captain america

New update posted on the Monkey! And just to taunt you... A couple sneek-peeks

Anyone want to hasard a guess as to what I'm working on? If you figure it out, please let me know; I'm such a slob I can't even tell what's what on my work area anymore

I'm not dead yet; I just posted a new update on SM http://www.samurai-monkey.com/boardz/viewt...p?p=12663#12663 A couple of teaser pics for you as well...

New update on the SM site here: http://www.samurai-monkey.com/boardz/viewt...p?p=12375#12375 Hopefully those with login problems have had them resolved satisfactorily. If not, just say the word and I'll post a few pics here as well.

Try contacting the administrators if you're having trouble logging in. In the meantime, a few teasers from the last update.

Heads up slackers: new GNERL build progress pics on Samurai Monkey! http://www.samurai-monkey.com/boardz/viewt...p?p=12149#12149 I go sleep now; very tired. Please post comments if wish...

Still alive. Me, I mean I started sculpting some Gnerl components; I'll try to post some pics Friday night.

Screen caps pleeeeeeease!!! Actually, those might come in handy; I wanna see where and how the missiles are stored.

And that's even after I reduced it to 34cm from the initial 38cm!! I felt that based on the size of the average soldier, the dimensions I originally had (no numerical values were given in Perfect Memory)seemed a tad large; cockpit was TOO roomy for a Zentradi mecha. Now it's a more tight fit. Not as tight as a regult, but more like moderately uncomfortable.

Keep the preorders coming folks, looks like we're doing good thus far. In the meantime, I've been busy drafting the building templates for the Gnerl. As with most Macross mecha, I seem to find myself with conflicting lineart... I wonder why that is? Anyway, I think I've gotten most of the "bugs" worked out, so I started printing out some of my reference material. Here's a pic of the Gnerl next to the aborted hull of the Launch Vehicle. Pretty big eh?

About 25cm high, and 28cm wide. Weight is and will be unknown until a full kit is cast.

Yes, I'd say give it a good month, maybe 2.

Hi everyone. I was looking to gauge interest in the idea of a 1/72 Zentradi Gnerl fighter pod. For those that don't know what the "Gnerl" is, look to the very first episode of SDF: Macross. They're the green flying craft that the Zentradi send down in their initial assault. Anyhoo, based on the research I've done, this would be quite a sizeable model in 1/72: about 38cm long from the tip of the gun to the rear tail fins. My aim would be to incorporate the following features: -A canopy that may be posed open or closed -Fully detailed cockpit; perhaps even with consoles molded in clear to facilitate illumination, should some modelers wish to add that little extra. -Landing gear that may be built eitherin extended or retracted configuration. -A seated pilot figure would be included. In so much as there is no conclusive evidence to determine which type of body armor the pilot wears, I will retain the armor variant I already have, and eventually, will offer the high-ranking officer's armor as a separate figure at a later point. Projected kit price: 300 canadian dollars + shipping. Also, I intend this model to be limited to 30 castings, and as such, I would ask that only those people who are certain they want a kit to "opt in." My intent is to proceed with the same manner as I usually do: photo updates on a weekly basis, but since this is a relatively pricy kit, I'll also be taking deposits once most of the masters are done. I figure the deposit will be $100 or so. Anyhoo, if anyone's interested, you know the drill.

Hola Cool8or. I have to say, I'm rather impressed; beautifully built models. I'm starting to become jealous for lack of time to build-up/paint my own models. Ah, who knows; maybe I'll tackle a Catseye at some point, it's a truly attractive aircraft, and I'm quite certain that I could do the design more justice than Tanmen.

An Omega thread? Awesome, here's mine: On second thought: oops. Wrong kind of "Omega" thread.

In the la-la land of licensing, product "quality" and fanbase preference mean jack sh*t. He who makes the "better" product does not necessarily earn the licensor mo' money. It's all about making money, and making deals to make even mo' money. Bandai likely just made a more interesting offer. Been there, done that, pulled the long knives out of my back after the fact, etc.

The kits will likely be non-transformable, simple and no frills, true to Bandai's previously-demonstrated lack of commitment to any non-Gundam anime.

Roto-casting is hit-or-miss unless you have thousands of dollars in equipment to offer consistent castings. Misses add up over time, and whatever one thinks one can save is usually negated by the cost of defective castings and accumulated frustration and anguish. If you have soft shapes with no or little sharp edges or undercutting,it's great. If not, it's an exercise in frustration <--I speak from first hand experience. "Hey Captain, how much cheaper would the kit be if you left the cockpit and pilot out of the deal and just made the thing one whole piece?" That would actually increase the price many fold, and I'll explain why: most people buy my stuff because I'd like to think that they enjoy the time and effort I put into the models I offer. I tend to like to make stuff in such a way that hasn't usually been done by anyone else before, and I'm reasonably certain that most everyone will echo that statement. Now, if I go and make a 1/72 Gnerl model that's essentially 3 massive blocks of resin,no cockpit, no landing gear, no pilot, no frills, I think it's safe to say that what would normally have been a customer base of 30, will shrink to a customer base of 2 or 3, and those 2 or 3 customers are going to have to shoulder the r&d costs for the project, in stead of 30 people. Thusly, a $300 kit turns into a $3000 kit.

Based on the sheer size of the structure, even with partially/strategically hollowed parts, I can still see 6-700ml easy going into each kit. I'd advise everyone to expect a $300-ish price tag, especially with a pilot.

I can appreciate that there may be different helmet designs, but to be honest, I can't explain the hierarchy (if any) or how and why certain styles of battle armor are seen in some instances and not others. To that end, I wouldn't rule out sculpting a new (heavy) space suit, but despite its small size, the original zentradi soldier took a surprisingly long time to make, and so I'll have to weigh that if/when the Gnerl project kicks-in to determine how significantly it will impact the price of the kit.

Based on all the art I've seen, it looks like an opaque hatch cover, similar to the Glaug; the visuals being provided by the sensor eye at the front of the craft. Consoles could be molded clear in the interest of lighting though.

However large the structure, I feel that in order to maintain the spirit of Zentradi machinery and the artists who penned the original style sheets, the cockpit and associated details should reflect the simplistic, semi-organic look of other Zentradi mecha, so if anything, it'll probably have an interior similar to the Regult. With regards to clear parts, I suppose that it remains a possibility, depending on how the parts need to be broken down. Since this will be a fairly large and expensive model, it'll likely be limited to just 30 kits, so I'll see if I can implement some interesting goodies. That won't be until March though.

Based on what I could find, the Gnerl is supposedly about 28m in lenth, which is about 38cm long in 1/72. Quite huge.

Are you sure about that? My understanding is that the reason Kamjin wears that armor is because he's a high-ranking officer; has nothing to do with fighting in space, because Regults fight in space as well. Pilot poseability: in order to do that with a figure as opposed to a mecha, you have to put toy-like joints on it, which goes against my philosophy. The pilot for the gnerl will have to be more reclined anyway, as the seating position is different than the trashcan-like comfort of the Regult.

What about a Gnerl with cockpit & bastard pilot?