GK, is an abbreviation of Garage Kit, A.K.A Resin Kit. You can guess its meaning from this term itself—This word originally comes from people in European and American countries. They usually regard their garages, backyards and other places as a working area for various businesses, such as the “garage rock” music culture in the late 1960s.
A brief history of GK
From the 1950s to the 1960s, some European and American individuals and even labels, who could not afford the expensive mold costs, began to use their own garages as studios, using various cheap materials such as resin, plaster, silica gel, etc. This is why the self-made models in the garage (studio) are called “Garage Kit”. However, Europe and the United States did not use the word GK at first, but “Japanese English” created after coming to Japan. Of course, it is grammatical to push back to English.
Now you may consider GK as a specific field for artists. But that’s not true. Many studios and labels are also making and selling them, most of which are about animation and games. So, it also welcomes anime fans and collectors.
Making procedure and main materials of GK
Early anime and pan-anime fans tried to use various materials to restore or recreate the characters, props, scenes, etc. There is a difference between hand-made works and masterpieces. Some people will seek to buy from well-done masters. There will be a market if there is supply and demand. However, such models are basically personal works, and they are often unique. It takes a lot of time and material costs, and most of the production process is difficult to replicate, but what can be replicated and quantified relatively easily is the semi-finished part that has not yet been colored. This stage is what we often call gray mold or white mold.
These semi-finished products have been turned over molding-a process in the production, which is to make a mold for the original and copy it. What comes after that is GK. In fact, GK still needs to be polished, assembled, and painted before it can produce finished products.
PVC, ABS, resin, polystone, and cold casting are all materials that GK will use. But the actual choice will be based on the quantity needed, the expected degree of painting, the consideration of the material of model accessories, the price of materials and other factors. Generally, large-scale collectible works are made of polystone and resin. Although these two materials are brittle, they are more durable than PVC, can accommodate more details, and can maintain well after being placed for a long time. PVC is cheaper and relatively cost-effective. It is often used by enthusiasts to make relatively simple, single-person model works.
GK of Anime & Games
GK itself was born from the hands of animation, film and game lovers, so it is self-evident that it has a close relationship with cultural industries such as animation and games. There are many studios that make GK of anime characters and scenes. GK of highly popular classics such as One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, and Dragon Ball has always been very popular.
What’s more, every year’s popular new works will not be missed, such as Demon Slayer, Chainsaw Man, and Spy X Family. These works have also spawned a variety of GK works.
The studios sometimes strive to restore these works, using various materials to reshape the classic scenes in animation, and sometimes add some of their own creations to make various design that fit the character. Among them, Pokémon is worth mentioning: Undoubtedly, this is a very popular IP, and there are many kinds of GK related to Pokémon. No matter you want a 1/20 Pikachu on your desk or a Gengar in Halloween costume for decoration, you can always find what you like in GK world.
Why GK is so popular?
Depending on the material and size, the price of GK is also different. Some well-made GKs can even sell for quite a high price. So why is GK so popular?
The first reason is its creativity. If you are a player who makes GK by yourself, you will have fun absolutely. From the very beginning of 3D modeling to the final product, every step is condensed with your own hands-on efforts. When your work finally appears in front of your eyes, you will feel that it was all worth it. But if you are just a fan and collector, the creativity of GK producers is also great for you, because you can buy a variety of creative characters from your favorite anime. These characters and scenes sometimes may appear in GK product in a way you may not have ever imagined. Who wouldn’t want a cute Anya or Pochita on your desk—or you can have both of them at the same time. Surprised? There’s more to explore in our site.
Additionally, it has been very easy to purchase GK figure and statues online. There are various websites selling GK. Such as our site—we not only have many kinds of products for you to choose, but also can ship them to all over the world. If you want to buy GK online, remember to choose a reputable and reliable store. It is very convenient to preview product pictures on the Internet, and to communicate and exchange information with mutual fans on various social platforms, such as Twitter and Discord.
Hope this article can help you with a better understanding on GK. If you’re interested in it, feel free to visit our site anytime! You may bump into something you like😉
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