its release method- a must-have for the old guilty-pleasured Wing fan I am. ^___^;;

But, ONCE AGAIN, I'm working diligently on this kit (seriously, the kind of work I was putting into my MG Sandrock before unspeakable horrors came upon it...), when a knock doth occur on my door.
I thought to myself, "This BETTER be importa-- ... Oh!"

My copy of the first volume of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin by Vertical, Inc. showed up!!
My GOD, how I'd been waiting for this, and it doesn't disappoint at all!

As one of only two things Gundam still being released stateside, I highly recommend picking these up. Though, they're only doing limited prints, so get yours fast!!! (I've created a pre-order tab for the latest posting on the right-hand bar)
Or, just get it because they've done a fantastic job at not only picking up a title that VIZ dropped almost 10 years ago, but surpassing them in both quality (Nice glossy pages and top-shelf color printing on the color pages) and price (The first Vertical release contains 8 large chapters, which VIZ released over 4 books at about $10 a pop)!

I'm giving such an orchestrated shoutout to Vertical, Inc. just because this can be their breakthrough title and I feel they can go far with this level of quality. Good show, you guys, and I look forward to the future releases!

Anyway, my Tallgeese II is only a quick test-fit assembly, until I can acquire some good spray paints for this guy. Spring is finally starting to show itself, it seems...

Some Catching Up to Do

Sorry about the inactivity here (and especially on my practically abandoned RPGags page), but things have really decided to get busy real sudden-like. I've opened up art commissions on my facebook page and got hit pretty hard, so a lot of my free time had been used on keeping up on those. I'm about to close them again, so if you want anything and you're on facebook, now's the time to message me!

Anyway, on the flipside, these commissions have been helping me with quite a few items to backlog my collections with.

I got another HGUC I'd been wanting to get since it was announced, even if it is an odd-duck-out MS.

Yes, I actually - and happily - picked up the HGUC Juaggu [Unicorn Ver.]. What can I say, I have an unconditional love for Zeon mobile suits. Though I greatly look forward to the future release of the HGUC Zogok...

Also, I ordered the new up-to-date Mobile Suit Illustrated 2013 [+Drawing] MS Encyclopedia. This way, I'll have almost all the references I'll need for future Gunpla purchases, as this covers everything up to all of AGE and through episode 5 of Unicorn (and the addition of the Jesta Cannon from 6).

The next item was a long-awaited release, for, me, being the hardcore Mega Man fan I am...

The D-Arts Mega Man was a must-have, seeing that not only is it classic Mega man in scale with the other D-Arts figures, but also includes Rush and the elusive Metall!? SOLD!

Of course, everyone should have expected this, since I'd been advertizing it on the side of my page since the pre-orders went up! Yes, Gundam Unicorn episode 6 is now in my hands, and was another beautiful entry to the series. Another year until the finale, but given the supurb quality of the series thus far, I have faith in the time they're putting into them.

And, with Episode 6, I had to order one of the suits introduced in it's scenes...

Even if it's appearance was brief, the RX-0[N] Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn's screentime was impressive. I just got this in today, and needless to say, my next order will be for the HGUC Full Armor Unicorn Gundam [Unicorn Mode]...

Well, that's all I got, for now, but I have some photos taken for a few items I plan to review once I get the time to sit down and really write them out.

Until then!

HGUC 1/144 Rozen Zulu Review

At the end of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Episode 5 "The Black Unicorn," a new mobile suit appears to aid our protagonists when faced with a truly hopeless situation. And, boy, was its 2-minute appearance something! The Rozen Zulu really stole the show for that last brief moment before bowing and exiting stage-left. What's a bit upsetting is getting this kit before it's true abilities are showcased, which won't be until Episode 6. But, this aside, Bandai still decided to pull a Banshee and release the kit prior toward it's true OVA appearance. With some rather controversial sleights. I acquired mine through GGInfinite, as payment for a commission for Gundam Guy, of which you can see as the banner to his blog! ^___^

Recovery

If anyone remembers the riddle I left for my next obtainments, I've finally picked up the other.

For those who don't remember:

As the heavy horse's complexion pales
the poisonous rose's thorns will extend.

Now, the first one had already been fulfilled, in the form of the MG Full Armor Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka, which I revealed when I got it at the end of December. However, I only just today acquired the second of these two...

That time of year, I guess...

So, it seems inactivity is a trend around the last 3 months of the year. ^___^;;
I'll assure you it's more of a lack of time more than a lack of interest, but working retail - ESPECIALLY during the Holiday season - is very exhausting, mentally and physically.

 Illustration by Noritaka "Tenko" Suzuki.

PROGRESS UPDATE!
The LSP diorama is on hiatus until I can afford to get some casting materials to create the LAST DAMNED PART FOR IT. I need it to be clear, and I do not have the luxury of buying everything necessary to perform resin casting right now. I was looking forward to having it completed by the end of this year, but not everything works out as planned, right? *sigh*
I'll post more in-progress photos of it when I get the chance.

I have gotten a couple new kits done, though (as well as one I've had for a bit, too). Including one I'd been waiting on since it's announcement...

HGUC 1/144 RX-160S Byarlant Custom

This is the first kit I've ever pre-ordered, and I think it was well worth it. This guy definitely has a review coming up in the future...

 BBSenshi NZ-666 Kshatriya

I bought this one right after we moved to Indy for my fiance, but only just completed it a week ago. This is my third attempt at full panel-lining (And my second successful XD).

HG U.C. Hard Graph RX-79(G) Gundam The Ground War Set

This was my most recent acquirement, and another I'd been meaning to get for a while. I decided to build this one with the intention of making it MCPO Karen Joshua's "GM Head" Gundam Ground Type.
It's a shame this set doesn't include the Gundam's beam rifle, though...

I'm compiling stuff for my end-of-year posts, so look forward to those relatively soon (obviously).

Also...

Might I just say that the design of this thing has grown on me? ^ ^;

Last Shooting WIP 3: A Baoa Qu base

Okay, the next part of this is not a kit, but the scratch build of the display base for the whole diorama.

I chose to make it roughly 10" x 10" x 10" to conserve space but still provide decent room for detail.
The frame is made up of 3/16" black foam core cut into panels. I used craft glue and painter's tape to stabilize it while the glue dried.

Testing to see if the size will be good. Orginally, I was going to have the back wall continue upward for the actual facility detail to show. But cut that out, as I didn't have the material to extend the back wall, plus the Zeong head coming up over the top will hopefully prove more dynamic.

The next step involved crumpling newspapers and ads to start the base for the rocky structure the Gundam will be standing in. This will be covered with plaster cloth to create the rocks, themselves.

With that done, I used basic acrylic artist paints (not craft paints) to finalize the detail and give depth to the terrain. I decided to add an extension to the bottom using the little bit of foamecore left over.

That's it for this part, but more will come into work on the base, as it will have some more work to hold the models themselves.

STAY TUNED!

Last Shooting WIP 2: MSN-02 Zeong

Okay! Back again with the shorter (photo-wise) WIP for my diorama.

... Probably confused, right?

Well, I wasn't stopping with just the RX-78-2 this time around.

LSP-001 - "Escape" Work in Progress Report

Episode 2: MSN-02 Zeong

That's right! I'm also doing the MSN-02 Zeong (head) to reenact the entire scene from the last episode of Mobile Suit Gundam!

 Back View.

Here, you can see all damaged parts created for this. I hand-crafted the melted surface using an epoxy.
The wire sticking out of the side is used for mounting the head to the Gundam's rifle beam.
I actually drilled out the hole in the Zeong's "mouth" Make it a bit more dynamic.

The explosion from before is made from poly-fiber, which I hand painted to give it the explosion depth. The scrap pieces being blown away are just parts of putty, which have been painted.
The centerpiece is the Zeong's right "ear" with the horn being bent toward the tip. The painting was done to look as if the part is reflecting the explosion.
Note that this is my first time working with suck detail, so I'm not ashamed to say I'm extremely proud of this outcome, thus far!

And here's the Zeong mounted onto the Gundam's beam rifle shot. I had to break out my Tamashii Stage 3 (Mega Man X customized) to balance the Gundam, since it isn't properly balanced to hold the weight of the Zeong's head above itself yet.

Once again, I could NOT be happier with the look of this, thus far. But, a couple things are still missing...

NEXT TIME: ... THOSE THINGS!

Last Shooting WIP 1: RX-78-2 Gundam

I've posted most of these pics in a bazillion other places, already. Buuuut, this is kinda my main hub for this hobby, so let's get to it!
Once again, this project was started way back in January, but the move and subsequent struggles following sent this to the back-burner for much of the year. But with no other models to work on right now, it's about time I finish this. Starting with...

LSP-001 - "Escape" Work in Progress Report

Episode 1: RX-78-2 Gundam

Front and back views of my modified HGUC 1/144 RX-78-2 Gundam. I used the Animation Color version from the first Gunpla Starter Set that came with the MS-06 Zaku II. The beam was taken from my scrapped RG 1/144 RX-78-2 Gundam.

Here, you can see some of the modding I did to the torso, including some serious retooling of the right shoulder to tilt it higher and stabilize it there. I used two thin runner sprues to serve as pistons in the exposed opening. I also separated the upper torso from the waist on the right side to complete the necessary arching for the arm to go almost straight up.

The neck was filled with putty and scraped at a bit to achieve the head's blown-off look. ^ ^
I painted the neck the same off-white/green (color accurate to the anime), and dry-brushed some black and silver. Then highlighted the highest parts with a combo of red, orange and yellow to make it appear still heated.

The arm was treated similarly to the neck. However, it required me to cut off the peg from the shoulder bock, and puttied the cavity to make it look marred up.
Painting was also similar treatment, but I didn't use the lighter highlights, since the arm was blown off many moments before the head, so the heat would likely have dissipated quite a bit. The shoulder armor simply had a few dings added to it with some "burned" paint treatment, since it is near the wound.

These were all very easy modifications, and I like this cleaner look versus the overly dirty look I originally approached these projects with. This better accentuates the damaged parts and draws your eye to those rather than disguises them within a chaos of messy paint streaks. ^ ^

The compact size of the HGUC makes this much easier on my paints, since I don't have to mix a whole lot as compared to an MG.
And, as I'm sure you're probably going to ask, why didn't I use the RG since I had it.
Well, that reason is 2-fold. 1: The HGUC is more accurate to the original anime in simplicity, making it feel more nostalgic. 2: Because I didn't like the RG. At all.

I'm not going to speak for the whole line, but I felt the RG was too flexable for such a small size. I couldn't pick it up without accidentally altering it's pose in, like, 12 different points. >_<

But, that's all for the RX-78! The next part had a lot more going for it, mod-wise. Despite being smaller in mass...

STAY TUNED!!

Familiar Territory

Yeah, I haven't been able to do what I set out to do since I've come back to this blog, but that doesn't mean that I've given up, either. The MG Gundam Sandrock turned out to be in vain. Due to far too many slip-ups and a subsequent lack of motivation, I wasn't able to complete it prior to the contest's deadline. So, that model's been scrapped till I can get replacement parts for what was messed up.

As for my reviews, I've fallen even further behind due to an old ailing problem: My camera.
The thing won't stay on for more than long enough to take maybe one photo, if I'm lucky, and refuses to hold a charge. And I have no way to tether it to an USB adapter, since my PC is in a whole other room... I have another back-up camera, but I'm having a hard time figuring out the odds-and-ends of it. If I ever can, I'll use it to finish the 5-or-so reviews I've had writen for, like, 3 months, now.

The final thing, and something I've been meaning to work on since I started it back in January, was a reboot to a project I started way back in 2005...

Mobile Suit Gundam: Last Shooting Project
(Logo design by me)

As it states, it's the "Last Shooting" or dioramas from the final battles from each series. I had done a few of these previously, though in Master Grade from. However, for this reboot, I've decided to take the smaller, more cost-effective route and go with the HG 1/144 brethren. This allows me to also make stages and backdrops I was unable to do in my youth.

It's definitely a work-in-progress, as I hadn't gotten the next part to work on this. However some "things" have come out recently to help with a dilemma I had run into when I first started...

Anyway, I have a teaser pic, taken back in January when I first set forth on this project:

Once I've finally been able to continue this, you'll all be the first to know.
And, as I so often have to do, I apologize for the lack of activity. But I won't let this place die so easily.

YES, INDEED...

I'd been waiting for 9 long months, but Bandai did not disappoint! And for those who recall, I listed this in my End-of-year Wishlist...

HGUC 1/144 RX-160S Byarlant Custom

Release Date: November 2012 / Price: ¥2,730

While this pushes the ever-growing bocklog of Unicorn-based HGUC's I need to get to 16, I really don't care! This will either be a day-one purchase or is going on my wishlist to everybody (and I'll graciously accept duplicates! XD) 
 
I know there's also a lot of talk going around about the just-announced MG 1/100 nu Gundam Ver.Ka. But, frankly speaking, It's too far a departure from everything I love about nu Gundam.

It's too riddled with random panel lines and layered parts, and completely lacks the streamlined look that Izubuchi gave the original. I dunno. Color me Gravely Skeptical.
It feels like Katoki's trying too hard to tie its design to Unicorn...

Well, just a random news post from Slowpoke me.

HGUC 1/144 MSN-02 Zeong Review

Char’s final mobile suit used during the One Year War, the Zeong held the title as being the first MS that Char piloted that wasn’t a unit customized for his use (On-screen, anyway). I never got this one previously, so this was a brand new addition against my old line-up.

HGUC 1/144 MS-06S Char's Zaku II Review

 In 2001, when the US releases of the HGUC line were out (to run alongside the broadcast of Mobile Suit Gundam), there was the issue of lack of 0079-based kits in the line, with the RX-78-2 Gundam just being released in Japan and was converted for domestic sale (with the Hyper Bazooka and Core fighter removed for unknown reasons, aside from making it cheaper, I guess). Especially with the lack of any of Char’s mobile suits being introduced into the line. Bandai did a quick-fix for this problem for us with a recolored HG 08th MS Team MS-06F/J Zaku II, complete with it’s own original boxart and manual.

HGUC 1/144 Qubeley Review

Another reclamation from my previous HGUC collection, the AMX-004 Qubeley has always been another favorite MS from Z Gundam and Gundam ZZ (Though I've still not seen it). Its organic design, along with its strong femininity (It is piloted by a woman, after all), makes it very sleek, endearing, yet wrathful looking. Being Haman Karn's personal machine throughout the end of the Gryps Conflict and through the 1st Neo Zeon War, this machine stays ahead of the game the whole way, thanks to the miniaturization of the Psycommu System and being the fore-bearer of the Funnel weapons.

HGUC 1/144 Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher Review

A re-acquisition from my old HG-Gunpla days (although it’s only from 2004). I still prefer this version over the plated original release.
Giant guns just win. Period.
This was also the first in a line of me waiting for more complete versions of HG kits, which is why the Master Gundam + Fuunsaiki kit will be a day-one must on my list! Hopefully…

Backlog Poll Results!!

Well, the results from last month's poll are in. And, unfortunately, only 3 people voted...
So I'm include those that were runner ups in some people's comments to bring it to five kits.
All HGUC's, no less. (Not that I gave much to vary that result, still...)
Once again, though, I will be doing a surprise kit in between each review that were NOT listed in the poll, so stay tuned for those. And then one of my own choosing at the end (Maybe was in the poll maybe not). So that'll bring it up to ten reviews!

1: HGUC 1/144 Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher
2: HGUC 1/144 Qubeley
3: HGUC 1/144 Char's Zaku II
4: ???
5: HGUC 1/144 Zeta Gundam
6: ???
7: HGUC 1/144 Gouf Custom
8: ???
9: HGUC 1/144 ZZ Gundam
10: ?!?

I plan on two-or-three a week (depending on free time). Photos have already been started and review write-ups only take a couple hours once that's done.

If I do this in the future, I would definitely love more interaction, please. I know it sounds desperate, but it's hard to know whether anyone who follows me actually reads my stuff.

HGUC 1/144 Kshatriya Review

The NZ-666 Kshatriya. Neo Zeon's sleeved beast. When I first saw this thing in images, I thought it was just bulky and messy. Then I saw the first episode of Mobile Suit Gundam UC...
Nothing prepared me for how awesome of an impression this mammoth MS would make on me. It's huge, mobile, and an overwhelming powerhouse! As of current, this is my favorite Zeon suit - "Neo" or otherwise. Say what you want about Hajime Katoki. But his designs for Gundam UC are easily the most welcome Gundam designs in almost a decade.
After the "Day of the Unicorn", this kit was a must get, and I obtained it during Ohayocon 2011.

HGUC 1/144 GP03 Dendrobium Review - Part 3 [Finale]

Ending this series with the docking procedure, complete weapons payload and my final verdict.

Previous parts:
[Part 1] [Part 2]

HGUC 1/144 GP03 Dendrobium Review - Part 2

Picking up right where I left off, part 2 will focus on the core of this beast, the Gundam itself.
Don't worry. The longest part is over. ^_^; *phew*

HGUC 1/144 GP03 Dendrobium Review - Part 1

I can say that since it's announcement back in 2002, I wanted this kit. The final product of Anaheim Electronics’ GP Development Project, The RX-78GP03 Gundam GP03 Dendrobium mobile armor is one of the most remarkable and overpowered units ever to be given to a privileged manchild*!

*For the record, I hate Kou Uraki, and felt he had no right using such a marvelous piece of machinery.

Anyway, it's not until 2010 that I'd be able to realize this dream. Thanks to a three-check month and Christmas funds from family, I was able to obtain this behemoth!