"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. . .