Ultratumba’s Angry Red Spider
Originally published May 11, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.
“ANGRY RED SPIDER”
• Produced by Ultratumba Productions
• Sculpted by Paul Schiola of Eastlake, Colo.
• Size: 9 inches tall, 19.5 inches wide
• Material: Solid pink resin
• Number of parts: 15, including the base
• Price: $99 plus $18 domestic shipping
• Limited to 150 kits
First time I saw a picture of this new Ultratumba Productions kit, I thought, neat! I’ve never seen the movie this beastie comes from, “The Angry Red Planet,” but the model is so interesting and fun that it makes me want to.
That, I think, is a pretty common reaction to garage kits based on movies. People like me see a model kit they like, they buy it, then they go out and rent or purchase the movie that inspired it, not only because they’re curious about the film but also because they an idea of how they want to paint the kit.
But looking at this piece, I also figured I couldn’t afford it. I mean, it’s so big and so detailed, I thought it just had to be expensive. Then I found out the price is in the neighborhood of $100 – pretty cheap for a kit like this – and was even more impressed.
Affordability is an important concern for Paul Schiola of Ultratumba, which means that in addition to being worth considering because they’re neat, they’re also a good option for people on a budget or who are just starting out in the hobby.
I’ve been watching for a chance to get in touch with Paul not only because I like his work, but also because he’s a fellow Coloradan. The introduction of this spider gave me the perfect excuse to e-mail him.
Q&A WITH PAUL SCHIOLA
Resin the Barbarian: What can you tell me about the Angry Red Spider? Are you a fan of the movie “Angry Red Planet” or did you discover the creature another way?
Paul: I was a young boy around the age of 8 when we drove to Chicago to see some relatives. I had already been bitten by the monster bug thanks to my oldest brother, Frank, who found several issues of Famous Monsters under his desk while in his last class on a Friday afternoon. He brought them home with the intention to bring them back to the student he thought left them on Monday morning. So I spent the weekend drooling over these magazines from cover to cover. I was hooked!
So we arrived in Chicago in the early afternoon and, after greeting the relatives, Mom determined we needed a nap so my sister and I where sent to bed.
Not being sleepy, I spied a TV in the closet and dragged it out and plugged it in. It was an old black-and-white TV with rabbit ears. I messed around for a while and got it to tune in a station.
Unbeknownst to me, the afternoon movie was “Angry Red Planet.” I got to watch the scene where they fight with the big plant, and then here comes the Rat Bat Spider! I was stunned and changed from that point on.
Soon after this part, up came someone to check on us and alas the TV was found out and removed. I did not get to see the rest of the movie for 10 or so more years. Then I saw it on VHS and in color. Still blew my mind.
So this creature has been in my psyche for nearly 32 years and finally came out! I dearly love this movie!
RtB: Counting the spider, I know of four kits released by Ultratumba (the others being “El Baron,” “Aztec Mummy” and “?ingler.” It’s all unusual stuff, not what you usually see from garage kits. What draws you to this kind of material?
Paul: My taste in movies is very eclectic. I seem to gravitate to the things folks do not seem to pay a lot of attention to.
For the past 20-plus years I have been watching Mexican horror and sci-fi movies as well as the Lucha Libre (wrestling) movies. This, coupled with my taste for European, Asian as well as more obscure American movies, gives me a basis for the path less traveled. So all these kits and creatures are
really an extension of my love for movies.
RtB: What’s your best seller so far?
Paul: My best seller so far has been the “?ingler.” At this point it is basically sold out. I have packed up what is left for the upcoming WonderFest and hope folks will buy the rest from me.
A close second is the “El Baron” kit (from the movie “El Barón del Terror,” titled “The Brainiac” in the United States). I think this has a lot to do with the K. Gordon Murray redub release in the theaters and then TV. When you mention the Brainiac to someone, they either go “Oh, yeah, that wild creature who sucks out your brain,” or they stand there like a deer in the headlights wondering what institution you escaped from!
RtB: Do you consider the market potential of kits before you make them, or do you prefer to focus on producing what you like?
Paul: I spend a lot of time and energy when considering my next kit. I research what has been made in the past. What kind of interest if any exists for the topic I may be considering.
But the bottom line is that to see a project through, the interest has to be there for me or it will never make it to completion. The goal for me with this one-person company is to produce kits that have either never been made or subjects that have not been revisited for a long time.
Also a key element is affordability. I love building models and have since I was a kid. When the garage-kit scene was just beginning, I was in heaven but could hardly afford any of the kits.
As time rolled on, I still could not afford many kits. So when I got Ultratumba Productions up and running, I decided that my goal was to produce cool kits that the average working Joe model builder would be able to afford. Heck, I could afford!!
RtB: Two of your kits (the “Mummy” and “El Baron”) are part of what you call a trilogy of kits based on classic Mexican horror films. What will be the third in the series?
Paul: The third of the Mexican monster series is in the works as I type this. It will be the Gillman from the spy/horror movie named “Batwoman” (a.k.a. “La Mujer Murciélago”). He is a really cool Gilman created by a mad scientist.
I have more kits and prepaints coming based on Mexican movies and this is the crux of what I want to produce. Although I do take time out to make other fun stuff like the “?ingler,” and of course the “Angry Red Spider.”
RtB: What inspired you to get involved with sculpting and producing garage kits? Are you a kitbuilder as well as a sculptor?
Paul: I was a lucky boy. My father, although working two jobs most of his life, was also a painter. He saw some talent in me and when I was about 10 or 11 he enrolled himself and me into an oil painting class. This got the ball rolling.
From then on, I wanted to be an artist! I went to college and received a bachelor’s of fine arts with emphasis on sculpting.
I dabbled in the fine arts world for a while, but kept being called back to my monster roots. I sculpted and produced a zombie kit in 1991, very early in the garage-kit scene for us here. But, due to many factors, I ended up walking away.
I came back to the garage kit world after deciding I needed a 1:1 scale “Tingler” for myself (William Castle was someone I respected and loved). So I made one and painted it and showed it to several folks. Those who knew what it was and others who did not all had positive stuff to say.
And then it dawned on me. I was home. This is what I need to be doing. So I then rolled into the “El Baron” kit. After that was released I decided to go for the “?ingler,” then the “Aztec Mummy,” and so on.
RtB: I confess, my Spanish is close to nonexistent, so would you please explain why you call your company Ultratumba Productions?
Paul: Great question! Ultratumba roughly translates to “from beyond the grave.” I chose this as a company name for the reason that I feel that I an reintroducing a lot of monsters and creatures that have been forgotten or overlooked for years. So, in a way, bringing them back from the
beyond for people to revisit and enjoy.