Heh, our missives overshot each other in mid-ether. Boaz wrote: > Again I agree for the difference between RIck Dom & Dom is surely not > visual, there's no change in the lineart in the original 0079 > production. But I's saying the difference was not from the MG model > but much earlier.
But when? And from what material? Reviewing the MG photos/manuals for the umpteenth time: the "backpack" between MG Dom and Rick Dom is subtle but clearly distinguishable IN SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON. So when and how was that difference generated? Were the 3-D plastic versions created from 2-D reference linearts (?your position?)? Or (my position) two distinguishable 3-D plastic versions were created out of one single Dom/Rick Dom reference lineart. Unique enough to sucker the diehard fans but not heretical enough to piss off the diehard fans. Curiously the lineart on p. 137 of Roman Album (1980) shows a side view for "Dom" (reproduced in MS Encyc 98, p. 111) which has a "backpack" identical to neither MG Dom nor MG Rick Dom, but in terms of size closer to Rick Dom's. > are more than willing to re-design a MS, my counter-example is... we > had an upgraded RX-78-2 but we didn't have a new lineart design > neither... even not a color change. Heh we thought of the same thing, only I called it an example not a counter example :) > My theory is that, back in 1979 there's simply no need on animation > details (or animation science details) to specify a MS model to be > space/land/marine use, and the difference is only made when the story > need a new MS design. And as the end of the 0079 TV series was cut > and partly extended to 44 eps, there's no time & budget for Sunrise I was thinking along the same line to build my argument for a single Dom/Rick Dom, but it could easily cut both ways. E.g. the studio's displeasure was due to poor rating and toys sales, and one of the knee-jerk reactions would surely be "dammit Tomino boy, drop this realism space drama bull, get back to what you good at give us more MOTW, that's what the kids want!" > Anyway, yeah, the Rick Dom/Dom naming difference would probably be an > afterthought (but not MG line late), and the longer skirt armor is > for sure much later. Ahh... there you are going much further than even I. I've always accepted Dom and Rick Dom's names were there since day one. I'd take Gundam Archive, Roman Album or Gundam Century as sufficient proof of that. Hmm one more look... wow consider this: RA (Roman Album 1980): In the "Episode Guide" section. Page 100 is devoted entirely to episode 33. Most of the page is taken up by a dense collection of linearts, covering the obscurities like the junk circuit Tem Ray gave Amuro and six different types of ground vehicles found on Side 6. But no lineart on Rick Dom (as opposed to Dom). The text on top included the line "blah blah 12 units RICK DOM team assualt blah blah blah" Well you know that's the episode when Amuro knocked off 12 Rick Doms in a few minutes. In the "Mechanics" section. Page. 137 is devoted entirely to Dom. There are two sets of linearts, oddly most of the page is taken up by a rarely known version of Dom that has all the right details and decoration but has the body proportion that is as slim as a Zaku. Anyway, the smaller inset figure shows the Dom as we know it, with a caption that reads "blah blah massive feel blah blah modification blah blah". The text reads "Special space use Dom blah blah strengthen blah 'Rick Dom' named blah, second (later?) half Zeon's main force mobile suit blah. External appearance 'Dom' and 'Rick Dom' difference blah blah blah, ground use Dom's feet blah blah high speed movement, unique attack method blah" Unfortunately negation in Japanese grammar is notoriously difficult to understand, so I really can't say if this early reference actually established "External appearance between Dom and Rick Dom is nil." But that seems consistent with the lack of Rick Dom lineart in this book and lack of Dom models in the pre-MG period. Next, Gundam Century (1981) Renewal Edition (2000), well almost all the mechanics related stuffs been translated by Mark, so just go read his site, the pictures contributed nothing new. My reading of it: no visible difference. Next MS Encyclopedia (1998). Page 18 is shared by 9 MS's, Dom and Rick Dom share one spot as "MS-09 (MS-R09) Dom (Rick-Dom)" there's only one front view lineart (colored) and one set of specs for MS-09. Page 111 is shared by 6 MS's, "MS-09 Dom" occupying one spot, the black/white lineart is identical to Roman Album's. The text reads (in its entirity) "Thermonuclear (?reactor?) blah blah walk possible blah land battle use blah blah. Blah space use blah machine type MS-R09 Rick Dom called." Hmm what's not being said (and shown) is loud and clear, no? -- Dr. Core -------------------------------------------------- The Gundam Mailing List MK-II [email protected] Archives: http://www.gundam.com/gml Help: Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] with this in the BODY: help list
