Mean, Green, Stompin' Machine
Through most of Godzilla's lengthy history, he was gray . . . not green . . . though few people (especially toy makers) realized that. However, in late 1999, Toho finally gave people a mean, green stompin' machine in Godzilla Millennium, a. k. a. Godzilla 2000. They also amped up the costume in general, giving big G a more draconian face, larger more jagged fins, and some impressive red radiation breath. All in all, this is the most menacing G-suit ever and the kit we are about to build, the huge 1:144 scale G2000 vinyl kit from KOC (Kingdom of Curiosity) is the first model of that suit ever made. Read more here.
Creature Feature:
In the monster model kit world, there are some undisputed heavy weights, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon is among the true giants. This one comes from Resin Realities and was sculpted by Wayne Hansen, who has produced a few cool Creatures for this time tested company. They are carefully sculpted and rewarding to work on. Read more here.
Hey . . . didn't I see you in a Gamera movie?
I have been fortunate lately to have a lot of commissioned work doing PaleoCraft's wonderful prehistoric mammal series. Sculptor Sean Cooper does a wonderful job with these strange and mighty beasts of yesteryear and gives them the credit they deserve next to their more famous prehistoric predecessors, the dinosaurs. Read more here.
Here's a great kit from a sculptor with a low profile and a high level of talent . . . "Bad Moon Rising" from Mark Kabbenhoft and BTTG models. It really captures both the horror and the fantasy qualities of the werewolf lore. Not only that, it is one big, heavy kit and offers you a lot of serious drama for your shelf. (Read more here)
She's Just Big Boned:
Paleocraft's 1/45th Scale IndricotheriumDinosaurs get all the credit for being big, but this creature, the Indricotherium, was clearly in the dino range. About four times heavier than a modern African elephant, the Indricotherium is the largest land mammal currently known. The largest giraffes would only come to its shoulder and it was well over 35 feet in total length. (Read more here.)
One Eyed Terror: Building a Classic Harryhausen Cyclops
Of all the monsters ever created by Ray Harryhausen, the Cyclops is probably the most captivating (pun intended, Harryhausen fans). It has been rendered in resin and vinyl by several companies over the years, but Dark Carnival's "One Eyed Terror" is one of the absolute best. (Read more here.)
Catching a Buzz: The Fly
It may seem strange at first to say this, but the 1950s were not a good time for mad scientists in the movies. If you think about it, the tragically nutty professor had his heyday in the 30s and 40s, but in the 1950s, the scientists were busy saving the world from radioactive mega-fauna, invaders from other planets and even vampires. The exception to the rule, however, is Andre Delambre, the tragic hero of the best sci-fi/horror hybrid of the decade . . . 1958's The Fly. (Read more here).
Yeah . . . Well, Your Mother was the Lightning!
By the time Universal reached the fourth Frankenstein film, The Ghost of Frankenstein, they had done plenty to torque and twist the original story to meet the needs of their sequels. For a guy who didn't seem very interested in creation the old fashioned way in the first movie, Frankenstein certainly found a way to produce a couple of sons and a daughter to keep the monster factory rolling until the mid-forties. (Read more here.)
They Call Me "Spike"
Over the last twenty years or so, the South American region known as Patagonia has been the most exciting treasure trove in the world for dino-fans. They were big, bad and bizarre down there. The Amargasaurus featured in this article is fascinating animal and a great subject for a kit because it breaks so many of the the dino rules we tend to expect. (Read more here.)
Grave Matters
A while back I got a kit from Buzz Works called "Grave Zombie." In our review I touted it as a great bargain and nice kit for the beginner as well. I also promised (or threatened, depending on how you look at it) to do the kit for a web article when the opportunity presented itself. Well, the style of the kit just begs for a classic look, so I give you a nice green zombie for your shelves. (Read more here.)
A Bloody Mess
Undoubtedly, Frankenstein vs. the Creature from Blood Cove is about as close as we will ever get to a Universal duel between Karloff's monster against the Creature from the Black Lagoon. But it also owes a lot to Roger Corman and Russ Meyer.
And yes, folks, there is a model kit that captures this in a shelf sized diorama . . . Geometric Designs' Creature From Blood Cove! (Read more here.)
Free Apples
Occasionally, there are kits you just have to have. I've learned from many years in the hobby, if you really want it, you need to get it, because it may not be around very long.
That was the case with this kit from Blair Studios, "The Dryad." It is an original creation from Robert Blair and is one of my favorite shelf toppers. (Read more here.)
Bloodshot Bloodsucker
Here is a kit with a lot of Nosferattitude! Not only that, but it actually graces the Castle Gore as part of the spooky decor on the shelves of the legendary horror host's dungeon. How's it done, you ask? Well, if you are willing to cross the bridge to the Land of Phantoms, I'll show you . . . (Read more here.)
Dangerous Experiments: Color Change Auto Paints on The Hideous Sun Demon
Before we go any further, let me say that I actually like this movie, The Hideous Sun Demon. Well, maybe I really just see it's potential and the monster is kinda cool. The kit I am using for this article is being reissued in the future by the original maker, The Perimeter with a new head and base. It was one of the most exciting kits at Wonderfest in 2005 and I greedily grabbed one with dreams of strange experiments. (Read more here.)
Mummy Dearest!
Sometimes a simple kit is exactly what one needs to awaken the desire to create monsters--for modeling newbies or seasoned veterans who have been too wrapped up in other things. Well then, we offer you not just the following article but the model itself. To quote Ardeth Bey, "Look and wonder . . ." (Read more here.)
Gigantis, the Fire Monster
I guess you are always excited to get a new kit in the mail, but when I got Inhumanly Possible Creations' new Gigantis, sculpted by Chris Elizardo, I had a big old smile on my face. You can read a full review here, but let me say that the kit is going to please collectors who love the Aurora "Monsters of the Movies" kits, as well as people who want something manageable to do in a weekend and easy to find room for on a shelf. It combines all the recognizable features of several Godzillas and puts them into one nicely sculpted, tightly designed kit. (Read more here.)
It's Good to Be King
With all the attention on Peter Jackson's recent Kong, it's great to see the classic remembered in resin. Not that it is a surprise, especially from New York based Resin Realities. But boy, this is a good looking kit and a real reminder of how remarkable the original King Kong was.I first saw this kit at Wonderfest in 2006. I was milling about, minding my own business (which just so happens to be monster kits), when John from Resin Realities grabbed me and said, "Have you seen our new Kong?" (Read more here.)
Ah-oooo! Werewolves of London:
Perhaps the most underrated monster and film in the Universal canon, The Werewolf of London, is a spry 70 years old. To commemorate, we tackle a bust that is a must--Geometric Designs Werewolf of London bust. Read more here.
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