Graham

I'm betting that just like the Yamato 1/60, the Toynami Alpha was not designed using CAD, hence the poor parts fitting. Graham

But the SD Lunamaria is so cute Graham

Nah, this one reminds me more of a lobster . Graham

Here's a pic of my shrine to Luna. Taken on my camera phone, so it's a bit blurry. I'm still missing at least 2 Luna figures . Graham

Somebody please tell me that we get to see a Lunamaria Hawke sex scene before the end of the series? Then I'll forgive Bandai/Sunrise for those endless recap episodes. Also, I still think Lunamaria should get her own spin-off series or OVA. She's the only character I like in all of GSD. Graham

The Macross Compendium has the following to say about the YF-19's rear seat: - Note, that it is optional, not standard. Graham

Finally started watching this today after a friend lent me the whole set. Great stuff & really funny. Lots of homages to Macross as well as many other sci-fi anime and movies such as 2001 in episode # 3. I'm not usually into comedy anime, but this had me chuckling away. The only thing I'd recommend (as usual) is avoid the gawd awful dub. IMO the accents for the two main characters just make me cringe. Watch it in Japanese with the English subs, far superior. Graham

That thing has been out since 81? Are you sure? I got my set of three when they "first came out" in 2002. I'm pretty sure they were not available before that... 325545[/snapback] According to the packing on the US version of the Kaiyodo toy, Studio Nue drew the design all the way back in 1979. The Armor design was later revised and updated by Nue in the 80s and used for the Starship Troopers OVA that came out in the mid-80s. Fast forward to a few years ago and Kaiyodo wants to release a Powered Armor toy and model, but it turns out that releasing the OVA version would entail higher licencing fees, so they go with the 1979 Nue version instead. Graham

Not sure, but I think it is probably transformable. I think they are just showing us one mode only at first to tease us and will show us a mode each month in the magazines. So next month we'll hopefully see either the Battroid or Gerwalk mode. Graham

This is just the resin prototype sculpt. It may not even having the locking mechanism in place. I'm sure that they legs will lock properly by the time they start knocking out the ABS test shots. Graham

Found this pic in the new issue of 'Figure Oh' magazine and couldn't resist posting it. Apologies to Duke Togo. Graham

Ok, I just picked up issue # 91 of 'Figure Oh' magazine and here's the scan of the page with the new 1/60 VF-0S pics. This toy is definitely looking better and better IMO. I love the side view pic, although I notice in that pic that one of the rear wheels is broken........LOL. I guess the resin wheel axel was not strong enough to support the weight of the plane. IMO, this is definitely the most anime-accurate and best looking fighter mode that Yamato have pulled off so far. In my book it even surpasses the 1/48 VF-1, mainly due to the fact that the arms don't hang down so far in fighter mode. Can't wait to see some battroid and Gerwalk mode pics. Graham

I'll see if I can pick up that magazine Renato mentioned today and post the new pics if I can buy it. Graam

Ah, so it's using a Colt Python .357 and the rubber grips are Pachmayr grippers painted brown....LOL Graham

Big fan of the book, but not the atrocious live action movie or crappy CGI series. Personally, I think the Studio Nue powered armor designs from the 1986 anime are the best I've seen, closely followed by the Kaiyodo toy, which was also designed by Studio Nue. They are pretty much exactly as I imagine the suits to be. Graham

I thought it said "spring"? Anyway, there are more photos in the new Figure Oh... 324998[/snapback] Renato, What's the issue number and what's on the cover? I want to try to pick it up. If you buy it, can you please scan and post the pics. Spring, summer, we all know it's really going to be winter before it comes out.....Ha Ha Ha. Graham

Yeah, that's true, although the asteroid training scene with the Vipers when the new CAG screwed up was pretty well done. Graham

I read somewhere that the ratings for season 2 had dropped quite a lot. I wonder if one of the causes for this is because so many people recognize all the Earth vehicles and weapons and are annoyed by it? Graham

Yeah, I also noticed that. I'll have to check the mini-series again, to see did it actually show any futuristic looking land vehicles or not, or were they using present day Earth vehicles even then. I seem to recall seeing somesort of flying car, although mayby I'm just confusing it with SW ep III in my mind Graham

Yup. I'm sure it's because the prop must be easier to work with. 324834[/snapback] Having previously done a few years work in the prop movie gun business, there's nothing more reliable with blanks than a revolver. However, with that cosmetic shroud fitted over the barrel and cylinder, reloading may be slow and yeah you only get 6 shots, so you can't film a single take with an actor blazing away and firing 20 shots like you can do with the FiveSeven. Also, the FN FiveSeven being straight blowback and firing a bottleneck cartridge should be pretty easy to convert to blank firing and likely quite reliable. Not sure in the real world you'd want to be shooting those Cylon Centurians with that pipspeak 5.7x28mm round though. Graham

Thanks for posting that concept art, definitely looks like a S&W revolver, with a shroud fitted over the barrel and cylinder. Could you take a photo of your prop gun, I'd like to see that. I noticed in ep#5, when Starbuck gets shot in the abdomen, the pistol she dropped was one of the Colonial pistols, not a Five-Seven. I think that's the last time I recall seeing one. Heh, I also noticed that at least some of the Five-Sevens have the polymer grips painted brown, I guess to try to make them look more like the original sidearm. Graham

The release date hasn't been specified yet, just sometime in Summer 2006 I think, which we all know actually means by the end of December next year Graham

I thought the gyrojet type grenade launcher on the Five-Seven looked terrible. To me it looked like a featureless block of black rubber or plastic with a hole drilled in the front. They could have added some detail to it to make it look a bit better. Anybody got a good picture of the Colonial pistol they started with? IIRC it had wood fingergroove grips (looked a bit like Hogues) and didn't have any iron sights, although I think there was some sort of rib on the tob, which was perhaps used for aiming. Graham

Just up to episode # 5 of season 2. One thing that's bugging me a bit is the increasing use of present day Earth firearms and vehicles in the show. On the firearms side we see a British army SA-80 rifle and a H&K UMP SMG being used by the Pyramid team on Caprica. Starbuck was seen using two Czech Skorpion sub-machine pistols and Helo was using what looked like some sort of UZI knock-off. I also noticed in episode # 3 when they are attacking the missile battery, Chief Tyrol's pistol is actually an FN Five-Seven pistol with a fake grenade launcher attached to the accessoy rail. And of course, the standard Colonial rifle is a Beretta Cx4 Storm carbine. Then there is the Hummer being used by Starbuck and Helo on Caprica . I mean, come on how likely is it that the 12 Colonies would develop a vehicle identical to an Earth Hummer. Of course it could be that when the Galactica and fleet finally find Earth, it is the late 70's and, they sell the plans to AM General just in time for them to win the US Army contract to make the Hummer . You would think that with the popularity of the show, they would have enough budget to actually make up some futuristic vehicles and firearms, or at least add some cosmetic add-ons, so they are not so easily recognisable as present day weapons. Well, at least the Colonial pilots pistol is a made up 'space gun' sometimes, when it hasn't morphed into an FN Five-Seven. Graham

To be honest, I'm bored of the VF-1 after 23 years of VF-1 toys and models from Takatoku, Imai, Arii, Bandai, Yamato, Banpresto, Hasegawa and Toynami (not to forget all the various garage kits as well). There's more than enough VF-1 toys and models out there already damn it! If Bandai were to release a PG kit of a mecha from Macross I'd prefer they did something different like the YF-19-FP, VF-2SS w/SAP, VF-17D-FP or Full Armor VF-11C. Graham