I've shown my AURORA models before on this blog, but now comes the time to show them again in an 'omnibus' post, mainly 'cos I can't think of anything better to write about. Don't despair though, 'cos if you haven't seen them before then they're all new to you, and if you have, then what the hell - they're well-worth seeing again anyway. All built and painted by myself, it should go without saying (but I said it anyway, so sue me).
First up, above, is the FRANKENSTEIN kit from 1961. I've got four of them, but this is the only one I assembled, back in 1983 or '84. (Wait a minute - tell a lie. I built the LUMINATORS version as well in the late '80s or early '90s.) Below is the SUPERMAN kit from 1964. I've got an un-built one still tucked away in its box, which I really must build and paint one day. I've also got the MONOGRAM, MPC, and REVELL reissues.
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Below is the GIGANTIC FRANKENSTEIN kit from 1965, also known as BIG FRANKIE. This is a superb kit, and I want to have its babies. In an abstract, figurative manner of speaking of course. You think I'm some kind of weirdo?
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Next up (below) is the BATMAN kit from 1965, just in time to meet the demand generated by the '66 TV show. The camera-flash has slightly washed-out the colours, but don't let that deter you from swooning in awe and envy at my modelling skills.
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From 1966 comes The FORGOTTEN PRISONER of CASTEL-MARE (which means 'Castle by the sea'). See what happens when you put GROUP 4 in charge of prisoners?
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Next (below) is the 1974 reissue of SUPERMAN. The 'S' emblem outline of the first version had been removed from the costume and cape, and stickers (water-slide decals in subsequent reissues) supplied - but I painted them on by hand for a superior finish, 'cos I'm a perfectionist I am. Also, the nameplate was omitted from this version, so I used a spare '65 one.
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Below is the 1974 reissue of the BATMAN kit, which was ever-so-slightly modified. First, the name was deleted from the tree, as was the circular 'bat' emblem, which was replaced with an oval sticker. The little owl was also omitted, but I acquired a spare one from a '65 kit to 'complete' the model. Bought, built and painted in 1983, owl obtained, painted and added in 2007.
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Finally, the SUPERBOY and KRYPTO kit, reissued in 1974. Like the other '70s reissues, the nameplate which accompanied the original '65 release was omitted, so I made one myself. (A half-hearted one admittedly - so much for being a perfectionist, eh?) The 'S' emblems are reduced copies of ones from the 1984 MPC reissue of the Superman kit, as I acquired the model without its original stickers. I've also got a reissue with the nameplate, but it's still in its box.
I've got other Aurora kits (some of which are later reissues by other companies), but I haven't got 'round to assembling and painting them yet. Maybe one day, I hope. Now, I know you're all dying to tell me how wonderful I am, so I won't hold you back from expressing your admiration for a moment longer.
Really nice.
ReplyDeleteI have never had an interest in modeling kit's,
but I have to admire the nostalgia kick of these.
Ta much, Baab. You missed out on not being into model kits as a wean 'though. (It's never too late to start.)
ReplyDeleteI love em. I vaguely remember having the Superman one and no paint. He got assembled then covered in dust and discarded after achieving a fine patina of household dirt.
ReplyDeleteWorth a pretty penny these days, Phil - you should've held onto him.
ReplyDeleteNever bought any of the comic character kits back in the day but between us my brothers and I had quite a few of the Universal Monsters; Dracula, the Frankenstein monster, Hunchback, Wolf Man and the Creature. We may have had the Mummy too, can't be sure though, memory and all. No longer have any of them - one too many house moves and it's funny how things can go missing or you get move-fatigue and in a rash moment let some things go. Now have a nice action figure of the Creature though, complete with fish, seaweed and skulls base. The Creature always was (and is) my fave. You must do a lot of dusting with your collection, they always look well cared for in your photos, or do you tidy them up for each photo session? I recall ours always seem to aquire a fine coating of household dust.
ReplyDeleteHi, PC. I think if you click on the images and enlarge them, you'll probably see SOME dust on the models. You may have seen the Collector's Corner clip on the blog, wherein I was interviewed about my toy collection for TV. It was originally intended to be a piece on comics, but when the TV crew walked into my room and saw the toys on display, they changed their minds on the spot. Of course, that meant I was unprepared, and if you look closely at the toys as the camera pans over them, you can see they're quite dusty. I don't really have anything on display at the moment (it was all packed away to accommodate some work being done in the house), but when they were on view, I'd dust every so often, starting in one corner and doing a bit at a time. I never did the whole room at once 'though, so there was always a dusty batch of toys somewhere in the room. And, of course, by the time I eventually finished (over the course of several days), it was time to start over again. Bah!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Kid, you have superior skills than my kind brother Eddy who built and painted all mine. I had so many of them that dust was certainly a major concern. Eventually when I left home, I got rid of all of them....ummm....errr....on the bonfire!
ReplyDeleteHow could I know that anyone would value these things! Or British reprints of Marvel comics for that matter.
I don't think anyone could have known back then, Norman, that toys and comics would have any future value. The irony is, if we'd all kept and looked after our stuff, there'd probably be no collectors' market for them anyway, as everyone who had them (and might want to re-acquire them) would STILL have them. Just think 'though, your Aurora models would be worth a pretty penny nowadays, and could've paid for a few pages of original artwork to add to your collection.
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