Sunday, September 6
I've tarted up the page design with slightly more fancy graphics; hope you like 'em. Meanwhile, the Goods section has AnimeVillage.com pricing info.
Monday, August 10
More updates to the Goods section, including formatting tweaks. I've added a page on the Earth Federation, with other organizations to follow, as well as a page for previously featured Mobile Suit Classics.
Friday, August 7
I've added a Goods page on audio, i.e. compact discs, and reformatted the reference books and novels & comics listings. Also minor tweaks to the Works section, like new series icons, a couple of new side story listings, and more character names. Oh, and I updated the Links section... about time, too.
Sunday, August 2
The Goods section has been updated, and I've added pages on reference books and novels & comics. We're also kicking off our front-page Mobile Suit Classics feature.
Friday, July 17
The Space Colonization page now sports 3D maps of the Earth Sphere.
Saturday, July 11
The Gundam World section continues to grow: features on Minovski Physics and Beam Weapons should please the tech-heads, and I've added to Space Colonization as well.
Friday, July 3
A historic day for Gundamaniacs! Bandai Entertainment announces plans to release Gundam in the U.S. See the Goods section for what details we currently have.
Monday, June 29
More changes to the Gundam World section, which now offers a general overview of Gundam history and a growing selection of in-depth features. The space colonization feature showcases my first foray into 3D modeling.
Thursday, June 25
Notes on domestic releases in Gundam Goods.
Tuesday, June 23
The character listings for Gundam and Gundam 0080 are finished.
Friday, June 12
I've updated the models page with more background info and some additions from Eddie Ju. I've also added a couple of items to the specs pages of the Works section.
Wednesday, June 10
I've completed the video and models pages of the Gundam Goods section, and made some minor URL corrections on the Gundam Links page.
Monday, June 8
Everything's new! Or at least improved.
Now, a word about our subject. Almost twenty years after the debut of the original Mobile Suit Gundam television series - its official anniversary is April 7, 1999 - the Gundam saga has evolved into a sprawling epic nearly beyond the ability of mortal mind to fathom. At present, it encompasses seven television series, eight movies, and four original video series; it would take you a full week to watch the whole saga, without sleep or bathroom breaks. It's spawned countless novels and comics, a model kit franchise that's virtually an entire industry in itself, video games, collectible leather jackets, and three separate alternate universes. And it's still going strong!
In Japan, Gundam's immense popularity has lasted for two decades. In the United States, where it's just about to see its first official release, it's virtually unknown; even among the subculture of Japanese animation fandom, it's essentially a cult classic. But with its heady mix of convoluted politics, fantastic technology, high melodrama, and moral ambiguity, Gundam's appeal can easily transcend the boundaries of language and limited availability.
Well, that's about enough of the chit-chat for now; it's time I let you loose to explore the site. If you're new to the Gundam experience, you might start with the plot synopses in the Works section. But before I go, a word about the site itself.
Longtime visitors to the Gundam Project will note that I've finally performed my long-promised overhaul of the site. In addition to organizing the core material around the individual shows, I've begun writing the character descriptions and created areas dedicated to merchandise listings and in-depth background information. While these areas are far from complete, now that the overhaul is complete I'll be adding to them continually over the next few weeks. Be sure to come back and see what's new!
Mark Simmons
scorpio@best.com
P.S. In response to one of the most common requests I've received from site visitors: I'm holding off posting scanned images of any kind, including mobile suit line art, in order to avoid infringing on the creators' copyrights. In the meantime, you can either visit Burke Rukes's spiffy new Mecha Domain site for line art, or invest in a copy of the new MS Encyclopedia (ISBN4-07-308519-0, ¥1900, published by Mediaworks).
Mobile Suit Gundam, Z Gundam, Gundam ZZ, Char's Counterattack, Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, Gundam F91, Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, Gundam 0083: Last Blitz of Zeon, Gundam: The 08th MS Team, and Gundam W: Endless Waltz are copyright Sotsu Agency and Sunrise. V Gundam, G Gundam, Gundam W, and Gundam X are copyright Sotsu Agency, Sunrise and TV Asahi.