Club Tokyo

Collectible Reviews

Model and Garage Kits

The Godzilla collector's infatuation with model kits dates all the way back to 1964, when the Aurora Model company released a 1/50 scale kit depicting Godzilla as seen in the film King Kong vs. Godzilla ('62). This kit was the first rendering of the monster ever available in either America or Japan, though other manufacturers were quick to take notice on both sides of the pacific. Later the same year, Japan's Marusan Company, which would soon become better known for a pioneering line of vinyl figures, released a Godzilla model kit of its own. During the following decades, hundreds of model kits began to appear in Japan and America. Some of the kits were produced by major, licensed manufacturers, but many more were independently produced and often unlicensed "garage kits," so called because in many cases, they were actually manufactured in the garages of hobbyists.

Today, kit builders have a wide variety of both official model kits and garage kits to chose from. Though the quality naturally varies widely, the size of the manufacturer isn't necessarily the deciding factor. Recent kits by Bill's Kitchen or KOC to name a few examples prove that even the smallest independents are capable of producing gorgeous sculpts that rival the work of the big corporate manufacturers. Perhaps no other facet of the fandom better reflects the enthusiasm and devotion of skilled hobbyists.