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First up is Fine Molds. I took this photo 10 years ago. It was before I got to know the president, Mr. Suzuki. He used to know me by name, but it's been several years and maybe he's forgotten about me. He might recognize me. Anyhow, I went all the way to take a photo and some video of their HQ...

I took this photo back in 2012, the year we moved back to Japan. This was in Shizuoka City, of course. I just came across this photo and thought I'd share it with you.

I'll be going with the standard "Virginia Marie" decal option because the blue will look so pretty on the silver. I'm going to follow examples I saw in a recent issue of Model Art Magazine about going with alternating white and black base coats under the silver to produce a varied effect. I can...

I attended the hobby show in Tokyo on Friday. Here is a video I made. I'll have a photo gallery to share later.

I completed the old 1:100 Arii Heavy Missile Regult plamo last night. Proportions on the missile pods is a bit top-heavy. I used Wave's H-Eyes parts for lenses and Kotobukiya's MSG for the thrusters. I used Mr. Color 323 Light blue and 311 Gray for the white parts. The gray was a mixture of 32...

I used to write a lot of poetry in high school and college, even winning 3rd place in a contest at my community college in '96. I've recently become acquainted with a kindred spirit online, someone who writes beautiful verse. He's inspired me to explore my dormant creativity. Last night my wife...

Lately I've been focusing a lot more on writing than I have on model building. I shared this essay with Blake recently and he told me that he found it compelling. I might just share it with anyone here who may be interested in killing an hour reading about how I came of age. I wrote this essay...

Here is my finished MPC A-Wing. This is the old kit from the '80s with the tinted canopy. Fortunately, the triangle decals still work fine. The tiny pilot figure that comes with this kit is complete crap and I tossed him into my Sarlaac Pit (trash can). The pilot I used instead came from MPC's...

I didn't care for the prequels, hated the sequels. I enjoyed Mandalorian, with only a few gripes. Boba Fett started boring but got better. It was enjoyable, but still a bit dumb. This new Obi Wan show though... I have zero interest in watching it. The Robot Head channel does a good job picking...

Link to the photoset is here.

The link to the Tumblr photoset is here.

Zimmerit is a cool website focused on the golden age of anime fandom (late '70s to the '90s) as well as the garage kit industry in Japan. A new article demonstrates Max's technique using hand-painted lacquers to achieve mottling undercoats. I'm personally not into MaK kits, but this looks rather...

This is not a posable Gundam model, but rather a replication of Max Factory's legendary sofubi kit from the '80s of the Serbine. I'm nearly done with it. The body was airbrushed with Gaia Notes Dunbine Pale Blue paint. The robot's shield features a sculpture of a nude woman, painted with...

I finished Shantae. I bought her on E2046 before I learned that Volks USA has these for sale. I knew the kit was a reproduction, but had no idea what the original was and I could not find it anywhere here in Japan. The official kit comes in pre-colored resin, so one could put it together...

In the '80s, Tsukuda made a line of Nausicaa models. About 10 years or so ago, Bandai retooled these old kits, making them semi-snap fit , resculpted the faces, provided eye decals, and injected the parts in colored plastic. I have all of them, and I'm working on Nausicaa's glider kit. I've...

For anyone who has either visited Japan or at least knows a bit about model shops here, the modeling section of the huge Yodobashi Camera building in Akihabara, Tokyo is legendary. I haven't been to Tokyo since 2018, so the next best experience here in Gunma Prefecture is Yamada's Labi 1 next...

No, not the Bumblebee model kit that Trumpeter made; this is the VW Beetle kit by Aoshima. Actually this is originally a kit by Imai, and Aoshima bought the molds when Imai went under. Aoshima also bought Imai's molds for Speed Racer, Mospeada, Thunderbirds, and other series. I wanted to buy...

It's nice that Tumblr modules can be inserted into the posts like this. It makes it easier to share. I have the ESB version kit as well as the ROTJ clear set (which comes with waterslide decals). For the next one, I will use the clear parts to light up the Falcon.