GRAIL KIT!

Almost fifty years ago, around 1966, Aurora (Plastics Corp.) secured The Man from U.N.C.L.E. license from MGM. As much of a fan of the show as I was, I never built either of the two figure kits associated with the franchise--though my friend across the street had them both. I guess I must have spent my hard-earned US 98 cents (plus tax!) on the Forgotten Prisoner of Castel- Maré released that same year (nb: this was the only new horror kit released in 1966; it was the last of the long-box releases; and it was created and copyrighted by 'Famous Monsters of Film- land'!), though it was also about that time that my interests began to turn to AFVs and A/C. . . 

Nostalgia being what it is, I was bitten by the U.N.C.L.E. bug a few years back: seeing David McCallum as a regular on NCIS with allusions to his Illya days certainly didn't help matters. Thus was the game afoot once again! I'll save you the boring details of the seemingly endless quest (read: never managed to close the deal); but last week perseverance finally paid off, and I am now the delighted owner of an original 1966 kit of Napoleon Solo. Admittedly, it is a somewhat incom- plete kit as the left hand (part #22) and the single-piece plant (part #20) are missing, but it is otherwise complete--and pristine.

Thinking back on why I never built these back-in-the day, the introductory quip notwithstanding, I frankly never liked them. The composition and staging were awkward--at best! Talk about over- basing!! Illya was literally hidden [from view] behind a lamppost; and the likenesses were horrible! Now. . . how bad must they have been for an 8-year old (almost 9) to pass on models of two of the coolest characters on TV!! 

So why get them now? Nostalgia--and the fact that I intend to spend a lot of time getting this kit 'up to speed' while conserving the Aurora 'feel'. Hence, why the two missing pieces were not an issue. With episodes from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. playing in the background, there are some guaranteed good times ahead. . .    

"Open Channel D. . . "

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003