Notable Acquisitions Apr-May 2011

A new feature that I hope will be of interest to the readership. It will cover every aspect of what we do. . .

KITS
Resin Pimps bust of Doctor Fate (DC) (???, 1/8th scale)
Forbidden Zone bust of Dracula (Mike Hill, 1/4 scale)

Red Skull (Bust)--Prepwork: Phase (4)--UPDATE (II)

With month-end fast approaching and some IT issues to deal with at home, time at the bench has been somewhat limited. Nonetheless, the left collar tab is now all-but-done, and hopefully will be finished by the end of the extended weekend. I will follow the canon I set for the full figure and have Herr Schmidt as an Oberst-Gruppenführer; however, I might change the backing--or piping--colour to a yellow-biased Giftgrün ("toxic green"). Giftgrün was the Waffenfarbe of the SD.

Updated images to follow upon completion. . .

FOLLOW-UP - 30.05.11. . . The left collar tab has been completed, and the head is now all-but-done. Final finishing on the torso has begun and is well under way. All that really remains to be finished is the RK, and the right hand--but first, the cigarette holder!

Red Skull (Bust)--Prepwork: Phase (4)--UPDATE

As refinement of the skull (head and neck) continues, I took a brief break to finish and attach the Totenkopf on the right collar tab, which replaces the stock Sigrunen.

I also finalized the position of the fingers . All that remains is the final tweaking and "locking" once the cigarette holder is completed.

2011 Status Report

Rather than let the early projections stand throughout the year, I thought a mid-year (or pre-Summer) update might be a welcome addition. I will probably follow-up with a Fall update in Sept/Oct.

The post-Show revised slate can be found here. This is the pre-Summer lineup. . .

1) Gambit (Knight Models 75mm) -- already transferred to the bench!
2) Red Skull (bust, Jaguar Models' 1/12th scale conversion)
3) Divio "Mad Dog" Juckal [SP vârcolac] (Smart Max 'Smog 1888')
4) Dracula (1931) (bust, Mike Hill 1/4th scale)
5) Red Skull #2 (ff) (Smart Max 150mm conversion)
6) Domino (X-Force) (Moebius 1/8th scale "BW" conversion): if released in Sept. as announced, this may be my major Fall project.

As always, subject--though less likely--to change.

And as always, I hope you will find something of interest in the above--I look forward to your comments and observations.

Back to the bench!!

A~

WonderFest 2011 Most Amazing Figure

The 2011 edition of WonderFest appears to have been one of the best ever. Over 600 (!) entries, and a vendor area that would make one think one had died and gone to heaven.

This year's "BoS" (Most Amazing Figure Award, which includes a US$300 cash prize) went to a superb creation, "The Reverend and Mrs. Fairfax--Vampire Hunters".






Regrettably, I don't know who the artist is. BRAVISSIMO, whomever you might be.

For more images of this piece and many more, I would direct you the two sets of images by fellow CH member, Steve Copeland:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62898839@N05/sets/

WonderFest Scoop!

Moebius, through no fault of their own I hasten to add, has not exactly delivered when it comes to the Universal Monsters. But I can't help but jump for joy with this announcement. . .

http://culttvman.com/main/?p=17465

The announced release date is December, 2011.

The Return of the Cigarette-holder

In my last update I indicated that I had decided to nix the holder due to the fact that I would have had to reposition the hand.

This evening I revisited the quandary, and found a solution! EUREKA!! Rather than reposition the hand, I will reposition the entire forearm! Yes, it will involve some remodeling of the greatcoat sleeve, but that is eminently more doable than the involved surgery to remove the cuffed hand--and the resulting pose is much more natural.

The alterations are still in the preliminary stages, but, as soon as I have the arm remodeled and fitted, I will post images.

Nice to be back on track!

"Captured?"--Musings on a future project

As I mentioned in an earlier posting, the 'Classic Monster Bug' has latched-on in a serious way, and I am getting overrun with ideas, re-evaluations, etc.

The bust genre is well represented with Mike Hill's masterful rendition of Bela Lugosi in his iconic rôle. And Lord knows I have plenty of ip full-figures in all sorts of scales--from 54mm to 250mm!--but I'm not quite "feeling" dusting-off--literally!--a project. Rather, I feel like starting something new, a project that in all likelihood will join its other ip brethren on a crowded workbench. . . . . . but maybe not!

In 1994, Randy Bowen and Dark Horse teamed-up to release what to this day is a very unique rendition of Dr. Frankenstein's Monster. Though simply titled, "Frankenstein", it depicts the Monster chained and shackled as he appeared briefly in one of my all-time faves, "The Bride of Frankenstein".


My favourite rendition of this kit masterfully done alla Basil Gogos by fellow New Yorker and Tampa Bay dj/voiceover artist, Don Capone

I remember when this kit was released, but even then, it left me less than moved. As to why, hopefully a couple of images will be worth a couple of hundred words. . .

A hi-res still from the film

Mike Hill's magnificent 1:1 reconstruction of the classic scene

Bowen's Universal Monsters have always left something to be desired. To me, translating [a] 2-d'al still/s into a 3-d'al sculpture leaves very little wiggle room for personal expression. If one is to create a "bridge scene" between two frames, then the progression must be linear and the setting constant. In Dark Horse's Frankenstein, we see everything from a wooden seat and a trapezoidal pedestal on the chair, to an expression and range of movement not afforded the Monster in the film.

So it has occurred to me to put my money where my mouth is, and recreate this iconic scene in miniature. This project will have a little bit of everything: conversion, sculpture, scratch-building, kit-bash- ing. . . all in glorious multi-media!

We'll see how far I get with it. . .

Red Skull (Bust)--Prepwork: Phase (2-3)--UPDATE

I wasn't joking when I quipped that the paucity of visual references of the new Silver Screen Red Skull at the moment would afford me more time to work on the bust. . . that is precisely what I have done!

In some respects the bust is just about done; in others, I can't begin to visualize the end. Mind you, this is not a 'bad thing'. . . quite the contrary. In no particular order:

• The head/skull is now about 80% done. Both eyes are in place; though as I suspected, the dentition is in the process of being reworked.
  
• The right forearm has been positively fitted. The major components can now be assembled securely without a drop of glue.
  
• The right hand has been sectioned and wired; repositioning of the fingers to accommodate the cigarette has begun. Yes, the cigarette--no holder. I would have had to reposition the hand within the cuff to accommodate the the holder, and the gain was not commensurate with the effort required. Aside from the head, the hand is the most labour-intensive element of this project.
  
• The Oak Leaves of the RK have been roughed-in. The Swords await. . . !
  

Once the hand is "locked", I will post a graphic update.