X-Plus has started their Summer Kaiju Festival and we have gotten two Gamera related announcement, the first Gamera DefoReal and LMS Jiger. Gamera 1996 is shown as an unpainted prototype, no other details were given. Jiger is a silhouette of the figure with no other info given yet. We will update once info is available. Also on the X-Plus site was a survey for fans to fill out to help them to decide future releases.

X-Plus has posted full release info on two of their recently revealed figures, Favorite Sculptors Line 30cm Series Gamera 1965 and Large Monster Series Irys. Gamera is a Ric only figure based on a Asai Zoukei kit, it stands 24cm tall and is 31cm in length, feature a light up function for the eyes, it will retail for 22,000 yen. Irys will come in standard and Ric versions, with the Ric featuring a light up for head, chest, and legs, it stands 25cm tall and is 26cm wide, the Ric retails for 29,700 yen and the standard will retail for 28,600 yen. Both figures can be pre-ordered now with Gamera releasing in August 2020, Irys Sept 2020.

X-Plus will release the Tokusatsu DNA Gamera 1999 Damaged Version, a limited figure as part of Tokusatsu DNA's Gamera Exhibition (run from now till the end of Jan 2020). The figure features a replaceable right hand (damaged or burning) and Ayana (with Irys guts, that can be romoved from his hand), it stands 19cm tall, and retails for 16,500 yen. It will be able to be pre-ordered at the event or direct from X-Plus, will release scheduled for April 2020.
Also at the event will be other items for pre-order like the Bandai Movie Monster series Gamera 1995 figure (2,000 yen, March 2020 release), and a number of items from Cast (see below).

Over six and a half years ago Art Spirits released the Hyper Solid Legion (adult) figure, one of the first in the Hyper Solid series. Unlike newer figures in the line that are vinyl this figure was resin, and was very detailed figure. It came with three different heads normal (closed), open (emissions version), and damaged, and it also feature a light up gimmick for the stomach/egg sack. It was released Jan/Feb 2013 and retailed for approx 47,000 yen (approx $440 US).  

X-Plus is releasing the Daiei 30cm Series Barugon figure. This figure is 47 cm in length, the Ric version features an extendable tongue, and a light up gimmick for it's eyes and back spikes. It will retail for 24,840 yen, it can be pre-ordered now (Ric is Japan exclusive), with release scheduled for July 2019.

Bandai/Tamashii has announced the S.H. MonsterArts Gamera 1995 figure, the second Gamera figure in recent months. This figure stands 14cm tall, and comes with both regular flight parts and rotating flight parts, and stands for both. It will retail for 10,800 yen and can be pre-ordered now from the Bandai Web Shop, with release scheduled for August 2019.

X-Plus is releasing the Large Monster Series Daiei Special Effects Gamera 1999, this figure features two heads (Ric version) with open and closed mouths. This figure stands 19cm tall and retails for 14,040 yen ($117 US). It can be pre-ordered now from X-Plus on both the Japanese and US Ric sites, with release scheduled for Dec 2018.

Yesterday we posted about the  X-Plus Irys figure design and the man behind it, Dopepope, now we had the privilege to ask him a few questions about this awesome calibration.

​Check out the interview below and his Artstation and DeviantArt pages (links at the bottom), and a big thank you to him for his courtesy.

Kaiju Battle: How did you and X-Plus come together to work on the Irys figure? 

Dopepope: A representative of X-Plus reached out to me via email. He mentioned they saw my work on Artstation and were very impressed with my kaiju work. They offered me a project right then. 

KB: Did you have a choice in the monster you would do?

DP: No, they had IRYS in mind from the start. 

KB: Were there any requirements in designing the figure (size, stance) from X-Plus and did X-Plus direct you to do a design based on something specific?

​DP: They wanted a movie accurate model, something that would be more proportionate to the suit, and a stance that would be possible for the suit actor. They provided wonderful reference for the model. Ultimately the model needed to be approved by Shûsuke Kaneko, the director of the film ‘Gamera 3 : The Revenge of Irys’. So, no pressure there, lol.

KB: Will the figure be made direct from your digital version or will it be sculpted traditionally based on it?
​
DP: I’m not exactly sure. I do think they’ll 3D print my digital file, use it to create molds. But there can always be unforeseen circumstances that require something to be re-worked traditionally. But that’s speculation.

KB: You have done some commissions and such that are meant for 3D printing recently, is this something you may get into yourself directly or will you stick with designing them only?

DP: I’d love to eventually create my own kaiju designs for production. I have several ideas for some cool monsters. Having them be released by X-Plus would be amazing, but maybe my own company would be pretty cool too. I do work with a few other designers and companies tho. So, we’ll see. 

KB: Is there a possibility we will see more of your designs getting released as figures down the line from other companies like X-Plus?

DP: Recently, at the 'Son of Monsterpalooza’ convention in California, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with Mr Gee, the owner of X-Plus, and it seemed to open up doors for us to work together on projects in the future. I’m very eager to do just that. 

KB: Do you have any favorite monsters or particular designs you have done, that you would want to see in figure form?

DP: I do have a Shin Godzilla concept that I would love to see as a large statue. I’ll be looking into how I can get that manufactured. Let's hope that works out. it’s very cool.

Dopepope on ArtStation here.
Dopepope on DeviantArt here.
Thanks to John from Kaiju Addicts for a couple of question suggestions.

X-Plus was at Super Festival 78 this weekend and while there wasn't much new there was one interesting new item, a Favorite Sculptors Line Irys figure from Gamera 3 (1999). What makes this figure interesting is that it is the first digital inspired figure, created by Dopepope a digital artist who we have featured here on our site in our Saturday Showcase feature multiple times. All the FSL figures before were created from statues, kits, etc. from various artists but never a digital design. X-Plus had put out a call for sculptors a while back, this could have come from that call. The design is a typical awesome design by Dopepope, it will be quite interesting how it gets from digital to physical form, he has offer digital files for sale to use in 3D printer. Fans seem to be quite excited about this figure in general as are we, and the potential to have more digital inspired figures.

Yuji Sakai is releasing the Sakai Yuji Modeling Studio 25th Anniversary Gamera 3 Resin Kit, our apologies we missed this when it was announced, it will be released any day now. This awesome kit stands 42cm tall (almost 17 inches), is 35 pieces, and retailed for 89,000 yen (approx $800 US, plus tax). This was originally shown at Winter Wonder Festival 2018 in February.