2007 Winter Wonderfest!
OK — I was too hung over to get this stuff in here before, but here’s my Wonderfest preliminary report as first published in the BBS. More photos coming later; it was an interesting show.
1) As Roger mentioned in the BBS, CM’s is releasing a fully-transforming Legioss (Alpha) and Tread (Beta) fighter set. Looks to be about the size of the Toynami Masterpiece version, but with really different proportions, particularly around the intakes on the chest. Beta/Tread looks amazing. The Japanese site Yacolog has great photos posted already, but here’s one I took from an angle that shows some of the transformation mechanism. They’ll be releasing three color variations, starting later this year.
2) Yamato is releasing a fully-transforming Bubblegum Crisis Motoslave in 1:15 scale (same as their recent Megazone 23 Garland). Interestingly, and a little sadly, the late Taku “Professor Robo” Sato was involved in its production, apparently one of his last projects. (Fewture’s also releasing his Mazinger 1969, the very last design of his that went into pre-production before his unexpected passing.) It comes with a “Hardsuit”-wearing Priss and is about half the physical size of the Garland.
3) Also on the Yamato front, they’re releasing a DX-sized, fully-transforming Bryger from the “J9” series of shows. Could a perfectly-transforming Sasuraiger be next? One can hope.
4) Yet MORE on the Yamato front: a fully-transforming, ultra-realistic Groizer X is in the works. Who’d a thunk it?
5) The One Million Yen Evangelion: made of fiberglas and standing 2 meters tall, it towers over the average person…. Got a spare $10K to blow? It’s yours. The scary thing was, there were no shortage of people dropping by who seemed to be actually considering it.
6) A built-up resin kit of the Manon Type Gorg. Garage kits like this are really what WF is all about.
7) Desslar sofubi!! Nearly anything’s fair game for garage soft vinyl figure makers these days. These Gamilas baddies from Space Cruiser Yamato were being sold as completed items, not kits. If more “urban vinyl” looked like this I’d be happy.
8) A huge 1:48 Blizzard Gunner from Dougram. This was a very limited-edition, one-day-only amateur model kit production. I wish Takara had made a Dual Model (or even a 1:144 collection series version) of this sucker!
9) A new manufacturer by the name of “Honkytonk” has announced their plans to release “the largest Votoms product in history.” No pics yet, but the guys behind the table said it would be a 1/6 scale Scopedog made out of FRP (fiberglas-reinforced plastic) and retail for… Wait for it… Somewhere around $3000. Ouch. Release date: this summer. Or so they hope.
