Gundam Odinson

Hello! Please introduce yourself

Hi, my name is Julien, but in the Gunpla community, I'm mostly known as Gundam Odinson. I'm a french builder but I also work as a graphic designer in Paris.

I discovered Gunpla 4 years ago, when a friend came back from a trip to Japan, and bring me an MG RX-78-GP03S Stamen as a gift. I didn't know what Gunpla was actually, and I built it "as a toy". I broke some pieces, I was very careless... But few months later, I decided to watch Gundam Wing, a TV show I loved when I was a kid, and the crush was instant. Then, I bought my first "kit" as a gunpla (and not a toy) : FM 1/100 Barbatos Lupus.

My first painted kit was this FM 1/100 Barbatos Lupus. Not entirely though, only air fans, V-fin... But it was very fun, I used spray bomb paints, the result was neat. I knew from the very first kit I wanted to custom all my kits. I'm a creative and artistic guy, and I saw in Gunpla a way to create and stimulate my art. The first full painted kit I built was the FM 1/100 Vidar.

I also love photography, so that was convenient to apply this other hobby to Gunpla.

Tell us about your favorite gundam project you have worked on so far?

That's an hard question. I love some projects for differents reasons : Sometimes because it fullfil my art, sometimes because it made me a better builder (learning new skills...). If I had to choose two projects, I will definitely go on my HG 1/144 Dantalion Custom I named "Ronin Dantalion", and my MG 1/100 Z'Gok "Bioshock Tribute" Custom.

I loved the Dantalion because I made it very quick (only 2 weeks) It was very fun, and mostly because it completly fullfiled my artistic ambitions I had in mind when I imagined the concept. Actually the result was over my expectation. So..in few words : fast, fun and satisfying. The very essence of Gunpla.

The Zgok was an addition of a lot of skills I learned the years before, and it was the first time I applied them all on a kit. Ingeneering, Kitbash, Weathering, Plaplating, Diorama... I loved this project because the result was, after 2 months of work, very respectful from the original concept : a "Big Daddy" from one of my favorite video games : Bioshock. Peak of the project : the final result was enjoyed and saluted by the artist who imagined this character and worked for Bioshock!! Awesome !)

Describe your process when starting a new project

I choose a new project according to my mood about "MS designs" : sometimes i want to make a grunt suit, sometimes i want to make a Gundam, sometimes I want to make a prototype suit... I don't have a specific plan. But I have "one rule" : never build the same kit twice. Exception for the RX-78-GP03S Stamen - my favorite Gundam - and commissions. Some days, I have a idea of concept for a custom, and I have to choose a MS who will suits the most for the concept. Like the Zgok for the Bioshock concept : this MS was the one who suited the most with the original design.

I find inspiration mostly online : Artworks and Concept arts on Pinterest (Mechas and Robots sections) For colors scheme, it comes only from my graphic designer experience. I know colors and how to mix them. The rest (scribbing designs, custom engineering...) comes with intuition and feeling actually.

Who do you follow on social media?

Sonoda_Pla and KortoGunpla because they are my best friends and very talented. I doubt I would be where I am now without their advices and support. Go enjoy their works, they deserve it.

Kallamity is probably the best Builder in the world: He's a real mecha engineer, he designed some model kits, mastered probably all the skills known in the hobby, and invented some... But I love mostly his art because I love "Big and fat war machines" when it comes to mechs. Not a fan of "fancy design Hi-tech light suits", like Exia or 00 Gundam. Kallamity makes suits I love: full of gears, oiled engines, heavy armor, and greasy weapons.

Your next gunpla project? (or current)

I'm currently on a commission : MG 1/100 Gundam Stormbringer FA. The client wants a very specific color scheme, tribute to his Spartan character in Halo Multiplayer Mode : Dark Grey, Aluminium, and Blue touchs. I'm almost but the only WIP picture I took was the Arm.

My next project will be surely the Cerulean Project : A Community Build around Mental health, created by The Salty Robot. I planed to make a MG 1/100 Sinanju OVA. This year, the color theme is Orange, so it will be the "Naranju" (Naranja means "Orange" in Spanish ^^)