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Featured image for Super Deformed Swan Song: ARTMIC’s Scramble WarsBackground image for Super Deformed Swan Song: ARTMIC’s Scramble Wars
Featured image for Koba-Kondoh Document Now AvailableBackground image for Koba-Kondoh Document Now Available

Koba-Kondoh Document Now Available

Just a quick post to mention that we’ve re-opened shop.zimmerit.moe with copies of the Koba-Kondoh Document, our latest Patreon-funded ‘zine. There’s some other new stuff on there…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Syd Mead’s First Mobile SuitsBackground image for Syd Mead’s First Mobile Suits

Syd Mead’s First Mobile Suits

Tom dives further into the publication history of Syd Mead’s Gundam movie concept art and examines rarely seen original sketches.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Goodbye, Daicon Film: When Gainax Made AppleseedBackground image for Goodbye, Daicon Film: When Gainax Made Appleseed

Goodbye, Daicon Film: When Gainax Made Appleseed

In 1988, Gainax staff produced a three minute live-action promotional video to help market the Appleseed OVA. In 2024, Zimmerit made a video about it.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Genesis Surviver Gaiarth Setting MaterialsBackground image for Genesis Surviver Gaiarth Setting Materials

Genesis Surviver Gaiarth Setting Materials

The 1992 ARTMIC OVA Genesis Surviver Gaiarth was not the most impressive series produced by the beloved design studio, but it certainly has its fans. It also never…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for A 1985 Otaku Salad: Fruity FiveBackground image for A 1985 Otaku Salad: Fruity Five

A 1985 Otaku Salad: Fruity Five

From the pages of Model Graphix comes Fruity Five, a photo novel and manga series that was half Sentai, half Gerry Anderson show. 9,800 yen garage kits not…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Gainazine Restock on shop.zimmerit.moeBackground image for Gainazine Restock on shop.zimmerit.moe

Gainazine Restock on shop.zimmerit.moe

For those who missed it the first time around, we’ve just restocked shop.zimmerit.moe with more issues of the Gainazine and a few other things.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for A Brief History of Hideaki Anno’s Work on Mobile Suit GundamBackground image for A Brief History of Hideaki Anno’s Work on Mobile Suit Gundam

A Brief History of Hideaki Anno’s Work on Mobile Suit Gundam

A look at legendary animator and director Hideaki Anno’s involvement with the Mobile Suit Gundam series.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Gattai: The Global Interplay of Mecha DesignBackground image for Gattai: The Global Interplay of Mecha Design

Gattai: The Global Interplay of Mecha Design

Shipped overseas and repackaged in the ’70s and ’80s, the Japanese concept of “giant robots” has become a global phenomenon, the stuff of Hollywood films, video games, TV…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for shop.zimmerit.moe now openBackground image for shop.zimmerit.moe now open
Featured image for Our Patreon-Funded GainazineBackground image for Our Patreon-Funded Gainazine

Our Patreon-Funded Gainazine

Thanks to the support of our supporters on Patreon we’re releasing a small fanzine next month.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for All the Gundam That Was Fit to Print: Western Gundam Fandom Before Anime VillageBackground image for All the Gundam That Was Fit to Print: Western Gundam Fandom Before Anime Village

All the Gundam That Was Fit to Print: Western Gundam Fandom Before Anime Village

While Gundam is everywhere today, for most of the ’80s and ’90s it was up to Western anime fans to carry the torch of Gundam through fanzines, magazine…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for From Garage Kits to Action Figures: The First 15 Years of Wonder FestivalBackground image for From Garage Kits to Action Figures: The First 15 Years of Wonder Festival

From Garage Kits to Action Figures: The First 15 Years of Wonder Festival

The first fifteen years of Wonder Festival was marked with changing tastes in garage kit subjects and shift towards finished models and toys.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Lights, Camera, Garage Kits!  The Cinematic Influences of Yasushi NirasawaBackground image for Lights, Camera, Garage Kits!  The Cinematic Influences of Yasushi Nirasawa

Lights, Camera, Garage Kits! The Cinematic Influences of Yasushi Nirasawa

Yasushi Nirasawa helped revitalize Kamen Rider in the ’00s, but could he have done it without the influence of Joel Schumacher?

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for The Tragedy of Katsuhiro Otomo and Steve Oliff’s Full-Color AKIRABackground image for The Tragedy of Katsuhiro Otomo and Steve Oliff’s Full-Color AKIRA

The Tragedy of Katsuhiro Otomo and Steve Oliff’s Full-Color AKIRA

At a time when manga in English was hot and new, Epic Comics’ release of AKIRA pulled out all the stops and added unparalleled color. If you’re looking…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Japanese Robot Invasion! 1980s Anime Mecha Models Arrive in the US, Part IIBackground image for Japanese Robot Invasion! 1980s Anime Mecha Models Arrive in the US, Part II

Japanese Robot Invasion! 1980s Anime Mecha Models Arrive in the US, Part II

The second half of our look at the early history of mecha model kits in the U.S.; including Battletech, R.O.B.O.T., and court battles!

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Japanese Robot Invasion! 1980s Anime Mecha Models Arrive in the US, Part IBackground image for Japanese Robot Invasion! 1980s Anime Mecha Models Arrive in the US, Part I

Japanese Robot Invasion! 1980s Anime Mecha Models Arrive in the US, Part I

The first part of a deep dive into the origins of gunpla and mecha modelling in the U.S., looking back to the 1980s when Japanese model kits invaded…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for The Unusual Production History of GenocyberBackground image for The Unusual Production History of Genocyber

The Unusual Production History of Genocyber

A cult classic in the schlock n’ gore OVA genre, Genocyber took an unlikely road from pitch to production.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Left in the Dust: Uncovering the Secret of the Stampede ValkyrieBackground image for Left in the Dust: Uncovering the Secret of the Stampede Valkyrie

Left in the Dust: Uncovering the Secret of the Stampede Valkyrie

Before Macross sequels hit video shelves and airwaves, Shoji Kawamori’s Stampede Valkyrie was one of a handful of rarely seen and now mostly forgotten designs created for Macross…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for “Could we do another Macross?”- A curated look at Noboru Ishiguro’s Interview with AnimEigoBackground image for “Could we do another Macross?”- A curated look at Noboru Ishiguro’s Interview with AnimEigo

“Could we do another Macross?”- A curated look at Noboru Ishiguro’s Interview with AnimEigo

Hidden within AnimEigo’s beloved Super Dimension Fortress Macross DVD Boxset lies a candid conversation with series director Noboru Ishiguro. However, the stories shared by (and of) the late…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Whits End: Mamoru Nagano’s Unused ZZ Gundam DesignBackground image for Whits End: Mamoru Nagano’s Unused ZZ Gundam Design

Whits End: Mamoru Nagano’s Unused ZZ Gundam Design

In the midst of the rushed pre-production process on the third Gundam TV series a last-minute design change created one of the more interesting production footnotes in Gundam…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Gunpla Boom Ephemera: Kunio Okawara’s Gouf Lady

With the gunpla boom riding high and Bandai rolling out its new Mobile Suit Variations series, original Gundam mechanical designer Kunio Okawara tried his hand at sculpting an…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Stream•Base: Riding the Gunpla Boom in the Early Days of Gundam Model ManiaBackground image for Stream•Base: Riding the Gunpla Boom in the Early Days of Gundam Model Mania

Stream•Base: Riding the Gunpla Boom in the Early Days of Gundam Model Mania

The gunpla boom of the early ’80s saw an explosion of interest in mecha modeling and provided unprecedented opportunities for a group of model enthusiasts that dubbed themselves…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Never Let a Good Idea Die: ARTMIC’s History of Recycled Ideas and DesignBackground image for Never Let a Good Idea Die: ARTMIC’s History of Recycled Ideas and Design

Never Let a Good Idea Die: ARTMIC’s History of Recycled Ideas and Design

Drawing from their experience in TV anime, 3D photo stories, and other media, ARTMIC created rich OVAs that, more often than not, shared familiar thematic elements along with…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Kenichi Sonoda, Lumroid, and Hobby Shop MusasiyaBackground image for Kenichi Sonoda, Lumroid, and Hobby Shop Musasiya

Kenichi Sonoda, Lumroid, and Hobby Shop Musasiya

Before he started working for Gainax and ARTMIC, a young Kenichi Sonoda illustrated a series of popular advertisements for a hobby shop in Osaka.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Flip Through Nitto’s Second S.F.3.D Original CatalogueBackground image for Flip Through Nitto’s Second S.F.3.D Original Catalogue

Flip Through Nitto’s Second S.F.3.D Original Catalogue

Take a quick trip back to 1984 and check out the latest SF3D Original kits from Nitto.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Doujin, Cosplay, Garage Kits and Dinosaurs: A Look at Do-Pe MagazineBackground image for Doujin, Cosplay, Garage Kits and Dinosaurs: A Look at Do-Pe Magazine

Doujin, Cosplay, Garage Kits and Dinosaurs: A Look at Do-Pe Magazine

There was no shortage of anime magazines in the 1980s, but what about all those other things the maniacs cared about? Cosplay, garage kits, doujin, dinosaurs… Do-Pe covered…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Look Both Ways! Railway Crossing Warrior ShadanBackground image for Look Both Ways! Railway Crossing Warrior Shadan

Look Both Ways! Railway Crossing Warrior Shadan

During the gunpla boom of the early ’80s, giant robots were everywhere… even safety campaigns for kids. Meet Japan National Railways’ Gundam doppelganger, Railway Crossing Warrior…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Kamen Rider: Behind the MaskBackground image for Kamen Rider: Behind the Mask

Kamen Rider: Behind the Mask

Most people don’t know that Kamen Rider’s inception was the result of a long and troubled pre-production stage; months of shifting ideas marred by disputes over budgetary constraints…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for In Pursuit of the Powered Suit: The Class of ‘83Background image for In Pursuit of the Powered Suit: The Class of ‘83

In Pursuit of the Powered Suit: The Class of ‘83

Parallel to the development of giant robot anime in the 1970s, Studio Nue’s revolutionary renderings of Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers powered suit changed the game, and in…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Max-imum Ma.K Technique: The Chromatic Painting Style of Max WatanabeBackground image for Max-imum Ma.K Technique: The Chromatic Painting Style of Max Watanabe

Max-imum Ma.K Technique: The Chromatic Painting Style of Max Watanabe

kvltworx returns with another painting tutorial, this time diving into the unique lacquer hand brush techniques of master modeler Max Watanabe.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for The Sony HiTBiT F1 Game Robot: When Gall Force Sold ComputersBackground image for The Sony HiTBiT F1 Game Robot: When Gall Force Sold Computers

The Sony HiTBiT F1 Game Robot: When Gall Force Sold Computers

Sony’s marketing campaigns for their MSX computers involved everyone from Syd Mead to Seiko Matsuda, but their most memorable bit of advertising may have been a print ad…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for A Festival of our Own: The Urusei Yatsura/Project A-Ko ConnectionBackground image for A Festival of our Own: The Urusei Yatsura/Project A-Ko Connection

A Festival of our Own: The Urusei Yatsura/Project A-Ko Connection

Project A-Ko’s origins in the adult anime series Cream Lemon are well documented, less so the influence and shared staff between the iconic OVA and the legendary TV…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Macross, Too: Shoji Kawamori’s Return to MacrossBackground image for Macross, Too: Shoji Kawamori’s Return to Macross

Macross, Too: Shoji Kawamori’s Return to Macross

After years of swearing off sequels, Shoji Kawamori returned to Macross with not one, but two new Macross projects in simultaneous production.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Another Shelved Gainax Project: OlympiaBackground image for Another Shelved Gainax Project: Olympia

Another Shelved Gainax Project: Olympia

During the studio’s lean years after Nadia, Gainax briefly developed a new animated sci-fi project. While little information on it has been shared publicly, there’s evidence to suggest…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Patlabor 2 and The Graf ZeppelinBackground image for Patlabor 2 and The Graf Zeppelin

Patlabor 2 and The Graf Zeppelin

A super brief look at a bit of history that may have influenced Mamoru Oshii’s Patlabor 2.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Before Megazone 23: The Early Mecha & Character Designs of Omega City 23Background image for Before Megazone 23: The Early Mecha & Character Designs of Omega City 23

Before Megazone 23: The Early Mecha & Character Designs of Omega City 23

A brief look at some of the early design work created by ARTMIC artists for Omega City 23 while it was still planned as a television series.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Kickin’ it With The Tominoko TribeBackground image for Kickin’ it With The Tominoko Tribe

Kickin’ it With The Tominoko Tribe

Gundam fans dancing in the streets in Tokyo circa 1980. Who were the Tominoko Tribe?

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Bandai, The Post-Gundam Wave, and the Year 1985Background image for Bandai, The Post-Gundam Wave, and the Year 1985

Bandai, The Post-Gundam Wave, and the Year 1985

With the gunpla boom in decline and TV robot anime losing its luster, in 1985 Bandai began to look for new ways to embrace older fans and early…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for More Than A Coincidence: Notes on Xardion and GunbusterBackground image for More Than A Coincidence: Notes on Xardion and Gunbuster

More Than A Coincidence: Notes on Xardion and Gunbuster

Stephen revisits Xardion to talk a bit about its similarities with an earlier Gainax project, Aim for the Top! Gunbuster.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Go Nagai’s Horror ZoneBackground image for Go Nagai’s Horror Zone

Go Nagai’s Horror Zone

During the video boom of the late ’80s, manga legend Go Nagai was involved in a series of live-action horror compilations and and films.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Before Hideaki Anno: A Production History of the Original Shin Kamen RiderBackground image for Before Hideaki Anno: A Production History of the Original Shin Kamen Rider

Before Hideaki Anno: A Production History of the Original Shin Kamen Rider

Long before the creator of Evangelion had the chance to reimagine one of his favorite superhero shows, Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue debuted on home video with an adult,…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Catch the Dougram Diorama CaravanBackground image for Catch the Dougram Diorama Caravan

Catch the Dougram Diorama Caravan

In the midst of the gunpla boom, Takara slapped some Dougram decals on a van and toured Japanese hobby shops to promote their model kits and encourage kids…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for AnimeCon ’91: A Japanese Convention ReportBackground image for AnimeCon ’91: A Japanese Convention Report

AnimeCon ’91: A Japanese Convention Report

One of the earliest U.S. anime conventions, AnimeCon ’91 was held thirty years ago in San Jose, California. This a Japanese convention report of the event from Gainax’s…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Daicon III’s 40th AnniversaryBackground image for Daicon III’s 40th Anniversary

Daicon III’s 40th Anniversary

The convention that changed anime kicked off on August 22, 1981.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Gainax’s Never-Completed Uru in Blue and an Interview with Hiroyuki YamagaBackground image for Gainax’s Never-Completed Uru in Blue and an Interview with Hiroyuki Yamaga

Gainax’s Never-Completed Uru in Blue and an Interview with Hiroyuki Yamaga

During a particularly rough period for Gainax in the early ’90s, Hiroyuki Yamaga sat down to discuss his plans for a sequel to Royal Space Force: The Wings…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Monthly Halloween: How American Horror was Translated for Shoujo MangaBackground image for Monthly Halloween: How American Horror was Translated for Shoujo Manga

Monthly Halloween: How American Horror was Translated for Shoujo Manga

At a glance it may seem like the intermingling of Japanese and American horror movie motifs with manga-literate millennial artists is a relatively new phenomenon. And yet, as…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Resin Royalty: Kotobukiya’s Original Kit Catalog of 1991Background image for Resin Royalty: Kotobukiya’s Original Kit Catalog of 1991

Resin Royalty: Kotobukiya’s Original Kit Catalog of 1991

A quick look through a 30-year-old catalog from garage kit manufacturer Kotobukiya.

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for What Could Have Been: Gainax’s Brief Stint as Video Game ConsultantsBackground image for What Could Have Been: Gainax’s Brief Stint as Video Game Consultants

What Could Have Been: Gainax’s Brief Stint as Video Game Consultants

The reputation of Gainax is one that looms large among anime fans. The studio’s iconoclastic origin story and the meteoric rise of Hideaki Anno, its star creator, have…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin

Featured image for Direct-to-Video Model Kit Movies: The S.F.3.d Nutrocker VideoBackground image for Direct-to-Video Model Kit Movies: The S.F.3.d Nutrocker Video

Direct-to-Video Model Kit Movies: The S.F.3.d Nutrocker Video

At the end of the gunpla boom, Hobby Japan and Nitto teamed up to release a direct-to-video short film based on Kow Yokoyama’s model kit and photonovel series,…

ZIMMERIT – Anime | Manga | Garage Kits | Doujin