Thursday, September 30, 2010

Ngee Khiong

Ngee Khiong has announced that he is concidering shutting down his blog when the site turns 5 years old in March of 2011.

As an English speaking fan, this is quite devastating. Of course, in the long run there is not much we can do. Ngee Khiong has poured heart and soul into his blogs since their inception. He as provided the English speaking fanbase with consistent and constant news updates about Gundam merchandise, shows, events, and productions and even made time for other genres and franchises! His blog has been an invaluable resource to us all.

Ngee Khiong Ex is also being considered for shutdown. I've gotten a lot of inspiration from Ngee Khiong's Ex blog. I find his simplistic, yet innovative building style and techniques to be very helpful. He doesn't go all out and sand, cement, airbrush and remodel an entire gunpla. He just builds them and has fun at it and that's what it is all about.

NK understood that Gunpla is a HOBBY, not a way of life, nothing to fight and squable over. Gunpla is not so important in anyone's life unless they are making a living from it. Build them because you like to, collect the ones you like, don't complain about not getting this release or complaining when your favorite suit is released but "it's not detailed enough".

And if you REALLY love the hobby, don't support bootleggers. It's sad when people have to rip off of BanDai to steal money away from them.

Ngee Khiong, I understand the pettiness of a lot of the Gundam fanbase. We should just be happy that we have Gunpla to occupy our spare time and realize that Gunpla is not our whole life. Friends and Family and Career should be more important than a hobby and sometimes it seems that some people put the hobby first and it becomes an obsession.

That being said. I hope where ever your life takes you, NK, keep enjoying Gunpla! I will miss your blogs very much. I guess Ii will have to really try and learn Japanese so I can keep up on the Gunpla news with the Japanese websites.

Maybe someone will come along and take over the English Gunpla News role, but maybe not.

I guess that's all I have to say about this...

Until next time: Happy Building!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Joe's Gunpla Sangokuden Gunpla Special!

Gundam fans, allow me to introduce you to Missa Chan. She is from the Sangokuden BB Senshi series. She's the first SD Gunpla I've ever built. A good friend of mine went to ACEN earlier this year and bought a grab bag from a vendor and inside was this SD Gunpla that Kiefer was never going to build. So he gave it to me right around my birthday.

No, without further adieu, Here's Missa Chan!


Isn't she lovely? Wave to our fans, Missa Chan.




Okay, okay, I think that's everyone. What are we going to show the folks today, Missa Chan?


Any ideas? Well, how about for now, give us a spin and show yourself off.






Surely, you've got some accessories to show us, don't you?


WOAH! that's quite a weapon you've got there! Well, show us what you've got.


HEY! Careful with that, Missa Chan... you may put an eye out!


Got anything else to show us? What's that behind your back?




Oh, a bit of an avid archer are we? Fantastic! Any good?


GAH! heh heh... why don't you try pointing that in a different direction... for demonstration purposes, okay?


Much appreciated, Missa Chan. Go ahead.



Wait where are you going?


WOW! That's FAST!


LOOK OUT!

*SNATCH*



Terrific! Give her a hand everyone! What speed, what daring, what skill!


Nicely done, Missa Chan! But it's time to go. Say good bye.


Good bye, Missa Chan. Thanks for stopping by.


Have a good night.

*MMMM*
*MWUAH!*

Aww, thanks for blowing us a kiss, Missa Chan.

Named for my fiance, Melissa "Missa" Dawson. I'll put up an in progress for her later. Very fun build.

Thanks again to Kiefer for giving this to me. Something to keep my hands busy for a couple hours.

Until next time: Happy Building!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Not only did we capture it and repaint it; we made it really shiny!

After watching Zeta Gundam and playing Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam, I decided the Gundam Mk II was one the top of my list of favorite Gundam designs. I like the reloadable beam rifle and bazooka, I think the most about it. I think it's the first MS to carry beam rifle clips for quick reloading (I may be wrong on that one). I honestly like the darker Titans colors better, but I already had a MG Titans Gundam Mk II Ver 2.0. However, after building this one, the Titans version pales in comparison to the over all appearance. With the gloss finish and those silver chrome decals, the HD releases of the Zeta MG kits are quite pleasing to look at! I have this one, the Zeta (Unbuilt), and the Hyaku Shiki (Built) in the HD Colors. I may pick up the Titans version if there are any left when I order another batch of kits this October.



If you ask me, the Gundam Mk II only looks good in space, I don't like that it hovers in the games and in the animation like the Dom, Gundams are supposed to walk! But that's just my opinion. This was my first time using Photoshop to make a beam saber blade! I'm getting better at this!

On to the model! This was my first attempt with waterslide decals. I made sure the area was clean first, got the decal wet and slipped it onto the plastic. I had Testors decal set, but i didn't have the stuff that melds the decal to the model, I will have to get some of that stuff for the Zeta Gundam!


Front, fully loaded with Head Vulcan Pod, Beam Rifle, Bazooka, and Shield


Left Side


Right Side


Rear view


1/4 Turn Left


1/4 Turn right


3/4 Turn right


3/4 Turn left


Unloaded Front


Decals on the shoulder area, in silver. AEUG logo and acronym.


Left shoulder with silver decal. Model number.


Top view with the silver panel decals


Same on the right shoulder.


The inner pipes come chrome coated.


So, I had to paint the outer pipes gold ^_^


Left side


Right side


Arm markings


The left thigh has its own decal.


A sort of wrap around with the model number.


For what ever reason, with the decal on the side of the calf muscle it makes me think there are beam sabers inside like the RX-79 [G] :-P


And unloaded rear view


AEUG stamped on the butt.


And the acronym spelled out on the back of the right shoulder.


This silver decal on the back of the leg, for whatever reason covers an indented panel and it annoys me greatly because I didn't have that decal melting stuff!


Love that 2.0 articulation! Awesome kneeling pose.


Had to turn on the flash to show the pilot inside the cockpit.


Showing off the mirror that is the shield.


Even better with the flash on.


Again, could have really used the decal melt!


Bazooka has its decals too.


Ready to fire!


Vulcan pod


Side view


... other side view...


Put your hands in the air!


I love the design of the Mk II's beam rifle!


This pose is okay, but...


Get the Mk II in the air and it just looks so much better!


This is my favorite pose of this picture set.


Beam Saber
















This was a nice easy build, I didn't put too much work into this one. I did the same thing to the Mk II's eyes as I've done with all my MG Gundams and I painted the hydraulics and I put on the markings but not too much else. I will need to get some more decal chemicals for the next time I'm using waterslides. They are so much easier to work with than dry transfers and stickers, I like the look of them so much I may start ordering decals online for my kits.

I did brush on some Testors gloss coat over the decals to sandwich them in. No worries, they aren't going anywhere!

Until next time: Happy Building!