THE RHINO -- UPDATE (2)

While the Rhino has not been in the spotlight of late, that does not mean that he has been demoted to a "dust gatherer": one can usually get an idea of how long a figure has been [untouched] on the bench by the amount of putty dust and shavings it has accumulated. . .

Since my last posting, all but one of the seams have been filled (filled, not finished); the hooves have been reworked; and the reanimated right leg is about 60% complete. I just finished roughing-in the patella as a preamble to fleshing-out the leg.

The next major step will be the repositioning of the right arm, and the reworking/resculpting? of the shoulder, pecs, and traps.

THE RHINO -- UPDATE

Well, an enjoyable couple of hours have resulted in the reanimation of THE RHINO! The pose is now "locked", though the 'open' joints have yet to be filled.

This was a fairly effortless process. I first pegged the hooves to the legs with tin solder. I then mounted the figure on a work platform to establish the pose and determine the extent of the modifications needed. This essentially boiled down to straightening out the fully bent right leg by <90°.

I separated the leg from the thigh, pegged the two pieces together, and remounted the figure on the platform. After some minor adjustments, I locked all the joints with superglue, and allowed it to cure.

The lower half of the body is now ready for finishing: restoration, filling, and finishing. I now have to reposition the right arm and resculpt the left hand into a fist. Movin' right along. . .

THE RHINO

To be perfectly frank, I was one of the many fans that loudly cheered the news of the product, but was ultimately disappointed in what we received. I initially acquired Storm, the meteorological enchantress from the X-Men, and Ghost Rider. Storm was adequate, but provided little "hmmmph" to get her on the workbench immediately; the Ghost Rider. . . I suppose with A LOT of work it could transcend the toy-like look. . . or not.

The most common complaints revolve around production standards: the medium used and "soft" molding. Let's keep in mind that these kits were produced in China. While China is now THE production center of the world for polystyrene kits, I'm not certain of their experience level in the mid '90s.

The medium. Much has been made of the "soft", literally and figuratively, plastic used to produce these kits. While it certainly isn't the harder, "sharp" polystyrene usually found in A-level kits--then or now, I did not find it overly soft. And it responds quite well to file, blade and burr, and takes to virtually all liquid cements quite readily.

Molding and fit. In my experience, few polystyrene figure kits fall together out of the box. And if they did, we'd probably be paying through the nose for them! Most of the buildups (with accompanying criticisms) I have seen usually reflect mediocre modelling skills. While the initial dry-fitting might leave something to be desired, the amount of prepwork required to achieve very good joins and minimal filling is certainly not extraordinary. If one starts a kit in the late morning, and plans to be slapping paint by the early afternoon, it is going to show. Having said that, I had all the major subassemblies of the Rhino assembled and curing in less than 90 mins!

Which brings us to the review of the subject of this posting. . .

I have always been a huge fan of The Rhino. Save for the various Goblins, the zoomorphic Spidey villains have always been my favourite baddies. This particular trip down memory lane began with looking for potential workbench sidetrips involving the Vulture and the Scorpion (more on these in another posting), and then I stumbled upon the Toy Biz Rhino at a most attractive price. . .

As with all of the Toy Biz offerings, this kit is a vignette/diorama. The scene depicts J. Jonah Jameson, owner of the Daily Bugle and Spider-Man's #1 detractor, as he is about to be unceremoniously yanked from his steel safe-hole in the basement of the Bugle by the Rhino.

The 1/12th scale kit is comprised of 37 pieces: 17 pieces for the Rhino; 20 pieces for the scenic base and accessories (including 10 for Jameson). I am not particularly interested in Jameson or the diorama setting: my plans for this kit revolve around the minor reanimation of the Rhino to depict him in an iconic charge.

As I mentioned above, all subassemblies have been completed. The torso, legs, and the right arm have been filled with PUR; the left leg has been permanently attached; and the right leg has been pegged. The next step is to execute the repositioning of the right leg and arm. Once that has been accomplished, the finishing work can begin in earnest.

More to follow. . .