Star-Lord -- Head

I set aside the boots and began work on the 3-piece masked head. Please note that the kit also includes a one-piece, bare-faced likeness of Chris Pratt (B).

The head components are the nicest castings of the lot! The neck portion fits seamlessly into the main mask unit, requiring no work whatsoever. The hair piece fits equally well; however, I feel there is too much forehead and need to sits lower "in" the mask. Opinions may vary. . .

This is a relatively quick and effortless fix. I simply ground down the plug and reduced the sides until the anticipated results were achieved.

Once I finish cleaning the mask, I will permanently assemble the head. 

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

Star-Lord -- Boots. . . Step 1: Baby steps

Let the journey begin. . . 

As I said, I will begin with the boots. Given their construction, a scale miniature of these would be challenging at best in any medium. Let me just say that "the devil is in the details", and that the more research you do, the better you will be prepared to tackle these bad boys.

I chose the left boot (P) as my "shallow-end of the pool", if only because the extended knee flap (à la Hessian boots) was truncated on the left boot. 

I began by grinding off the seam line. This revealed that many of the details in the actual items were indeed incorporated in the design of the piece--but very poorly reproduced! Soft detail is part and parcel with this type of PV, but this kit is one of the poorer examples I have seen. 

To this point, I have removed the seam line/s, thinned and sharpened some of the layers, fitted the boot to the leg, and drilled out the mounting peg. I'm actually quite pleased with how this is shaping up. . . BUT, I have yet to begin undercutting in earnest. And once that is done, I still have to resculpt a plethora of straps, posts, and rivet heads. This may not be the most difficult aspect of this project, but it will certainly be one of the most taxing. 

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

Dragon 1/9 scale Guardians of the Galaxy – Star-Lord (#38339)

Peter Quill--interplanetary rapscallion and heir to [at least one] awesome mix tape from the late 60’s early 70’s! No? Well, you might know him as . . . Star-Lord!

This is the first release in Dragon’s sub-series dedicated to this Summer’s blockbuster hit, Guardians of the Galaxy. It is comprised of 21 solid polyvinyl pieces + 1 [black] polystyrene base. As with most (all?) the Dragon model kits, the items that have exposed flesh (in this in- stance, the heads—there are two heads provided: one masked (U + V), one bare (B)) are molded in a semi-translucent, flesh-colored PV; the rest of the kit—including the separate mask (A)--is molded in a neutral grey PV.

As always, unless you have extensive experience working with polyvinyl, I would keep any reduc- tive/invasive surface modifications to an absolute minimum: these kits should be approached literally straight OOB! Unfortunately, that would disqualify this kit for the overwhelming majority of miniaturists! I purchased this kit as a long-term reclamation project with the hope that I would receive a VG (or better!) casting, but expecting otherwise. Depending on your expectations and requirements, this kit will demand you exercise all of your modelling skillsets—and then some! Especially as this kit also falls way short in the [movie-]accuracy category, most notably the pants (D) and detail-rich overcoat tails (Q).

IMHO, this kit represents a significant “step-back” from their, for example, Captain America Stealth Suit offering. As such, I cannot recommend it without significant caveats. That being said, if you enjoy a challenge, can moderate your expectations, and are a fan of the character, you might very well give this one a long, hard second look. . .

PS--Hands-on report to follow upon receipt. . .

UPDATE 20.11.2014 - It has arrived. . . and while I had prepared myself for the worse, the magni- tude of the work that would be required to get this to competition standards is practically over- whelming.  Thus, it will indeed be a "a long-term reclamation project", worked in sections at a relaxed pace. Rocket and the Rocket/Groot vignette are right around the corner, so hopefully they [Dragon] will recover some of their form for these releases. . .

UPDATE 21.11.2014 - As many of you have heard me say at one time or another, "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Yesterday's assessment is no less valid, but compart- mentalizing the work to be done into self-contained "mini-projects", as opposed to looking upon the totality of the work before me, has provided a much-needed revised perspective. And so, the project will be launched in the next few days, beginning with the boots. . . 

STAY TUNED!

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