I am a HUGE fan of Gorilla Grodd! Kong might have him beat in sheer size and brawn—as well as a certain je ne sais quoi with the ladies; but Grodd is a hyper-intelligent, telepathic gorilla with the power to control the minds of others. The “Caesar of Gorillas” PLUS, if I might. His main anta- gonist is The Flash, though he has crossed paths with the JLA, individually and collectively, any number of times.
When I saw the pilot episode of The Flash, it left a huge grin on my face: as Dr. Wells is giving Barry a tour of S.T.A.R. Labs, they pass a battered cage with a slightly less-battered sign (more at vanity plate!) with but one word: GRODD. Yep, none other! The cage’s former occupant is con- firmed in an Ep. 5 closing flashback scene that takes place 5-years prior. The show’s producers have leaked that Grodd will make a substantial appearance this season. . .
In spite of pre-dating (1959) the Planet of the Apes—book (1963) and film (1968)!—Grodd is one of the most under-represented, mainstream, fictional great apes in “our” world! And I am hard- pressed to explain the reason/s why!! So I decided two years ago to start developing a Grodd project; and I am delighted to report that said project is, however tentatively, underway!
The project will be a bust/half figure? of Grodd (The New 52) converted from Moebius' The Mighty Kogar in their "Monsters of the Movies" series. This affectionate, authorized tribute to the great Bob Burns and his "man in a gorilla suit" alter-egos is sculpted by Jeff Yagher in 1/12th scale. This is a fun, quick, snap-together polystyrene kit comprised of 22 pieces. As with most kits of its ilk, it will take some effort to make it more than it was intended to be.
The project will be a bust/half figure? of Grodd (The New 52) converted from Moebius' The Mighty Kogar in their "Monsters of the Movies" series. This affectionate, authorized tribute to the great Bob Burns and his "man in a gorilla suit" alter-egos is sculpted by Jeff Yagher in 1/12th scale. This is a fun, quick, snap-together polystyrene kit comprised of 22 pieces. As with most kits of its ilk, it will take some effort to make it more than it was intended to be.
To date, I have snipped the pieces from their sprues, and dry assembled the corresponding pairs. I have also sorted out the relevant pieces, and bisected the main body at an oblique angle origi- nating in the mid-lumbar region.
More to follow!
FOLLOW-UP. . . All the sub-assemblies have been permanently assembled (read: glued toge- ther), save for the heads. The kit provides you with three heads: Kogar, Tracy, and Bob Burns. I am concerned with but the first two: I am uncertain of which one to use. Kogar has too much of
a mask feel to it, while Tracy's is an excellent, if basic, study of a gorilla's head--I am obviously leaning towards Tracy's. Regardless of which one I use, there will be sculptural modifications in- volved, hence why the heads remain dry-assembled. UPDATE: Heads permanently assembled.
FOLLOW-UP (2). . . As is my wont, all sub-assemblies--save for the left forearm--have been filled with PUR. And I have decided to rework the Kogar head somewhat before making a decision as to which I will use. . .
“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003
No comments:
Post a Comment