80s Model Kit Madness Part 1

In 1983, Sheffield discovered mecha combat...

The late Pete Armstrong was a consumate figure painter and model maker, and he had found some new (to the UK) model kits by companies like Bandai and Nitto depicting giant robots piloted by humans - and aliens it would turn out - and, being Pete, had built and painted a few and stuck them in the Games Workshop cabinets and Window, because, like the best of us, he was a showman, who whilst modest, knew he was a fucking figure painting fighter ace.

We worshipped him, and I am not in any way ashamed to admit it. So many of those who 'came up' in what was arguably one of the most active gaming communities in the UK, owe a lot to Pete, that cannot be over stated.

You bought a figure in GW - you'd seen the model in the cabinet, painted by Pete, first. You painted your Orcs an ochre shade, it was down to Pete. You learned to get that green that was so bright it hurt the eyes - it wasn't available in a pot, you learned it from Pete, and it was a cheecky and surprising mix which, went against everytning your art teachers had taught you.

And so, when it came to these here giant robots, we turned to Pete for inspiration.

Pete's enthusiasm and the fact that he had the ear of Steve and Ian who in those days used to walk amongst us mortals (meaning we could get stuff signed ,if we were in the store when they dropped in) , had led to Games Workshop stocking some Bandai kits, which were were all over, like vultures on a dead coyote.

We had, of course, grown up using Airfix and Matchbox models and plastic figures to stage elaborate battles, and of course, they were a 'thing' in the wargames hobby which warmed our young hearts, but giant robots were just like the best cocaine I would guess, and we behaved like Gary Oldman in 'The Firm'.

So, once again, we were off, but what to do with these models? It's a given that a gamer can't just buy something and it not have a purpose on the tabletop.

At first we built and painted them and when we went to Northern Millitaire, we met George of the Thameside model making club, who - as some of you may remember - was heavily into sci-fi models and seeing his work just added to the enthusiasm with which we were filled for giant killer robots with great curves and flared leg armour.

When Redgates, Marcways and Beatties caught up with the rest of us, and began stocking the Macross kits, Pete had already been sourcing them from abroad and 'that there London', something we couldn't do as we were just school kids, reliant on parents to write cheques, meaning financial oversight... My parents still didn't know quite how much I was earning, painting figures and therefore no idea what I was spending on gaming. By 80s schoolboy standards, it was Croesus-like.

True, for the UK based purchases, postal orders were available, but if you didn't get rid of a receipts of counterfoil, you could be signing your own death warrant and face a three week stretch being grounded for your profligacy. I think that it's a reason here are so many middle aged men who still to this day, will lie barefacedly about how much they spend on toys.

The Macross kits were an eye opener. They were the next stage of the evolution of mecha models and were loved the fact that there were so many variants, and, as we found out, two opposing sides, which is just what the young wargamer  - any wargamer for that matter - loves to see. Moreover, because back then, we digested every small detail of record covers, magazines and even the boxes of model kits for something that would give us our next 'hit', we realised that on the sides of many mecha kits, especially the Macross models, were the dimensions, weapons and statistics for these imaginary war machines.

Now, we were cooking...

 

I have to go to work now, but tune in next time for the next instalment where we look at where things went next and indeed where we went in order to feed this new addiction.