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Archive for the ‘Monsters’ Category

Brutto and Baklar from G-Force

July 11th, 2009

Originally published June 29, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Brutto

“BRUTTO”
1/4 scale resin bust; 7 inches tall.
Comes in two parts.
$45 plus shipping.

Baklar

Baklar“BAKLAR”
One of the “Demons of Dance”; two more “Demons” (“Mubat” and “Krakor”; see pictures below) will come out this year.
1/6 scale kit, 13 inches tall on its base.
Made of resin, with 3 metal bells on the hat.
$90 plus shipping.

Both produced by G-Force.
Sculpted by Robert Blair.
Kits pictured painted by Scott Herel.

Much of Robert Blair’s sculpture is the stuff of nightmares … but in a good way. In addition to the jester and dancing demon above, he’s created a frightening assortment of clowns (including the Joker), scarecrows, a Dryad and much more. I don’t know what fires an imagination like that, but it gives our hobby an edge that’s sometimes surprising.

Demon of the DanceI like both of the pieces above, but “Baklar” is my favorite of the two. The thing just looks so flippinghappy about being creepy. So I e-mailed Robert to ask him if there is a story behind the “Demons of Dance.”

“There really is no back-story about these pieces,” he answered, “I just thought it would be cool to sculpt these evil jesters in different ballet poses. We have all these Royal Winnipeg Ballet books at home, my sister-in-law was a dancer with them. Just the idea of these evil, dark horrid jesters in these graceful ballet poses was hilarious! I think it works very well.”


Gary White, 41, of G-Force was also impressed by pictures of the “Demons” when he saw them on Robert’s Web site, and he made a deal to produce them as garage kits.

As garage-kit producers go, Gary is one of the veterans, having been in business since 1988. He lives in Acton, Ontario, an hour west of Toronto, with his wife, Shari. His “day job” is in construction; he works on heating, ventilation and air conditioning, plumbing and other mechanical systems.

Gary WhiteQ&A WITH GARY WHITE OF G-FORCE

Resin the Barbarian: Despite their originality (or perhaps because of it), these aren’t the kinds of kits I generally expect to see on people’s “grail” lists. What made you decide to produce these?

Gary: I liked them as soon as I saw them. They are different to the same old Frankenstein, Predator, etc. I also liked the feel that the poses have and the… Read the rest

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Sam Greenwell’s Umber Hulk

July 11th, 2009

First published June 23, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Sam Greenwell\'s Umber Hulk

“UMBER HULK”
Inspired by the Dungeons & Dragons character.
Sam Greenwell's Umber HulkSculpted by Sam Greenwell, who also painted the kit pictured. (“Krylon primer, gel stain, done.”)
Produced by Greenwell Studios.
10 inches tall; 15 resin parts.
Price: $110 plus shipping; e-mail contact@greenwellstudios.com if interested.

Not long after I discovered garage kits, I discovered eBay. It’s easy to find a ton of problems with the online auction giant, but it’s often the best place to watch if you want to find a model kit that’s out of production for a decent price. It’s also where you’ll occasionally find new pieces, which is what happened to me when I happened upon Sam Greenwell’s auction for the “Umber Hulk.”

Sam Greenwell's Time BanditWhat is an “Umber Hulk”? I had no idea, but it looks like some kind of bug. A NEAT bug, and a big one, too. Maybe part gorilla. So I looked it up and found out it was part of the D&D role-playing game. I’m one of those geeks who’s never played D&D and still don’t want to start, but at least I’m more interested now than I was.

This sculpture comes to GK fans courtesy of the talented hands of Sam Greenwell, who thinks the first of his sculptures to be produced as a garage kit was “NomadAx” for Jayco Hobbies in 1995.

Sam, 36, lives in Georgetown, Ky. He is married and has two kids, a 10-year-old daughter and 6-year-old boy.

Sam Greenwell

Q&A WITH SAM GREENWELL

Resin the Barbarian: My parents both come from Hazard, Ky., a town I loved when I was small but haven’t visited in about 26 years. Have you ever been there?

Sam: No. My best friend growing up was from Hazard but I’ve never been there myself. I think the closest I’ve been would be Pikeville.

RtB: The “Umber Hulk” is, for me, the latest example of a resin kit I like that leads to me finding out more about the source material. What drew you to sculpt this character? Are you a D&D fan? Did you consider the market potential or just want to do it?

Sam Greenwell's Umber HulkSam: I wanted to do a cool monster so I flipped through monster books, I have a LOT of monster and creature reference books, and chose that one.

RtB: I’ve been doing a little Web surfing for pictures of the Umber Hulk. While most of them were consistent about a few things (such as the mandibles),… Read the rest

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Joe Simon’s Blue Boy and Neo Nazi

July 11th, 2009

Originally published June 16, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Blue Boy

“BLUE BOY”
A companion piece to the PSI “Hellboy” bust.
1/3 scale resin bust, 13 inches tall.
Nine parts.

Neo Nazi

“NEO NAZI”
1/6 scale resin model kit. About a foot tall.
Nine parts.
Both sculpted by Joe Simon and offered through 3rd Eye Design.
Price for each is $100 plus shipping.

Joe SimonJoe Simon must be one of the busier garage-kit sculptors around, judging by the number of companies he works with. In addition to the kits he makes for his own company, 3rd Eye Design, Joe works with GEOmetric Design, CultTVman, Kitbuilders Magazine, Model Giants, PSI and more. He’s the kind of sculptor who can produce more wonderful work in a year than half-talented kitbuilders like myself could actually hope to build and paint.

Joe, 33, lives in Bangkok, Thailand. He moved there from Minnesota almost four years ago after a friend invited him to Malaysia for Chinese New Year; he planned to stay a week and “see the world from a different view,” now he feels at home there.

Joe’s not married but has been with “the boss” about three years. She’s “10 years younger (and) dreams of taking over the world,” he wrote in an e-mail. “She started with me!”

Joe says he comes from a huge family and plans to leave carrying on the name to the rest of the bunch. “I never wanna stop being a kid myself, playing with clay, paint and guitars!” he wrote.

I’ve been watching for a chance to get in touch with Joe for several months now, and his new “Hellboy”-related kits gave me the perfect excuse.

Q&A WITH JOE SIMON

Resin the Barbarian: I’ve never actually read the “Hellboy” comics, but I like the movie a lot. Can I safely assume these kits represent the characters as shown in the film?

Joe: I have to honestly say I didn’t read the “Hellboy” comic either, didn’t know much about the characters till the movie came out … I was hooked instantly!

HellboyVisually the characters inspired me.. that’s why I’ve done three sculpts so far, and hope to do more. More than likely, I will stick to the movie version on those also.

RtB: These are pieces you are selling through your own company, so I guess that means no one commissioned you to make them. What drew you to this subject matter?

Joe: Originally Jerry Buchanan of PSI Kits had commissioned me to sculpt a 1/3rd scale Hellboy bust. After watching… Read the rest

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Nocturna Productions

July 11th, 2009

Originally published June 14, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Yesterday, I had a Q&A with sculptor Dave Grasso, discussing the upcoming reissue of his classic “hatted” Nosferatu kit through Nocturna Productions. Today, I have a Q&A with Cindy and David Fisher, the folks behind Nocturna.

Pretty much anyone involved with garage kits knows the background of David Fisher and his partner, Terry Webb, because most everyone involved with the kits has discovered their magazine, Amazing Figure Modeler. If you’re not familiar with it yourself, or even if you just haven’t read it before, click HERE for a fantastic write-up.

Cindy and David live in Tennessee. They met in art school and have been married for 24 “terrific” years.

Nocturna ProductionsQ&A WITH CINDY AND DAVID FISHER

Resin the Barbarian: Anyone who’s interested in the work of David Fisher finds out quickly he’s a fan of Nosferatu kits. Cindy, are you also a fan of the character?

Cindy: Most definitely, but not as obsessed David! I love silent movies in general, from Harold Lloyd to Lon Chaney. I find them fascinating as an art form and as period time capsules.

RtB: As I recall (and my memory may be failing me), Nocturna was introduced as a company run by Cindy, but plainly David is involved as well. What role do each of you take in the company, and do the products you sell reflect both of your interests?

David: Nocturna Productions is completely Cindy’s company, but I obviously help with advice and my connections to sculptors in the hobby, as well as the graphic design of ads and packaging.

I’ve also sculpted bases for kits such as the Gothic base, Skull Pit and Lab Base, which Nocturna has produced throughout the years.

As for Cindy, Nocturna began as a simple business created to help Mike Hill sell his Hammer bust series in the U.S., then she commissioned a sculpture from Mike of the “Curse of the Werewolf” which was in production until just recently when the third set of molds wore out. Then she commissioned a set of silent horror super-deforms from sculptor Rick Force. Most recently she worked a deal with Staffan Linder to re-release the Swede Creations Nosferatu, and will soon release David Grasso’s Nosferatu as well.

I guess she does everything but cast the kits!

Staffan Linder's NosferatuRtB:I presume the reissue of the Swede Creations Kinski Nosferatu was a success for you; I know it generated a lot of buzz last year. Is that part of what inspired you to approach Dave Grasso? What else… Read the rest

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Nocturna’s Grasso Nosferatu

July 11th, 2009

Originally published June 16, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

David Fisher\'s Nosferatu

“COUNT ORLOCK”
Sculpted by Dave Grasso.
Phil Sera\'s NosferatuSoon to be reissued by Nocturna Productions.
1/6 scale (a little more than a foot tall), made of resin, with a piece of jeweler’s chain holding the lantern.
Price: TBD.

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, many garage-kit makers and builders love the vampire – Graf Orlock – from the silent movie “Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror.” Why should a pale, rat-toothed creature be such a draw to GK fans? I’m not certain, but I suspect it has a lot to do with two people: David Fisher of Amazing Figure Modeler and sculptor Dave Grasso, the subject of today’s e-mail Q&A.

Dave GrassoIn 2000, Fisher wrote an article in issue 21 of his magazine headlined “Nosferatu: Land of the Rats.” The piece was a look at more than two dozen Nosferatu garage kits and remains a valuable, though slightly dated, summary of the subject. In it, he said of Grasso’s “hatted” Nosferatu: “…the face captures the old man features of the character better than any other I’ve seen. The features and accuracy are incredible, and the expressive hands are exactly what is needed to cure my Orlock fever. The pose is classic, the detailing superb.”

Coming soon from Nocturna Productions, the company run by Cindy Fisher, David’s wife: A much-anticipated reissue of that Grasso Nosferatu. More about the Fishers later this week.

VampirellaNow, Dave Grasso. If you’re interested in the subject enough to have read this far, it’s a pretty good sign that you’re familiar with Dave’s work even if you don’t know it. He’s a special makeup and creature effects artist currently finishing up on thethird “Resident Evil” movie at Patrick Tatopoulos Studios. He worked at Stan Winston Studio about nine years. Other titles on Dave’s résumé include “Jurassic Park,” “Batman Returns,” “Terminator 2″ and “The Chronicles of Narnia.”

Dark Horse Invisible ManGarage-kit hobbyists will also know Dave for his first Nosferatu kit, the Invisible Man he sculpted for Dark Horse and a Vampirella based on artwork bySanjulian. He also did a few toys for Stan Winston Creatures and many maquettes for studios he’s worked with over the years.

“I’ve always wanted to get back in the garage-kit world (I’ve had other ideas for kits in the past), but was always to busy with film and toy work to pursue it,” he wrote in an e-mail.

Dave lives in California and has a wife and kids.

“My dad was and still is a great one for… Read the rest

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William Paquet’s Nosferatu

July 11th, 2009

Originally published June 1, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Paquet\'s Nosferatu

Paquet's NosferatuPAQUET “NOSFERATU” BUST
Based on the 1922 silent classic movie “Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror”
• Sculpted by William Paquet
• Produced by Tower of London, available from X-O Facto
• About 1/2 scale, 11 inches tall
• Made of two resin parts; casting by Mark Brokaw of Earthbound Studios
• Price: $120 plus shipping
• The “Nosferatu” kit pictured was painted by  Steve Riojas of Denver

Back in the silent era of movies, director F.W. Murnau turned actor Max Schreck into Graf Orlok, one of the most memorable vampires ever put on screen. Unfortunately, instead of coming up with a story of their own or paying the Bram Stoker estate for the rights to “Dracula,” the filmmakers simply swiped the story. That led to all kinds of nasty legal entanglements, and for years it was a challenge to see the movie.

These days, “Nosferatu” has moved into the public domain, and in addition to being able to find cheap DVD copies of it all over the place, it’s one of the most popular subjects for garage model kits, one of the latest being the bust pictured above.

That piece and the others pictured are the work of sculptor William Paquet. William’s name is one of the first I learned when I got interested in garage kits, because he’s the creative talent behind some of the most sought-after kits ever produced. Of course, I’ve been watching for an excuse to contact him to do an e-mail Q&A ever since I started doing these profiles.

William, 41, lives in Virginia. He’s got a wife, Laurie; daughter, Valerie; a border collie named Rex; and two cats, Clovis and Vincent. Considering the frightening nature of much of his sculpture, I had to ask if there were any tell-tale hearts beating in his home. “No corpses under the floorboards,” he told me, “but a decent collection of animal skulls, including a crocodile and a bear.”

Paquet\'s monsters

Q&A WITH WILLIAM PAQUET

Resin the Barbarian: Wasn’t the Nosferatu sculpture originally intended to be a very large, full figure piece? If so, why didn’t that work out?

William PaquetWilliam: Time. The piece as it originally was intended is about 80 percent complete, but finding the time in my schedule to complete it has been difficult,

RtB: Does this bust represent a specific moment in the silent movie “Nosferatu”? If so, what is the character doing at this moment?

William:… Read the rest

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Godzilla Ghost with T’s Facto

July 11th, 2009

Originally published May 25, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Thanks to “kiryu” and “raydrz” for the suggested questions.

Godzilla\'s Ghost by T\'s Facto

Godzilla's Ghost by T's Facto“GODZILLA GHOST”
Inspired by the original, 1954 movie “Godzilla”
• Produced by T’s Facto
• Sculpted by Takashi Yamawaki, popularly known as “T”, who also painted the piece pictured
• About 15.75 inches tall
• 51 parts (see below for a breakdown)
• Made of resin
• Price: 29,000 yen (about $260 U.S.)
• Shipping to the United States would cost about $37
• Scheduled for release in June

Frankly, the giant-monster (kaiju) movies from Japan are often pretty cheesy stuff. People dressed in rubber costumes stomp on neat scale-model buildings and fight each other. The best I’ve seen of them are fun and have some wonderful moments; only the very worst are so bad you can’t enjoy them at least a little.

Godzilla's Ghost by T's FactoFew are what I would define as truly “great” movies, although I do get a chill from post-attack scenes in the first Godzilla movie, made when the nuclear bombings in Japan were a recent memory.

Model kits based on this material are often some of the most dazzling you’ll see, and this week’s subject – “Godzilla Ghost” from T’s Facto – is the latest to floor me, coming from a sculptor whose works often make me wonder just how much I want to overheat my credit card on my hobby.

Full-time Godzilla's Ghost by T's Factosculptor and kit seller “T” (Takashi Yamawaki) is 38 years old, unmarried, and lives inSaitama prefecture, just next to Tokyo. His mastery of written English is wonderful, judging by our e-mail exchange, which is great because I couldn’t have written this entry based on my nonexistent skill with the Japanese language. For the record, I had to do some minor editing in the Q&A exchange below, but not as much as I’ve had to do with some native English speakers in more than 15 years of newspaper experience.

“T” says he worked at International Hotel as a bartender in Singapore from the ages of 20 to 35 and learned English from his Chinese girlfriend. He moved on to sculpting three years ago.

Godzilla\'s Ghost by T\'s Facto

Q&A WITH TAKASHI YAMAWAKI, A.K.A. “T”

Resin the Barbarian: This kit represents Godzilla at the end of the first movie, when he is destroyed underwater. As I recall, the skeleton is not clearly seen in the film. What did you use as reference material?

T“T”: There was a movie in 2002, “Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla.” “The Monsters Inc.,” which is a sculpting team, made the skeleton model for this movie.… Read the rest

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