captain america

Or just a different type of plastic, which wouldn't necessitate new tooling and can just as readily solve the issue.

A month to go! Put those modelling skills to good use and stand a chance to win a 1/48 Bio LLoyd kit. The parts for the green version were offered only once with the initial run, and will never be re-issued.

Bump! Y'all have until the end of the day on October 31 to make the Horizontal ship re-issue happen.

Part deux.

Destructions are ready, and all kits have shipped.

Seeing as how it was a pricy and still functional piece of military hardware, it probably made more sense to sell it. That pic of the derelict bodywork is/was part of a studio tour somewhere, IIRC. Fun fact: the modded Gazelle also appeared in a mid 80s dystopian tv miniseries caked Amerika, where they had temporarily painted it black.

For those who may have missed out on the initial run, I'm offering a potential re-issue. I'd need a dozen orders to make this happen.

Quick update: castings are looking excellent. Decals are done and on their way, so I should start shipping in the next 3 weeks.

To be fair, that Japanese line-art sketch is a bit of a detailed trainwreck. Could he have been a bit more faithful in capturing some of the exposed machinery? Yes. Also, those dome shapes look more like chrome hemispheres to me than what he rendered, but that's just my interpretation. The other thing most fans don't understand is that all these illustrations have to abide by what art directors decide and give approval to. To say that you'd be shocked at the lack of competence in some management circles is an understatement. I like the artist's character renderings; that seems to be his strength. His mecha are a bit soft.

*Heavy breathing intensifies*

I think everyone's waiting for the other guy to stick his toe into the pool first.

So... Who's currently building something?

Just a quick update for you guys: mold-prep is going well. I've already poured the first couple of molds, and from those I'll have the necessary duplicates to cast the rest. As promised, I also included a pic of the magnetic interface for the containers. With this, you'll have the option of using some 3-5mm N52 disc magnets to mount/unmount the cargo pods. While I would have liked to do something similar for the main hatch, there just wasn't enough material thickness to pull it off: Anime-magic hinges have their limitations if you want to preserve a semblance of scale realism.

I just came here to spy on you guys.

I see what you did there! Noo-maa-ru Taipu! I'll have to try to find a suitable armorial achievement for the top-left corner. If not, I'll just make one. Does the rest of the text make sense, or will that need correcting as well? Bear in mind that this is just for fun. If I ever tried to release a kit with that box art, HG would get so far up my butt that I'd be coughing-up Rick Hunter hairballs for the next 5 years!

I do, but I don't have the ability to create Japanese words/sentences, so I contented myself to copy-paste the text from the plastic kit packaging. It was an exercise to see what a proper Bioroid kit might have looked like had the series not been such a failure.

I don't even think that the containers were designed to support the extra weight of fully armed fighters, to say nothing of the fact that they don't fit despite my oversizing them and the ship.

It is done. Save for a few small details and markings, she's ready for mold-prep. I'll take a few pics of the mounting system for the containers, which fits rather snugly as-is, but you'll also have the option of mounting these with small (3-5mm) magnets, thanks to cleverly hidden housings. CARGO CONTAINER: while I wasn't able to achieve a posable, hinged cargo container door, I opted for better scale realism and came up with something fairly nifty especially considering the scale. The line-art shows what looks like a one-piece retractable boarding ramp, but that would interfere with the already VERY cramped landing gear, so I replaced it wth a folding ramp that stows right behind the main door, so more realistic. The fighter-booster also mounts nicely under the hull. You have the option to build the ship with the fighter/booster mounted, or with the cockpit mating box retracted and the fighter displayed separately.

Today, it begins!

Despite the SC designs being "heavily inspired" by those of Gun-Damn, they do have a far more pleasing and futuristic aesthetic. Functionality is quite the clusterfrack, but then, so are most Anime designs.

Captain’s log: September 9-10, 2021. Getting there. In pic 32, I’m doing some much-neglected round parts on the lathe, namely thruster bells and a few other small details. That said, this project is much less lathe-intensive as the previous one. Pic 33: some tiny, delicate parts being machined, which will become the landing gear/claws for the cargo modules. Pic 34: I rarely ever bring parts this far along back into the jaws of the mill, but there were some small details I thought needed that machined touch, so here I am playing with fire! I had to secure the part tight enough without cracking it to avoid it shifting under the pressure of the bit and ruining it completely. Pic 35: what a difference hours of shaping, putty, and sanding makes! The cockpit module has just received a fresh coat of primer and it looks great. Pic 36: some exceptionally infuriating small, complex parts being prepared, namely the container cargo hatch and landing claw. More obtuse, awkward and impractical parts are few and far between, but that’s what the line-art calls for, so I dutifully reproduce it in tiny scale. Pic 37: the bulkhead for the inside of the cargo containers on the left, and on the right, two of the four « thingamabobs » that are used to connect the neck to the forward part of the main hull. Pic 38: those same thingamabobs, being fitted to the neck module. While the ship itself is small, it features a number of dainty little details with odd geometries that are a bear to fabricate… But itll look right when it’s done! Pic 39: the absolute kings of design clusterfrack: the cargo containers themselves! Wonky and awkward outer geometry, featuring even more frustrating inner detail. Many hours spent detailing such a small space that will rarely ever be seen properly, but for this scale, it’s quite decent. Pics 40-41: finaly in the home stretch! Admittedly, it’s a nice looking ship and I’m quite pleased with how it compares to the line-art. Next week’s update with be a lighter one, as I finalize the little details and markings to complete this baby! I’ll be showing-off some of the improvements I’ve made to the boarding ramp design: the style-sheets were seemingly drawn by someone with no understanding of proportionality or perspective, so of course it falls to me to unf*ck their design mess and make it (almost) functional. Stay tuned!

Yes! I think it's OK for you to post the entries here in this thread if you don't have FB, just make sure that you respect the guidelines. I'll ask people to post here only as a last resort if they don't have Facebook, so that I don't have to keep track of 2 streams of entries. I'll post the entries I get on FB here as well, so that all entries are visible. ADDENDUM Just for clarity's sake, any of my mastered kits currently offered by Return 2 Kit Form are also elligible, since they were once Moscato Hobby kits and they're sculpted by me.

***CONTEST RULES*** -The contest will take place from September 13th to December 13th, 2021, and we will be accepting entries immediately on September 13th, if you have something ready. Last-minute entries are welcomed, so long as you respect the deadline date and time -The kit you enter must be an original Moscato Hobby Models kit. Any scale, any subject -The kit can have been built at any time in the past, so already completed kits are welcome -Modifications are welcome, even extensive ones -Two entries maximum per person -Three (3) photos per entry maximum -For judging purposes, there should only be one subject per photo -Models should be photographed against a plain, neutral background of any solid color. Even sonething as simple as a white sheet of paper or cardboard will suffice. Models photographed against a backdrop featuring your stash, your messy bedroom, your cat, etc. will be disqualified -Bribery will be grounds for disqualification! -Dioramas and vignettes are welcome also. The entire dio will be considered one subject, even if there are multiple models in the scene -Photo-editing is only permitted to adjust color balance, or blank-out the background; see EXAMPLE A -please include a watermark or your name somewhere in the photo to avoid someone stealing or passing your pic off as their own. If this exceeds your skill level or you forget, I will add your name to the pic before publishing it -Since this is the very first contest of this kind, you may use any photos you’ve taken in the past. However, take note that should there be other such contests in the following years, the photos previously submitted will no longer be eligible. Therefore, if you decide to enter the same kit/subject a following year, you will need to take new photos -The deadline for entres is December 13th, 2021 9pm EST. The winner will be announced on Dec 17th, 2021 -Each subject submitted should include a brief description: kit name, scale, and a short description of any notable modifications (60 words tops) example: «1/48 Pinky Space Crab. Kit has been modified with aftermarket ball-joints for posability, and an integrated battery and LED for the mono-eye. The beam guns are also removable with magnets. Kit was finished with Mr. Color lacqer paints. The primary color was obtained by mixing 50% H-X and H-Y and H-Z was used for the pink. » JUDGING CRITERIA Because this is an on-line contest whereby the actual kits cannot be meticulousy scrutinized with dental mirrors, actual anime or military paint swatches, and electron-beam microscopes, the judging will be based on the overall « wow » factor of the image. Each subject will be awarded points on the following criteria: -the overall build and finish quality of the model based on the photographs provided 1-10 points -MECHA ONLY- the pose or positioning of the model: does the pose of the mecha look clumsy or natural? 1-10 points -AIR/SPACECRAFT ONLY- does the angle at which the model is photographed look dynamic, or show-off its best features? 1-10 points -DIORAMA/VIGNETTE ONLY- overall composition, layout. Is it a productive use of space? 1-10 points divided between the mecha, ship/aircraft, figures, surroundings, depending on the elements included -photo quality: is the subject well or cleverly lit? Are the photos clear or blurry? Does the suject get confused with the background because the colors are too similar? 1-5 points -creativity: have you done something special to the model that makes it more impressive, like add lights, modify the pose, scratchbuild or replace meticulous parts for added realism? 1-5 points Total of 30 points possible per subject (10 for overall build quality, 10 for its category, 5 for photo, and 5 for creativity) WHO WILL JUDGE THE ENTRIES? -Myself (John), Brett from Return2KitForm, and his wife Chrissy will serve as judges. HOW DO I SUBMIT MY ENTRY? Just send a private message to me on the MHM Facebook page with your images and desired text. I will process your entry and then publish it in a special folder entitled 2021 MHM CONTEST, which will be accessible when you browse the image folders on my page. GRAND PRIZE There is only one winner, and one prize, which will be a 1/48 Moscato Hobby Jolly Green Bio Lloyd unassembled resin kit. Some Q & A clarifications Would a subject (or diorama) photographed against a real sky background be acceptable? Yes! I will ammend the rules to reflect this clarification. I'll allow it for dioramas/vignettes, since their purpose is to show models in an environment. Could said diorama include models (or toys) that weren't Moscato products? Yes, so long as the models/toys/tree products, rocks, etc. Are not the focal point of the diorama. As long as a Moscato kit is the main subject, the other, decorative props are fine. I imagine something like this is out of the question, then...? Correct. I want the physical model to be as clearly visible as possible, so while I enjoy lens flares and muzzle flashes and things of that sort, not for this competition. That said, I would be happy to have the modeller show-off those extra effects in a side-by-side pic without the digital bells and whistles after the competition is over. How about, say, a pose that required the support of a stand? Could the stand be edited out of the photograph(s)? Yes, the stand can be edited out. That actually falls under the umbrella of EXAMPLE A, where some cluttering elements can be digitally removed. How about extortion, kidnapping, or blackmail...? 😄 Love me a challenge!