DR. JEKYLL AS MR. HYDE MOEBIUS MODEL KIT

I haven't built any models for a time, but there for a while I was cranking out about one a week. I've posted most of them, but this one I must have overlooked. It's the 2007 re-issue of the classic Aurora kit from Moebius Models.

MONSTER MODEL MONDAY

Big news for Frazetta fans and model kit builders!

FRANK FRAZETTA DRACULA MEETS THE WOLFMAN 1/8 SCALE PLASTIC MODEL KIT:

Frank Frazetta's Dracula meets the Wolfman is one of his most iconic pieces. This dramatic illustration features Count Dracula and a Werewolf locked in a fierce battle amist a gothic, crumbling churchyard, with swirling bats and a moody, atmospheric backdrop. The piece exemplifies Frazetta's signature style, dynamic composition, muscular figures, and a vivid, cinematic sense of motion. Sculpted by Jeff Yagher

Kit Includes 2 Figures and Display Base in 47 Pieces.

Estimated price: $55-$75

Pre-order from CultTVman HERE.

ABOUT JEFF YAGHER:

With nearly three decades in the profession, Jeff Yagher is widely regarded as the godfather of monster model sculpting. His work has been collected by industry legends such as George Lucas, Oliver Reed, Peter Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro. A devoted father to 20-year-old twins and husband to the exceptionally talented Megan Gallagher, Jeff continues to work tirelessly to meet the ongoing demand for his creations. His passion for the art, for monsters, and for movies remains as strong as ever.

Jeff Yagher at work.

Here is Frazetta's cover for CREEPY #7 (February 1966) and the story, "Duel of the Monsters" (script by Archie Goodwin, art by Angelo Torres), the inspiration for the model kit.

MOEBIUS RE-ISSUES MICHAEL MYERS MODEL KIT

Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of the FRIDAY THE 13TH feature series, but I do think the first film is an all-out modern horror classic and Michael Myers is one spooky fella. That's why I'm gettin' in line for my Michael Myers plastic model kit, soon to be re-issued by Moebius Models.

Originally produced by the now-defunct original Polar Lights (bought out by Round 2), a new batch is ready for pre-order from the usual retail and online suspects.

Kit features:

• Highly detailed plastic molded in gray                               
• Authentically-styled, screen-accurate figure                         
• Detailed porch settign diorama                                       
• Light-up, flickering jack-o'-lantern                                 
• Mini LED kit included (with batteries)                               
• Illustrated instructions

Suggested color palette:

• Light Flesh
• Off-White
• Brown
• Gray
• Orange
• White
• Olive Green
• Dark Green
• Dark Gray
• Light Orange
• Yellow
• Gloss paints for multi-colored candy                    

Moebius Michael Myers from Halloween

By Jeff Lamott | February, 2017 | finescalemodeler.com

Moebius Models recently reissued Polar Lights’ kit of Michael Meyers from John Carpenter’s groundbreaking thriller Halloween. I’m a big fan of the movie — I’ve seen it countless times over the years — so I couldn’t wait to get started.

The kit consists of 39 injection-molded plastic parts and one lighting kit for the jack-o’-lantern. The parts are free of flash, and most of the ejection-pin marks are on inner surfaces; the only visible one was on the T-shirt, and it’s easily eliminated.

Assembly begins with head and neck. Diverging from the instructions, I found it easier to attach the back of the neck to the face before adding the back of the head.

 

I work in subassemblies, so I left off the collar/chest insert until Step 4. Then I installed it with the rest of the clothes. It also makes for easier painting.

The hands and arms went together without problems, but I added a dab of filler to the palms. I left the knife loose for painting and discovered I could slip it into Michael’s hand without glue later.

To paint the hands separately, I removed the disks that lock them into the arms. Then I could slide them into place at final assembly. I used Testors tube glue to construct the large parts of the figure because it dries slowly, allowing ample time to align parts for optimum fit.

Parts fit throughout impressed me, with most seams needing only a little sanding for cleanup. Michael’s arms and legs fit together flawlessly.

I used just a bit of Vallejo Plastic Putty around the color/chest insert; after smoothing it with a damp brush, I didn’t even need to sand it.

I base-coated the main body with black primer; the rest was primed white.

I assembled all of the display-base components next. The jack-o’-lantern needs special attention for the light. After removing a locating tab underneath, I drilled a 3mm hole to accommodate the LED. Then I sprayed the inside of the pumpkin gloss dark yellow and glued the halves together.

I thought the sides of the porch too smooth, so I roughed them up with 80-grit sandpaper to produce light wood grain. Likewise, the texture of the grass and concrete walkway seemed faint; I enhanced both with heavy dry-brushing and washes.

A discarded child’s mask and trick-or-treat bag complete the scene. I hand-painted a decoration on the bag, but a decal would have been a nice addition.

I spent about 20 hours on Michael, mostly painting, which I really enjoyed. I recommend this kit to anyone who is into large-scale figures and horror movies. It would be great for younger modelers (if parents don’t mind the subject matter.)

NOTE: A version of this review appeared in the April 2017 issue of FINE SCALE MODELER.

Technical Specifications and Comments

Manufacturer: Moebius

Kit #: MOE970

Scale: 1:8

Retail price: $39.99

Injection molded

40 parts

1 lighting circuit

Pros: Good fits; easy-to-install lighting adds atmosphere

Cons: Molded texture on concrete walkway resembles leather

YOU CAN'T HYDE FROM THIS GUY!

Can you believe it? The Aurora monster model craze that hit in 1961 with the Frankenstein Monster continues to this day! A new generation of model making companies picked up the rights and the tooling for the line of plastic monster kits and have been reissuing them over the recent years.

I was lucky enough to but the re-issue of the Aurora "Dr. Jekyll as Mr. Hyde" kit from Moebius some years ago (Amazon is selling this for $123!).

Now, Moebius is re-issuing the same kit (a re-issue of a re-issue?) which is due sometime this month. In 2007, Moebius reissued this missing monster, which is one of the few that were not from Universal, with improved tooling, clear lab equipment, and vintage box art.  If you missed the earlier version, now is the time to pick this up from the usual suspects  After all these years, Aurora monster mania continues! 

Product features:

• Classic monster model kit fun from the 1960s is back!
• 1/8 scale
• 47 parts
• Finished model kit is approximately 9” tall
• Kit features figure, base and detailed diorama elements, including table, stool, rat and lab equipment!
• Nameplate
• Vintage-style instructions
• Classic longbox-style packaging art

BUILDING A BETTER BARBARIAN

I am reading the second in the series of 4 books about Gath of Baal, the famed "Death Dealer". Imagined by Frank Frazetta in a painting (and several others to follow), he partnered with multi-media maven James Silke to create a series of novels based on the character.

As you would suspect, "Lords of Destruction" is not high literature . . . but it is highly entertaining. Written in 1989, there is not much to compare it with Robert E. Howard's Conan, the gold standard of the sub-genre of Sword & Sorcery, but that's not a bad thing. Raw and adventurous, it's also a bit more, shall I say, lusty than others of its ilk. In this story, he is pitted against Baskt, a great white shark that has been turned into human form by an evil sorceress. What follows is a lot of mayhem, along with a generous serving of blood, guts and gore. I love it!

The character of the Death Dealer became so popular that numerous sidelines appeared, including this plastic model kit by Moebius. Released in 2016, it remains available through retailers.

Following is a build review by Jeff Lamott from FINE SCALE MODELER (January 2018).

In 1973, noted fantasy and comic artist Frank Frazetta painted a now iconic image of a mysterious warrior on horseback. The Death Dealer graced album covers and spawned comic books, novels, and role-playing games.

Moebius’ 1/10 scale kit was sculpted by the talented Jeff Yagher, who did a masterful job of turning a painting into 3-D. Noteworthy, too, is the packaging, with a removable sleeve featuring the kit’s title and other information. Removing the sleeve reveals an unobstructed copy of the original painting suitable for framing or as a backdrop for the completed model.

After washing the parts, I started building the horse with the legs and tail. Seam cleanup was much easier before the limbs were attached to the body.

The halves of the horse trapped the tail. I attached the ears before cleaning up seams. The parts fit well, but on organic subjects it pays to eliminate joins. I had little trouble filling and sanding seams along the back, chest, and rear with Tamiya surface primer, but seams between the leg quarters were tricky. Fortunately, it’s mostly hidden on the finished model, so you could skip that if you wanted.

Before assembling the figure, I temporarily attached the saddle back and pommel horn with white glue to the horse to properly fit the rider.

Spend extra time dry-fitting the rider’s subassemblies to check which seams and ejector-pin marks will be hidden on the finished figure. When I glued the legs to the torso, I taped them in place on the horse overnight to ensure proper fit. I left the arm, cape, stirrups, head, hand and ax, and shield off for painting; they were easily attached during final assembly.

I cleaned up the tack but painted it separately. The reins are fragile, so be careful when clipping them from the sprue and removing the attachment points.

The kit provides chain and small metal rings to decorate the saddle blanket and suspend the sword. The instructions show them being attached to pins on the back of the blanket corners, but there are no pins on the parts. Instead, small indentations indicate attachment points.

I base-coated the subassemblies with Badger Stynylrez black primer. For the horse, I airbrushed shades of brown acrylics; the rider and equipment were colored with dry-brushing and washes over the black.

Final assembly was a breeze. I enjoyed building and painting the Death Dealer. It’s one of Moebius’ best offerings thus far, and I recommend it for figure fans. Armor modelers will probably get a kick out of it, too.

For you modelers out there, here's the specs:

Kit:No. 961 // Scale:1/10 // Retail Price:$69.99

Manufacturer: Moebius

Pros: Good sculpt and fits

Cons: Small mistake in instructions

Comments: Injection-molded, 47 parts (1 metal chain)

MOEBIUS MODEL'S NEW 'GRIM REAPER' KIT

If you've never had the thrill of assembling a brand new monster figure model, now's your chance. From opening up the box, to cutting the sprue off the parts tree, to the gluing and painting, putting together a model is one of the essential experiences of the Monster Kid.

Now, thanks to Moebius Models, you can have that experience with your purchase of "The Grim Reaper" kit. Granted, it's not a "famous" monster, but it's the granddaddy of all of them, Death itself! Sculpted by master craftsman, Jeff Yagher, the 1:8 scale (approx. 7 3/4") plastic kit is shipping soon from shops like CULT TV MAN and MONSTERS IN MOTION.