If your mind works a certain way, the first thought that occurs to you when you lay eyes on Kunio Okawara’s brilliant Scopedog design is, “That could actually kinda work IRL.” In fact, that was the whole point of it. After previous experiences designing anime mecha, Okawara set out to...

It’s 1985. You’ve watched all of Armored Trooper Votoms, spinoffs are in the air, and you’ve built every model kit Takara, Union, and Kabaya have to offer. But the gaps in the lineup are endlessly frustrating. Why did some models get released in one scale, but not the other? Why...

These products first entered the market in 1993. Kotobukiya also specialized in garage kits for Blue Knight Berserga. Resin kits 1. Scopedog Turbo Custom 2. Ecrevisse 3. Diving Beetle 4. Fatty ground type 5. Berserga 6. Bloodsucker HG metal kits Scopedog Marshydog Conversion parts for Scopedog Red Shoulder Custom and...

Volks is a seller and distributor of garage kits with their own storefronts. The actual creation of their Votoms models takes place at a studio named Zoukei-mura [Sculpture Village]. They debuted with the record-breaking 1/8 Scopedog in December 1995 and continued with a lineup of 1/24 resin kits. Read all...

These products first appeared in December 1998. See more Manten products here and visit their Twitter page here. 1/24 Scopedog 1/24 Round Mover type Scopedog 1/24 Parachute Sack type Scopedog 1/24 Berserga 1/24 Strikedog 1/24 Rabidlydog 1/60 Brutishdog 1/60 Scopedog “Basic Action Model” 1/60 Round Mover type Scopedog 1/60 Parachute...

Box style Scopedog The Scopedog included a mini RPG (at right) Scopedog Turbo Custom Liman type Burglary Dog Scopedog Turbo Custom Scopedog Red Shoulder Custom upgrade parts Decal sets (multiple scales) Continue to next gallery Back to main article

This company, run by sculptor Max Watanabe, debuted its first Votoms models in 1992. Prior to that, they coproduced Blue Knight kits with Lark Hobby shop under the brand name “L-Max” in 1988. 1/24 Rabidly Dog (resin) 1/24 Diving Beetle (vinyl) 1/24 Fatty (vinyl) 1/24 Strikedog (vinyl) 1/24 Strikedog, Korean...

These products first began to appear in 1998. The “MO” in the company name stands for company leader Masakazu Ohwa. Some were originally released by Craftsman’s G-Port. Whereas most garage kit makers only get 1-day licenses to sell at hobby shows, MO-Craft kits were officially licensed for continuous production Scopedog,...

Lark resin kits Lark Hobby Shop was founded in May 1983 and began to produce the first Votoms garage kits October 1984. They joined forces with Wave to do more in July 1985 and with Max Factory to produce Blue Knight models in 1988 under the name “L-Max.” Afterward, the...

All kits by Craftsman’s G-Port are 1/48 scale resin, and first appeared in April 1991. They were sculpted by Masakazu Ohwa, and some were re-released by his own company, MO-Craft. Box styles; the illustration at right is by Blue Knight Berserga artist Hiroyuki Hataike Instruction style Scopedog II Scopedog Red...

The “Wave” brand began under the umbrella of Lark Hobby Shop, with their first Votoms products appearing in July 1985. After focusing on other products and reissuing the 1/60 plastic models from Union, they jumped back onto the Votoms bandwagon in 1989 and have been on it ever since. Some...

Continue to issue 4 finished version Back to main article

Continue to finished version Continue to issue 4, penciled version Back to main article

Back to main article

Continue to finished version Back to main article

Originally published in the Blue Gale doujinshi series Blue Gale Vol. 1 July 1992, 36 pages Blue Gale Vol. 2 Dec 1993, 50 pages Blue Gale 3 Aug 1995, 50 pages Blue Gale 4 Aug 2002, 32 pages Back to the hub

Return to portfolio

Return to portfolio

Hello, cartoon compatriot! This page of my archival website is a non-public sampling of recent animation works. Video clips can be found below the resume if you want to jump right in! I’ve been in the TV biz since 1996, jumping from one cool gig to another, often directing and/or...

By Character Designer Norio Shioyama Back to main article