Some new images for you - Comic, Model, Video

[AndyThomas]

I've yet to incorporate these into the site proper and there may be more when I do, but for now have a look at them here.  They're fairly large images so apologies to those on dial-up.You'll see that on the model shot I've included a ruler to give you an idea of size - I was expecting it to be much bigger and was very underwhelmed when it arrived!  I have some shots of the kit itself, which is in bright red and blue plastic for some reason...The comic scan is from the French comic - hence the rather interesting character names!

[FZeroOne]

Cyril? Cryil?! And I thought Bongo was bad enough!Thanks for the model shots, Andy - any images of the model itself? The plastic colours might be explained by the fact that these kits would have appeared around the same time as Bandai was taking its first steps towards total domination with its Gundam model kits, the first ones of which were moulded in various colours (including the infamous "puke" green white... ); this was before Bandai developed various methods for producing multiple parts in different colours.

[AndyThomas]

Here you are:

[Bradster]

Wow, that IS small.Perhaps they were intended to be painted?

[FZeroOne]

Thanks, Andy! Bradster, most model kits of that era would have been intended to be painted. A couple of reasons it might be so small could be a) Mark were planning larger scale model kits (like the fighter carriers), and the fighters were planned to be in scale with those or b) traditionally, enemy mecha have always sold worse than "good guy" mecha in Japanese markets - some of the very rarest toys of the early giant robot lines are bad guys, and tend to fetch the highest prices among collectors now. Making a small kit would cut down costs on something that might not sell very well in the first place.This trend was only reversed when Bandai began producing Gundam model kits, and the famous Mobile Suit type, Zaku, became the first enemy mecha to actually match the "star" (the RX-78 Gundam) in sales figures! (and supposedly causing near riots in Japanese hobby shops, too... )

[AndyThomas]

Seems odd though - if they're going to be painted, why bother with two colours? And wouldn't more, ah, muted tones suit painting?! As I recall there have been comments elsewhere that Mark are best known (or worst known) for doing cheap and cheerful kits...

[FZeroOne]

Well, I suspect it was aimed at kids. Bright colours are always a selling point there. Er, am I imagining it or does that thing have wheels?!

[Bradster]

Those aren't just wheels!They're... uhh...Landing gear!

[FZeroOne]

You can't fool me, Bradster - what use would the enemy fighter carriers be if the fighters had landing gear?!

[AndyThomas]

Hm. Well there's an interesting incentive to fight well - we won't give you landing gear so you can't land anywhere else but on a fighter carrier and we won't let you back on if you don't do your job well! I mean look at what Carter did to his fighter... crash and burn, man...