This past weekend was April’s Model Build Gathering. Earlier in the week, we discovered a new gunpla centric store located in our own very backyard of Fullerton. A few of us did recon visits to the shop and during the gathering we sent a few raiding parties. Quite a bit of work was done on kits this gathering, we were all so focused and in tuned with building that we didn’t even have time to break out rockband.
Those Gundam Guys is the official group name for the random collection of gunpla, mecha, and anime figure modelers that gather once a month in Southern California to build, laugh at one another, and sometimes drink copious amounts of alcohol all the while trying to sing and play rockband without failing. This group has been gathering since July 2007. When asked if we had a name to our “club†the usual response was a shrug, we were just a bunch of modelers that liked to build plastic robots, why make anything official. Almost like some creepy underground movement.
The idea for naming the group came about again last year when we were asked to sponsor a trophy for the 2010 IPMS OC OrangeCon event. Still we half-assed a name to use on the trophy placard. We spent all of 10 minutes trying to come up with stupid witty acronyms for our group, but still wasn’t able to find something good enough. And nothing stuck. Fast forward a few months later when the idea of naming the group had long vacated our memories; a group of us come up with the brilliant idea of hosting our own competition. Tired of griping and whining at the end of every model competition we attend where we’re just looked at and talked to as little more than glorified toy painters; it’s time we shut the hell up and just see if we could do something.
The first annual (hopefully) Southern California Gundam model competition has a date and location set. A set of entry categories and special awards has also been created. However, since it’s still fairly early, the group can decide to modify the categories and special awards. But these should be finalized by the end of this month. As far as I know, nothing like this has been done in Southern California. I don’t count the contest at Anime Expo or the local IPMS/Model club shows as the focus of both events are not Gundam centric.
I know there are tons of gunpla modelers in Southern California. There are so many shops that sell gunpla. It’s time that the gunpla modelers gather to show off their skills and compete with one another in a completely Gundam models for the sake of Gundam models show.
This past weekend was the annual Southern California Area Historical Modelers Society (SCAHMS) show. It is a two day event with workshops, vendors, and a competition. The main focus for the contest is figures, but they do open the competition up for all models. The main judging criteria for this contest is painting. I missed last year’s competition, so I’m making it up for it this year.
