Part 9: Crossing the Ocean
Starting in 1985, Twentieth Century Imports (based in Boulder, Colorado) brought many of Bandai’s Yamato kits to America under the Star Blazers name, which resulted in the very first mass-market Star Blazers merchandising. The kits were widely available, but it was rare to find all of them in any one place. Bandai’s box art was used, and names were updated to match their Star Blazers counterparts. Many of the larger kits included a bonus Mecha Collection mini-kit.
We don’t know precisely what the release dates were, so these are ordered by serial number.
03301: 1/1000 Space Cruiser Argo
36035: Zordar’s Dreadnought
36036: Comet Empire anti-matter missile ship
36093: EDF battleship
36094: EDF patrol cruiser
36129: EDF battle cruiser
36130: EDF carrier
36132: Wildstar’s Super Star
36135: EDF unmanned battleship
36146: Dark Nebula Empire Tripod tank
36148: 1/700 Space Cruiser Argo cutaway
36150: Desslok’s command ship
The 1/500 Argo and 1/700 Andromeda were promoted on the 1/700 Argo box, but were never released.
Hi there,
I am considering buying the kit “BANDAI MINI STAR BLAZERS YAMATO DARK NEBULA PLEIADES KIT # 17”, but I would like to see a picture of a finished model, as the picture on the box does not give a clear impression of what it will look like. I cannot even see from the box picture if it is long and narrow or circular. (I do not know the series, I just like spaceship models !)
Please can you offer any links to sites with pictures of the ships or models ?
Many thanks for any help you can give,
All the best,
Frank.
Right here, Frank:
https://ourstarblazers.com/vault/159/
Brilliant ! Many thanks for that, Tim, exactly what I wanted !
Please can you tell me the approximate size of the model, and is is fairly suitable for adding lights to ?
Frank.
It’s quite small – only about 3 inches around – too small for any meaningful lighting. Certainly too small to contain any kind of battery.
Back in 1985 I was shown a flyer from TCI that showed the projected (and never produced) third round of English reprints that was to have included the 1:700 Andromeda and (I think) the large 1:500 Yamato. If anyone has a copy of this, can it be posted or linked to here?
Mike Bartel
Hello
I have a yamato kit that is not on any list. i was told it was the first cartoon version the model itself is a fairly large kit .but the most distinguishing feature is its high bow .can any one tell me if this kit is rare or not?
Did you look through each of the model kit pages? Start with this one and move forward until you see it: https://ourstarblazers.com/vault/155/
Based on your description, I think you have the “image model.” An alternate name for it is “deform display model.”
hello i have a bandai yamato model that is not shown above i was told it was the cartoon version with the high bow is this kit rare/?
You’re talking about the “image model,” also referred to as the “deform kit.” It’s got a large bow and small sterm for forced perspective. You can see it at the top of this page:
https://ourstarblazers.com/vault/156/
That model is not currently in production, so it becomes more rare by the day.
Any idea where I can get the instructions for the large Argo (non-cutaway version) kit? I have can opportunity to buy the kit sans instructions. Thanks!
No, but you might get some answers on the Cosmo DNA Facebook page, or any of the other Facebook Yamato groups.
Really late to the game here,but I want to get some memories down for the future.
Jerry Fellows and myself were contacted to provide some translation work, because of Space Fanzine Yamato. We sat down and painfully generated ‘literal translation’ of the names of every existing Yamato model kit, then did a ‘transliteration’ pass to smooth out things like ‘Fish Thunderbolt Missile’ which properly is ‘Torpedo’, then we put everything into Star Blazers terms. I have no idea how they tagged the Superstar Fighter as Alex Wildstar, but we had no right or ability to have a check pass to make sure everything was right.
I had offered suggestions for release waves, leaning a little heavy on the first and second series as that was the exposure 90% of fans had at that point.
TCI had a deal with Bandai for fulfillment. Bandai make the kits and boxes for TCI. There was some hope that the Mechacolli kits would find favor with the tabletop gaming crowd.
Everything went down the toilet for TCI because of the Battledroids/Battletech fiasco and shenanigans, the lack of ability to restock some kit lines due to them being ‘dead’ in Japan (and not wanting to commit huge money for a new pressing just for them, I could expound on that rabbit hole but not now), the fact that Monogram, Revell and Testor’s had swooped in and snatched up some key kit lines and ultimately the revaluation of the Yen cutting the legs out from under their profit margin. They had high hopes for the SF3D kit line but it didn’t get any real traction in America. It was an exciting time to be an anime model kit fan, that 1982~1985 period.
I still love those Mechacolli kits, only one real dud in the bunch and that’s the EDF Destroyer two~pack. It’s a tiny ship and Bandai got the nose completely wrong. And the Superstar fighter is a little ‘flat’ in shape but not terrible. The Gamilas carriers are little gems.