Happy Halloween Gunpla fans! Today we have a spook-tacular interview with Henry McClellan, winner of the Bandai Judge’s favorite award at NYCC!

How did you first get into Gunpla? How long have you been building?



I first got into Gundam and Gunpla back in 2000 when Toonami started airing Gundam Wing. I had heard of Gundam prior to that but Gundam Wing was the first series that I actually watched. At the sane time, Toonami aired commercials advertising the Gunpla kits that were slowly starting to show up in retail stores in the US. I was intrigued by the idea of building these cool robots that I had seen in the show. Plus the Gunpla kits were larger, more detailed, and more articulated than the MSIA action figures that were also in stores at the time.

What was the inspiration for your entry? Could you tell us about your concept?



I’ve always been a fan of Japanese culture and Japanese mythology. One of my favorite creatures from Japanese folklore is the Tengu. They come in various forms, but they most commonly have red skin, a distinctive long nose (sometimes a beak), wings, a feather fan, very tall Geta sandals, and usually dressed like a Yamabushi monk. So I brainstormed and came up with three kits I thought would make a good base for the Tengu Gundam: Sengoku Astray, Shin Musha Gundam, and the Universe Booster. I also wanted to have a cool display base for the Tengu Gundam, and one of my favorite pieces of Japanese architecture is the tori at the Itsukushima shrine. So I decided to make a replica of that tori gate for the Tengu Gundam to perch on.

You have now placed in the GBWC at least twice! How do you rate yourself between this year and your previous wins?



My GBWC entry this year was quite a bit different from last year’s. Last year I focused on weathering and landscape details to make my entry stand out. This time around, I focused more on style and creativity. My Tengu Gundam didn’t use a traditional diorama, so I just tried to make it look as cool as possible. I honestly have more experience scratch building rather than actually kit bashing, so bashing kits together to make Tengu Gundam was a little bit new to me. I also didn’t go nearly as hard on the weathering for this kit as I did last year.



Is there a style or theme or signature type of build that defines you? What is it?



I can’t really say I have a signature type of build. My projects are all over the place. Anywhere from straight builds and copy-the-box-art paint jobs to modifications and dioramas like Tengu Gundam to 100% scratch built models. Although unless I’m doing something creative like Tengu Gundam, I usually like to keep my builds clean and simple and adhere to the original line art. I don’t really care for giant blobs of robot parts where you can’t tell the mobile suit’s head from it’s backskirts.

What was the build process like? Did you use any unconventional materials or techniques?



The build process for Tengu Gundam itself was fairly straightforward. I used the Sengoku Astray as the base kit and added armor parts from Shin Musha where I thought they would work well. I didn’t think all of Shin Musha’s pipes would work well for my design, so I moved those around to partially conceal them underneath the armor instead of on the outside. I sculpted the face mask by hand using epoxy putty. It seemed like the better option as opposed to modifying Sengoku Astray’s face. For the wings, I used the Universe Booster wings as a base and cut each individual feather from thin pla plate and cemented them all in place. For the larger feathers, I used a thin piece of plastic rod to make the vein that runs down the center of the feather. Then I used a hobby knife to scratch in the feather texture on each one. I used the same process to make the feathers for the fan only much thicker pla plate. The Geta sandals I made from wood. I simply Googled images of Tengu Geta and tried my best to replicate them in a scale appropriate for my model. Since Sengoku Astray doesn’t come with sheaths for it’s swords, I had to scratch build those as well. I made a curved box from pla plate and then sanded it to a round shape. After painting, I used hemp cord to make the wrappings on the sheaths. The torii arch base was my first serious attempt at woodworking. I studied photos of the Itsukushima tori in Japan and cut out the basic shapes from balsa wood. I added texture to pieces that needed it with a knife and a wood burning tool and then glued everything together. The bottom is a circular piece of wood covered in clay to simulate the sea bed. After painting everything, I poured several layers of diorama water effects to give the illusion of water over the sand.

What part of building (in general) do you enjoy the most?



Painting (specifically airbrushing) is probably the part of the build process I enjoy the most. I find airbrushing very relaxing and it usually has the advantage of instant satisfaction. Unlike most other parts of this hobby, you get to see the fruits of your labor immediately after painting.

Name another builder who motivates you to further your skill or is a rival in competitions. What is it about this builder that makes you want to give it your all?



I do have a friend/ rival. Jordan (Ed), the winner of Best Small Scale the last two years at NYCC. We both teach each other and push each other to become better modelers. Jordan has a hunger to always improve his skills and become better and better. I admire that and it makes me want to do the same. Last year, I was unable to make it to NY, so he entered my kit for me. We’ve been friends online for years, but this year at NYCC was our first time meeting in person and it was such a honor to stand alongside him at the award ceremony.



What is a cool trick or tip that you can share with other builders?



The best tip I can give anyone is to not be afraid of trying anything. So often, I hear people saying they’re afraid to try painting or modifications because they don’t want to mess up their kits. The best way to improve your skills is to work on small, inexpensive kits until you become confident. Then you’ll no longer be afraid to try those techniques on larger, more expensive kits. And never give up the desire to keep improving!



What’s your favorite Gundam series? Favorite mobile suit?



My favorite Gundam series is Gundam Wing. Not because it’s the best series, but simply because it was my first Gundam series, so I have a lot of nostalgic sentiment attached to it. Since I am a big fan of grunt mobile suits and Gundam Wing, I think my favorite mobile suit is probably the Leo. I like Katoki’s designs, so it has that going for it, plus like the Zaku, it has lots of different colors and variants which makes it a really fun mobile suit to customize. Even though Bandai has yet to make a 1/100 Leo plastic kit, I’ve already made four of them from 1/100 HG Tallgeese III and MG Tallgeese EW kits.

Anything else you’d like to say? Any interesting facts?



Thanks so much for bringing GBWC to North America and giving us all the opportunity to participate! This was only my second year entering, but I’ve already got plans to enter again next year!