A Remote Chance.

I picked up the first volume of the "Build Your Own Giant Remote Controlled Godzilla Model" by the fine folks at DeAgostini the other day. I was hesitant to fork out the 5 bucks it'd take to purchase and then I saw it for only 300 yen in a BookOff and a sale was made!

Volume 1 is only 490 + tax and with it you receive his head and upper palate with tongue and teeth. It also comes with a fairly informative DVD on: how to assemble, a making of , an interview with original model maker Eizo Kaimai by Gojira expert and sculptor Yuuji Sakai, and a gallery. I tried to upload a minute of it but was unsuccessful.

Above is the aforementioned interviewer and interviewee.
Below is a minute-long video that is similar to what I tried to upload.

If you have 24 minutes to spare, here are three big nerds talking about the model.

There's also a mini-booklet that includes a centerfold of the Big G himself.

Here's an x-ray of what it should look like when near completion.

Above is the beginning of the Godzilla Chronicle which is probably an ongoing entry in future volumes. Below is an excerpt from research that goes into detail on the DVD.

Here's a closeup of the head. I doubt whether I'll ever put it together, I'm too afraid of wrecking it.

The next volume will cost 1900 yen and I think you get a few body parts in each volume for the next 90 weeks at that price. I don't think I'll buy any more volumes, even if I had any competency in model assembly whatsoever, it'd still cost me nearly 171,000 yen (~1800$) and I won't even get all the parts until August 2020! The good news is, I scored a little tube of bond, that alone is almost worth the 3 bucks I spent.

The above blog entry is dedicated to Stephen D. Sullivan whose birthday just happens to be today. Check out his website and maybe buy one of his books.

My First Atom!

Several weeks ago I bought part one of an assemble-your-own-Atom kit for a mere 830 yen (plus tax). Not a bad deal because it includes a DVD and a little case.

This is what the box cover looks like. Note it's by NTT/Docomo so it must be legit (unlike those deAgostino scams!)ag

   

There's a large (4 x A4) fold-out poster of the blueprint and assembly directions.

The magazine itself is not that enlightening. Mostly several articles about his birthday though it does have the following photo with a fully assembled model with Tezuka Osamu's son, 手塚 眞 Tezuka Makoto who is partially responsible for running his dad's production company.

Here is the first piece of Atomu that I received, his face plate!

On the positive side, I landed a DVD that includes his premiere episodes from the 1963,1980 and 2003 series.

Here's the face plate. It's actually kind of cute. I added the little black strips at the bottom of his eyes.

This little case will be good for organizing pins or nuts/bolts or meds.

A sneak preview of part 2. Oh cool, you get his heart.
Wait a sec...1843 yen before tax!! Doh, duped again!

I snapped this shot of part three of some of his guts from the bookstore.

Not really all that impressive.

Chewie, We're Home.

With those three little words, a franchise is guaranteed its success.

Welcome to the Millennium Falcon! Those fine folks at DeAgostini have finally released their "assemble your own Millennium Falcon" model kit. (For details, check this out.) I spoke in some detail way back in November about their latest scam enterprise and it is worse than I thought.

I usually buy the first book at the cheap price (in this case 499 yen) and then ignore the next and subsequent issues at 1,999 yen. This time, I snapped a few surreptitious photos in the bookstore. This is what you get:

I don't know how many issues are planned but it'll take about 1000 bucks to amass the parts to put together this vessel. At least you get a couple of nice pictures in the book, such as this one.

There's also a binder, I could probably use one to hold some of the SW paraphernalia I've already collected (cards, posters, Clear Files, etc.) but at 699 yen, it's a tad expensive.

Chewie, you may be home but I'd suggest you get a cheaper spaceship.

Falcon Hell!

Those geniuses at D'Agostino have done it again. In an effort to milk every penny out of me, they have now come up with a Millennium Falcon model!

As with all D'Agostino scams offers, the first one is a bargain at 5 bucks.

Below is probably all you get with the first issue. Subsequent issues are then 4X as much. They list the first four issues, but it could even be more until you can assemble your smuggling vessel.

These are some of the behind-the-scenes pages that come with it. (That link includes an interview, in Japanese, natch.)

You can get a binder to put all these pages in for a mere 7 dollars (which is actually fairly reasonable.)

 There is also some sort of present of a Darth Vader figure, though I haven't yet determined how to get it.

I'll probably get the first issue because as an added bonus, you get an "Original Mat" that looks like blueprints. Cool!

One snag with this...the offer doesn't begin until January 25th, 2016! That's two months away!

The Creature From The Black La-kun.

One of my favourite Universal Monsters is the Creature so this particular story is quite appealing to me. おいらはアマゾンの半魚人 (Oira wa Amazon Half-Fish Man). Even cooler, you can get it for your Kindle!

I have to alter from my usual path in order get my geek on. This model of the Enterprise D just came out in bookstores today and as with all Deagostini collections, the first one is cheap (5 bucks in this case) and subsequent models will be about 13 fizbins. It is so nice that I fear I'll have to get them all.

You not only get the model, but it also comes with Specs, Sketches and other Sheets.

There's some deal where you can win a Borg Cube. I'll have to get someone to help me out with that!

To get back to Halloween, here is the mostest awesomest prank I have ever seen. I don't know why they remade Carrie yet again but if spawns more videos like this, I'm all for it!



Finally, I had dinner with my galpal tonight and did some Halloween Candy shopping. In order to appease her chocoholic cravings, I picked her up a Wonka bar. Of course, had we received the Golden Ticket, I would have kept it for myself!