Spotlight: Atelier G-1

I’ve long felt that Atelier G-1 is an underappreciated gem of a company, and that Shigeki Okuda, mastermind of the largely one-man operation, occupies a unique space in the world of modern kaiju toy producers. Okuda strives for faithfulness to the source material in his sculpts, while imbuing everything he does with his own distinct style. His toys are charming in a very classic way; you can easily see the enthusiasm and substantial reverence for kaiju culture in every piece that Atelier G-1 has released over the years. I have a hunch that Eiji Tsuburaya himself would have given strong approval of Okuda san’s work.

Of course, he’s done some great work in the Gara-realm, with three pieces that have seen commercial release: a wonderful Pygmon sculpt, and two Garamon sculpts (the Atelier G-1 kit version and its cousin, last year’s Okuda-sculpted Medicom RAH Garamon). All three of these are highly regarded additions to the Gara-toy scene.

Atelier G-1 Garamon kits and Gameras on display at a hobby show

The Atelier G-1 dealer table is a mainstay at the various toy fests in Japan. At these events and on his webstore, Okuda sells his own custom paint-ups and limited edition pieces (some of the small-run and one-off colorways of his Hedorah sculpt have been mindblowing).

This is a company well worth checking out and supporting!