Friday, January 20, 2017

Mecha Musume - Evon Tan

What's up my fellow plamo nerds? I'll tell you what's up...our visit count that's what! The blog is nearing the 300k mark - and although that number is just loose change compared to the traffic on blogs that cover mainstream subject matter like fashion and food, I consider it a major milestone for a home-based, plamo-oriented one. I'd like to thank you all for supporting Otaku On A Budget. What started as a personal journal on my adventures as a mecha modeler has blossomed into something much larger - and I owe it all to you guys and gals! 

Speaking of gals, where mah gurls at?! I know you're out there...lurking in the forums and facebook groups, maybe too shy to speak up or show off your talents in the male-dominated mecha community. 
I only say dominated because guys in this hobby probably outnumber girls 5:1, maybe even 10:1 - But that's not to say they are out-skilled. No sir-ee they are most definitely not! And for that reason it's about time the ladies had the spotlight. Today we kick off a new series entitled Mecha Musume!


Now now boys, let me make this perfectly clear. Our version of Mecha Musume refers to female mecha modelers. If you're expecting armor-clad girls in bikinis, leave now. And for heaven's sake, can we be mature about all this? Seriously, if anyone so much as leaves an inappropriate comment, the perpetrator WILL be fed to the social media wolves. It's those creep advances that discourage girls from taking up the hobby in the first place, so please, take your excess testosterone elsewhere.

In this series we have a casual chat with a female modeler, and find out how and why she got into what many believe is a male-oriented hobby. I'm hoping these interviews will help break that very cliche, and inspire more females to get into plamo. I sent out the invites a few days ago, and what a pleasant surprise it was to find that almost every single modeler I contacted responded positively.

The first to heed the call for this noble cause has already been sharing her work online for some time. She's an illustrator and model by profession who likes to spend her spare time applying her many talents to mecha modeling. Ladies and gents, let's all welcome Evon Tan!


Click on the Read More link for the rest of this post...


Thursday, January 12, 2017

The 3rd Party Revolution


Greetings and salutations plamo nerds! Unless you live under a rock like Patrick Star, you're probably aware of the new 3rd party (aka bootleg, knock-off) kits that have recently hit the mecha market. I'm talking about Daban and Dragon Momoko's Strike Freedom, both based off of Bandai's Metal Build version, and the Providence Gundam by a new company called DevilArts. All three kits do not currently exist in Bandai's lineup, further blurring the line between what is original and what is a knockoff. It's been going on for some time now, but I think a major phenomenon is happening in the mecha modeling world. It's similar to how nearly every consumer product out there, from cars to computers to clothes, right down to the very underpants you're wearing (or not wearing) at this very moment, came to exist today.





Click on the read more link for the rest of this post...

Friday, January 6, 2017

Featured Seller - Hobby Toys Laguna

Happy new year plamo fanatics! Let's kick of 2017 with an excellent store feature! Still hanging onto those holiday bonuses? I'm about to make it a little more difficult, particularly for those residing south of Manila. Allow me to introduce you all to Hobby Toys Laguna, a home based operation that has been making waves in the mecha community with it's recently concluded anniversary build-off event, boasting a great selection of kits both in stock and for pre order, and a wide array of  hobby tools and supplies. Learn more about the shop and the services it provides by clicking on the Read More link below!


Tuesday, January 3, 2017

2016 Wrap Up

Happy new year plamo nerds! It's been such an incredible year for the blog, my adventures in plamo and my personal life. I thought I'd do some reflecting as we jump into 2017, looking back on what I learned, my achievements and failures in the past twelve months - and hopefully commit some of those lessons into long-term memory.



Click on the Read More link for the rest of this post...