GBWC 2016: Interview #12
Hey hey builders! We’ve got an interview comin’ at ya from winner of the small scale award at Otakon: Brandon Moore!
How did you first get into Gunpla? How long have you been building?
I have been building Gunpla for over 10 years; I started when I was about 14 years old. I enjoyed building other plastic models of cars and battleships, and I also enjoyed giant robots. So Gunpla was a perfect blend of those interests! Of course, back then I was perfectly happy with using the included stickers for details and I didn't know how to get a clean panel line...but I loved looking at galleries of well-built and painted Gunpla online and so I kept at it. After a few years of building and hand-painting (with plenty of brush strokes, of course), I got into airbrushing. It was a whole new world! I could finally lay down flat, clean colors and, most importantly, choose my own color palettes.
At first, my favorite kits were from Gundam Wing, both because of the bright colors and because they were the most readily available in the US in 2003. I later got really into the Universal Century kits once Mobile Suit Gundam aired on TV here.
What was the inspiration for your entry? Could you tell us about your concept?
I am a big fan of Iron-Blooded Orphans (IBO). I love how realistic the kits look--ultimately they are metal skeletons with the important parts covered in armor. Now THOSE are giant robots!
The Grimgerde model always looked like a knight to me, but I loved the way the rounded shoulders and hip skirts looked like something from a WWII tank or other realistic military equipment. But the red color of the Grimgerde was off-putting to me...if mobile suits are giant tanks, why wouldn't you at least give them some camouflage? So I set out to make that suit look more realistic. We learned from IBO that the Grimgerde used the Valkyrie (or "Valkyrja") frame, which was a lighter and more highly-maneuverable precursor of the Graze frame. So I assume Gjallarhorn must have made more than one of these things, right? What if they made some specifically for use in Earth's atmosphere? Maybe they intended to mass-produce them at some point? That's where I got the idea for the Valkyrie ground type.
I always knew I wanted to put this thing on an acrylic base. Once I decided to go with the Gjallarhorn logo I thought it might be cool to make a "trade-show" style display. So the little Gjallarhorn tank was kind of an afterthought--I painted that up quickly and added it to the base so that it looked like I was trying to sell you a portfolio of weapons.
Is there a style or theme or signature type of build that defines you? What is it?
I really like builds that are clean but also realistic. That's why I went with a military drab color and a heavy drybrush on the inner frame. You can also see the way I like to do edge-shading on armor plates. Some people don't like it, but I think it gives smaller models like 1/144's more depth and realism.
What was the build process like? Did you use any unconventional materials or techniques?
I decided to use the top half of the Graze head because it had a similar slope as the Grimgerde shoulders, and I thought it would give it a really "mass-produced" look. The problem I ran into, though, was that the Graze chest slopes out a lot more than the Grimgerde chest, so the lines you are used to seeing on the mass-produced suit just aren't reproduced on the Grimgerde with that head piece. So I tilted the chest plate and built up the front and sides with some plastic card to match the sloping angle of the head, and I shaved down the Grimgerde "chin" so that the head could sink a bit farther down into the chest. I think that gives it a really heavily-armored look.
I knew I wanted a long-barreled cannon on this model to complement the long sloping rear skirt, but I didn't have anything handy. I did, however, have a Barbatos cannon laying around. I decided that the gun looked better upside-down, and I made some modifications to cover up some of the gaps in the now-inverted undercarriage. I think the underslung barrel and side-grip gives it a really heavy feel which complements the light, frail look of the Valkyrie midsection and legs.
The acrylic base was an unconventional technique. I used a laser cutter to mask out the design which I painted with regular purple spray paint.
What part of building (in general) do you enjoy the most?
I love redesigning an existing model to fit a particular theme. I also like to tell a story with my models. For example, the Valkyrie ground type does not actually exist in the IBO universe, but it can fit into the story line easily considering the history of the machine. I also like taking things that are so obviously and deeply science fiction and bringing them into the real world with realistic color schemes and internal frame detailing.
What’s your favorite Gundam series? Favorite mobile suit?
My favorite series is Iron-Blooded Orphans, but my favorite suit is the Deathscythe Hell.
Anything else you’d like to say? Any interesting facts?
This is my first time entering a GBWC event, and it won't be my last. I had a great time talking with the other builders and I hope to see everyone again in the years to come!