MAiM has been releasing a series of figures based on AMC's The Walking Dead. This Septem- ber they released “Old Carl”, based on an illustration by English artist, MJ Hiblen. Whereas their earlier releases were, IMO, less than compelling, Old Carl is brilliant! And this is entirely due to Mr. Hiblen's design, incorporating elements from three of the influential adults in Carl's life: his fa- ther's hat, badge, and revolver; Michonne's katana; and Negan's "Lucille". At a stretch, you can include the poncho as a nod to the unrealized shipsters: Carol and Daryl.
This was a Christmas present from my lady (Thank you. . . Thank You. . .THANK YOU!!!) And an early one at that: I was presented with it this morning! At the time of ordering, Carl Grimes was very much the deuteragonist of the series; at one time, he was Robert Kirkman's favorite charac- ter in the show! However, as we all know by now, Carl's fate appears to have been sealed in the mid-season finale (ep8) of S8, which makes this iteration of Grimes fils all the more significant. This is how I want to remember Carl--not the victim of a creatively-bankrupt showrunner who has helmed a season-and-a-half--and counting!--of disjointed mediocrity and uninspired storytelling.
The computer-generated and -printed design is available in three scales: 1/35, 1/24, and 1/16 (54, 75, and 120mm, respectively). As indicated in the subject of this posting, I elected the 1/24th-scale offering.
Interestingly, the figure is provided straight out of the printer, with no discernible finishing whatso- ever! This will be a dealbreaker for many, if not most; but before jumping to conclusions, let’s ex- amine what it is provided.
The kit is comprised of two pieces: the figure itself and the distal, business end of “Lucille”. The pieces are provided supported by resin scaffolding that obviously must be removed: think of them as three-dimensional, structural sprues. Whereas only polystyrene, injection-molded figure kits are provided on structured sprues, just like their scale model counterparts, MAiM’s 3d-printed resin figures are trailblazers insofar as presentation is concerned.
Once all the scaffolding is carefully removed using sharp cutters—DO NOT twist or snap-off(!), you will need to reduce the insertion points of the sprues. Think of these as the 3d-printed casting's counterpart of seam-lines, with the advantage of having no distortion, slippage, or shrinkage!
MAiM models exhibit the 'microsteps' usually associated with 3d-printing. I have a number of 3d-printed castings, and none have required additional work to reduce the printing layers. In my ex- ample, layering was apparent in the quite-brittle, flesh-tone coloured resin of high durometer. To address the layering, MAiM suggests that one “use . . . a small flat brush. Wet the brush [with acetone] and stroke up and down on the areas on your model that might show steps. You will see that the steps disappear instantly. Repeat it if necessary!”
Once the prepwork is done, the figure should now be ready for priming. Any remaining 'steps', etc. should be effectively "filled" by the primer.
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This is yet another figure that while acceptably fine straight OOB, potentially demands a bit more attention from the end-user. However, the old saw about fools rushing in definitely applies here, and while I will make some mods, they are nowhere near the number anticipated before I had a chance to spend some time with the figure. Having said that, the shortcomings in research are appalling. . .
In closing, I would rate this figure a B/B- -- a solid A for casting quality and overall conceptual de- sign; C/C- for execution.
“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003
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