Thursday, October 7, 2010

Classic Plastic Part four: Mr. Spock vs the Three-Headed Snake


This box is a kind of an childhood trauma to me. Standing in shop window in 1976 with the exorbitant pricetag of 14,95 German Marks it seemed so near. But for an 9-year-old with an biweekly allowance of 2,50 Marks it was far away as China. Not to mention my mother would never give permission for a purchase that high back in that days.

Fast forward to the year 1995. I finally tracked down an already build up Spock kit in a shop in Berlin, swallowed my pride and paid a whopping 150,- German Marks to own it. Ten-times the original price of that kit in 1976! Alas, it was before Ebay....

Well, long story short: I restored it over the years bit by bit (a tedious task getting rid of the seams) and finally finished it painting recently. I used very bright colors, reminiscent to the old, artificial TV-Series look.

This kit was available from AMT and AURORA as well. AMT sold it in the late 60ties in the USA, Aurora got permission to sell it in the UK and Europe from 1972. AMT used a more colorful boxart than AURORA....

Round two recently reissued the kit in an collector's tin box and a regular edition as well. So if you want to sniff some glue and throw some paint on Mr. Spock yourself, you can order it from here....



Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Classic Plastic Part three: Captain America


Next in line is AURORA's version of the Sentinel of Liberty: Captain America. Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Steve Rodgers fought the Axis in the Comic Books through WW2 and was adopted and reanimated by Marvel Comics in the early 60ties. There he joined the Avengers again fighting for peace, justice and against the Communist threat...

The original issue of that kit came in 1964 with Box art by Neal Adams (aping Jack Kirby). The pattern for the figure was created by Ray Meyers, with Kirby's powerful dynamic artwork in mind. The neck is a bit short and the shield hides much of the figure, making the kit tough to photograph.

This build up was made from the Comics Scenes reissue of 1974 which has three parts missing in Action: The nameplate and the watersplashes. The wonderful box art and the Comic Book included was done by "Jazzy" John Romita Senjor. I went with bright colors painting the kit, not too much shading, a too realistic approach doesn't work on Comic Book Heroes at least for me). The kit was reissued by Polar Lights in 2003, now in 1/8 scale instead of 1/12 scale and three different heads to choose from.





Friday, September 10, 2010

Morituri te salutant.....Classic plastic part two!


Today is time for »panem et circenses« in the Colloseum in ancient Rome: Aurora's »Spartakus« figure kit from 1965. It was first offered in 1959 without the detailed base and some lackluster boxart. Instead of naming him on the kit as advertised on the box they kept the generic nameplate saying »Roman Gladiator, 220 A.D.«. Here is a picture by Shadowland Collectibles ( who have one for sale) of the kit pats and the original box with wonderful artwork by Mort Kunstler:


Well, after watching the terrific TV -series »Rome« from HBO and its blood soaked Gladiator episode, I decided to give him a more battle damaged look. The gory details on the base made the decision easy, the servered hand suggest a hard fight already in progress....

I found this kit, partly assembled, but practicly unpainted in a lot of build up Aurora kits. To my amazement it was complete as well....





Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Fantastic Plastic! Part one out of five....The Batman!


In the upcoming week I'll be posting some »Classic Plastic« model kits from the swinging sixties. The first entry is everyone's favourite crimefighter: The Batman.

Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in 1939 he hit new heights of popularity in 1965 due to a sucessful TV-Series. Aurora released their first model kit devoted to Batman in 1964. The kit came within a box measuring 7"x13" with box art by Carmine Infantino.


The model features the Caped Crusader grabbing onto the limb of a dead tree and using it to swing forward, preparing to release his Batarang with his other hand. A pair of bats flitter about a small tree stump nearby supervised by an owl on the tree.

Their first kit release came before the Batman TV show aired in 1965, but would be re-released to capitalize on the popularity of the show.

This kit was re-issued in 1974 as a part of Aurora's Comics Scenes line, with a different box sporting new artwork by Dick Giodarno and containing a free comic, including an backdrop to go with the model for a diorama effect. The owl and name was deleted from that reissue, the chest symbol was replaced by an decal.

This build up was made from:
  • an original 1964 base (with the name on, bought in an lot of incomplete AURORAs),
  • an resin cast head taken of the original 1964 issue
  • an Revell reissue from 1999 (with a new, ugly head that went straight into the bin) using poor fitting, some branches and bats.



Finally, recreated with Photoshop, the »outstanding« diorama effect with the backdrop provided with the 1974 reissue....

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Addendum: Captain Berlin and Worlds of Terror ...now in Color!




Thanks to Levin Kurio, Master of the lost »only-thirty-two-colors-process«....

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The Legend of...TERRORFACE


Just finished for my friend and fellow artisan Mike Falcigno (Falcignoart): The box art illustration for his latest three dimensional abdomination....


"The Legend of Terrorface" is based on one of the lesser known rural legends Mike created himself and is soon available as a resin model kit. Stay tuned for more info!

Painted with acrylics on paper, 2010.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Some Templar Zombies...


...from my sketchbook. Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Preview....


... of coming attractions: Captain Berlin versus Mr. Synth! Stay tuned, true believers!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Even more stuff from the sketchbook...


Some more exercises in discipline: finishing at least one page in my sketchbook each day.

This piece was inspired by the German Edgar Wallace movies from the 6oties. Monks with whips, handsome Scotland Yard Inspectors saving the day (and damsells) and Klaus Kinski on top...


The mascots and hosts of Weisblech Comics new anthology title »Welten des Schreckens«: Scylla und Charibdis ...


And another take on the deadly duo....


Monday, June 28, 2010

Barbarians!

Some »Sword and Sorcery« Babarian images from my sketchbook, with my hats off to Robert E. Howard and his writings.......



Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Sketches....

Some recent sketches fresh from the pad ..... First, Homage to Al Feldstein and EC Comics...


Sinister Ferryman Charon, host of Horrorschocker comic book...


And finally an air-guitar zombie....


Saturday, May 8, 2010

Deutscher Gratis Comic Tag - HEUTE!


Auf zum nächsten (teilnehmenden) Comicladen in eurer Nachbarschaft und massig Comichefte aller wichtigen Verlage für UMSONST abgreifen!

Mehr Infos und eine Liste der teilnehmenden Händler findet Ihr unter:

(BTW - Obiges Cover ist mein Beitrag zu diesem Event......)

Monday, May 3, 2010

The Frankenstein Monster according to Tony McVey...


One more classic from the dungeons of +17 years of collecting and painting Garagekits: Famous SPFX artist Tony McVey's take on the Frankenstein Monster. A limited edition 1:6 scale resin figure from ancient 1996/97. He cleverly incorporated the looks of actor Rondo Hatton instead of Karloff into his design making it quite unique. It's still one of my favorite GK figures. My paintjob is not the greatest anymore, but after such a long time it would be a shame if your skills haven't improved over the years ?!



See more of Mr. McVey's terrific sculptures here. If you're lucky you can catch them sometimes on Ebay.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Frankenstein at the movies - The first from 100 years ago...


Another creepy milestone passed this year: The first Silver Screen Frankenstein Monster turned 100. Charles Ogle created his outrageous makeup and costume himself for the Edison Company first adaption of Mary Shelly's classic tale. A long lost film was rediscovered in the late 70ties and is now available at Youtube.

This is William Paquet's 3-D rendering of the Ogle creature, rereleased from Monstrology Models and now available through the Headless Hearseman. Painted by me with acrylics, pastels and airbrush.





Here is the full movie (only 12 minutes long):

Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Bride of Frankenstein turns 75 today


Happy anniversary! It was 75 years ago today, April 22, in 1935, that »Bride of Frankenstein« was released. Starring Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Ernest Thesiger and Elsa Lanchester as the bride. It's my all-time favourite film and a good reason to continue the commission gallery with the model kit released by Billiken of Japan in the early 90ties. The likeness is uncanny, the body isn't. But its still the best rendering of Elsa available in the GK world.





Read more about the film and its history and all things Frankenstein in the wonderful FRANKENSTEINIA blog concieved by Pierre Fournier.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Kharis - The living Mummy!


I'm going to post some commission work from the past year(s) within the next days starting with Kharis from the Universal Mummy Movies of the 4oties. Lon Chaney Jr. is hidden under miles of bandages and Jack Pierce's heavy make up made of cotton and collodium (for the last movie he created a rubbermask for Lon's convienience).

The modelkit was released by Billiken of Japan in the early 90ties. I preserved the posabillity of the kit instead puttying the seams because its fun changing the poses from time to time....