Anime Expo - Gundam: Past, Present, and Future Panel

Model Grade and Bluefin Distribution are helping out the Gundam: Past, Present, and Future panel at Anime Expo this year by donating model kits to be given away after the main presentation.  Check it out as they discuss what Gundam has been doing the past year, what is going on right now, and what to look forward to in the future both in Anime and Gunpla.  Test your Gundam knowledge with "What's That Mobile Suit?" to win Gunpla prizes. 

The panel is scheduled for Friday June 29th at 7:00pm in WS1.  AX Attendee Badge required. 

Gundam Unicorn gets a 7th Episode!

Official announcement from twitter.

Gundam Unicorn episode 6 will release spring 2013.  On a surprising note, a 7th episode is now scheduled for release afterwards and supposedly will be longer then the standard 1 hour.  Pretty exciting news!

Where to talk about Gunpla?

Are you looking for more like-minded individuals to discuss your hobby of building giant robots?  It can sometimes be hard to find the right community to share in the joy of building Gunpla.  Not all communities are the same and the ones I've found can be very diverse or specialized.  So here is my list of places (that I know about...) on the net you can talk shop!

Reddit /Gunpla

This community is pretty cool.  It has a narrow scope on what can be discussed, in that you can only post about humanoid model robots (No Zoids or Figues) but there are plenty of places on Reddit where you can discuss what you can't on the Gunpla board. While it is a small community, it has the potential to get bigger.  Goodguydan, a moderator, is always looking for ways to improve the community experience.

Hobby Fanatics

Right after Child of Mecha (a gunpla forum of old) fell, a great migration of that user base headed over to Hobby Fanatics.  This message board community is primarily a mecha based community but has some very impressive talent showed off in the Figure and Scale model sub-forums.  You can discuss almost anything here, though the community is rather small and tightly knit. 

Gamera Baenre's Forums

Gamera is a freaking amazing guy.  I could go on about how he has pushed the envelope on promoting the gunpla community through meetups (at his own house!), convention workshops, and competitions, but that is it's own thing altogether.  Gamera's forum is a small community with little activity, but it is worth mentioning due to the talent that resides there.  Tap into the wealth of information that is available to anyone who uses the search function.  You won't be disappointed with what you find.

Gundam Eclipse

I'm a newcomer to this forum, and I'm pretty impressed with the community so far.  The forum is pretty large with a lot of sub-forums and an active user base.  Gundam Eclipse pretty much has everything you could want from a Gunpla forum community.

Fitchenfoo's Forum

Expect to see a lot of resin and a lot of scratch building.  Fitchenfoo's community is probably the most intimidating of the bunch, but don't let that scare you.  There are a lot of inspirational works showed off here, and a ton of information and techniques to take home and try for yourself.  Even if you don't post, it is a great place to lurk.

MG Blitz Gundam Reddit Deal

Check out and see how you can get a good deal on a Master Grade Blitz Gundam!  Goodguydan, a moderator for the Gunpla board of Reddit contacted me about a group buy deal for his community.  We worked something pretty cool out:  Details can be found here:  MG Blitz Gundam Reddit Deal

Other then a nice price, the deal includes Flat $5.00 Shipping (USPS Parcel) or Free Shipping if you buy 2 or more and a $5.00 Gift Certificate. 

MG Marasai Scans

Here is the first look at the upcoming MG Marasai in colored plastic from Hobby Japan, June 2012 Issue.  Thanks to Gundam Guy for the scans.  The MG Marasai looks to be a fairly articulate figure with good proportions and detail.  UC fans have been waiting a long time for this release and with all the things this release offers, it looks to be worth the wait.  Surprisingly it can be fitted with the Ballute System too, though I'm guessing that will be sold separately.  Enjoy the pics! 

MG RMS-108 Marasai:  Pre-Order Here!

 

New Arrivals!

Just got some new stuff in the store earlier!  Master Grade Duel Gundam Assault Shroud from Gundam Seed and Gundam Age-1 Normal from Gundam Age.  Check em out!

MG Gundam Age-1 Normal:  On Sale Now!

MG Duel Gundam Assault Shroud:  On Sale Now

 

Gunpla Release Schedule March, April & More!

From Gundam Guy's Blog:



Bandai Hobby Division - March Release
HGUC 1/144 Juaggu (Price: 1700 yen)
HGUC 1/144 Marasai [UC Ver.] (Price: 1600 yen)
HGUC 1/144 Zaku [Desert Color - Yonem Kirks Custom]  (Price: 1600 yen)
MG 1/100 Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee (Price: 5500 yen)
Bandai Hobby Division - April Release
HGUC 1/144 Nemo [UC Ver.]  (Price: 1500 yen)
Bandai Hobby Division - Planned For Release
MG 1/100 Buster Gundam, Blitz Gundam & Aegis Gundam

Also, Next Real Grade kit is Gundam MK-2!