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

This 6-member AT unit was specially organized for war hero Lt. Colonel Vorct, who was to return to the front again. From another point of view, the military was on the verge of collapse and prepared a final gesture for a national hero who had contributed so much to the...

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Rane figure bust garage kit (maker unknown) Sunrise Mecha Action Series toys by CMs (see a series of blogs here: part 1 | part 2 | part 3) Vorct Custom (see an unboxing video here) Rane Custom Norden Custom Zetra Custom (see an unboxing video here) Borque Custom Bockmesser Custom...

As a mecha anime fan in general and a Votoms fan in particular, there’s something I’ve always had a beef about: Mobile Suit Gundam spinoffs. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve followed and enjoyed many of them. But the Gundam world is inherently limited since it takes place on and around...

Why is the term “model” applied to a toy? One of the selling points of this product was that it had the durability of a toy and the appearance of a finely-crafted model kit that could be painted and finished to the user’s liking. The version in these photos was...

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Mini card set using the same art Back to main article

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No. 1 Scopedog Red Shoulder Type Reissue version Clear version No. 2 Snapping Turtle Reissue version Clear version Back to main article

By the time Votoms first hit the airwaves in April 1983, systems and patterns for mecha anime merchandising were in full swing thanks to big success stories like Gundam and Dougram. This meant Votoms would have a healthy lineup of model kits, toys and other products to support its broadcast....

by Kouji Akimoto In a previous installment, I curated and translated an apocryphal Votoms manga titled Excellent A.T. by artist/writer Kouji Akimoto. It was originally published in Volume 2 of an anthology from Bandai titled Cyber Comix. As it happens, he returned in the very next issue (Volume 3, August...

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