In 1985 I discovered radio control cars with a friend in 4th grade. I noticed the local hobby shop I frequented for plastic models carried them.

That spring I was given a Tamiya car kit, The Grasshopper. I soon fell in love with building and running radio control cars on the terrain around my house. The hobby’s mix of fun, learning, and art was a gift for me.

The next five years up to high school I put much of my spare time and resources into the hobby. Over time I also became interested to learn about radio control car history and marketing.

The hobby stores near me mostly carried Tamiya kits. Their inspirational box art could be seen on high shelves from anywhere in the store. Below these boxes more kits could be seen on parts bags illustrations. The details in these simple illustrations captivated me nearly as much as the full color box art.