Archive for the ‘Hobby blog’ Category

Ultratumba’s Angry Red Spider

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

Originally published May 11, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Angry Red Spider by Ultratumba Productions

Angry Red Planet“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

Ultratumba\'s Angry Red SpiderFirst 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.

Angry Red PlanetAffordability 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.

Paul Schiola and Bob Burns

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.

Angry Red PlanetSoon 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?

GillmanPaul: 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.

Angry Red Spider boxI 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.

Ripley & Power Loader, Part III: Mike Allen

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

Power Loader base

Originally posted May 4, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Some people at The Clubhouse said I ought to make the Forbidden Zone Ripley & Power Loader into a three-part entry by asking Mike Allen to share a little more about the base and decals he made for the kit. Mike was game, so why not?

Mike AllenIn addition to impressing me as the guy behind Forbidden Zone, which is putting out some of the best garage kits around, Mike got on my good side by agreeing to help me launch “Resin the Barbarian” Feb. 1. He answered a few questions about his Young Frankenstein bust without having much of an idea of what I hoped to do with his answers, and helped make it easier for me to approach everyone I’ve written about in the weeks since.

So, what follows is what Mike told me via e-mail about making a base to go along with the Ripley figure by Gabriel Marquez (part I) and the Power Loader by Tom Seiler (part II).

Q&A WITH MIKE ALLEN

Resin the Barbarian: As the person who runs Forbidden Zone, you are basically the guy in charge of the collaborative process that led to the Power Loader kit. Do you ever find it intimidating or uncomfortable giving direction/advice to people like Gabriel Marquez and Tom Seiler, who are so enviably talented?

Mike: No, not really. First of all, Tom and Gabriel are so down to earth and easy to get along with. They are very talented, but they’re open to all kinds of ideas. I mean … the machinery is what it is … Sigorney looked a certain way … it’s committed to film, so you pretty much know what you have to create.

I have to hand it to Tom; he studied screen grabs and photographs to pull all sorts of little details into it. I’ll tell you this much, I have had two individuals e-mail me that are connected to folks who created the full-size and miniature Loader for the film. They thought enough of the work on the kit to contact us and compliment it.

Now, the way I see it, the place where you have some freedom and creativity is the pose and composition of the piece. That’s where I think I can bring something to the table. I get to work with these talented guys and collectively create something we can all be proud of.

It sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I can talk to Gabriel and say something like “I want her arm as high as she can physically get it. I want her to look like she’s frightened, but about to open a can of whoop-ass!? And, like magic it happens.

Perhaps I would have a different experience with other people, but I don’t think I have really been intimidated by anyone I have worked with in this hobby. There’s just so much talent … I think it’s easy to get excited … and feed off of that energy.

Once Tom and Gabriel were done, the fun didn’t end there. I had to go out and try to find materials to include in the kit … like tubing that would represent the many hydraulic hoses on the Loader. That stuff isn’t super easy to find. Finding someone who could vacuform the emergency beacon dome on the top … including small gauge wires for the welder and joysticks. Lots of little details.

Power Loader decalsOh, and the decals. I used the Halcyon decal sheet as a starting point, but had to add details that they didn’t have. Thankfully, we had great reference … and you gotta love Photoshop!

Not to get too far off the subject, and since we’re talking about talent, I think this is such a great time to be in this hobby. To even call it a hobby sorta trivializes it. There are so many talented folks creating great art. I hope everyone sees it that way. I’m excited to be a part of it.

RtB: How long has the Power Loader been in the works, and what started the process?

Mike: Hmmm … that’s a great question. Well, I am originally from Houston, so there were a few years where several of us would drive from Houston to Louisville for WonderFest. Heck of a long drive … but the conversations you have … well … you never know where they will lead.

A few years ago, Tom and I were driving back from Wonderfest and I told him about a conversation I had with a sculptor who said he was thinking of doing an Alien Queen … maybe 1/8th scale. Now, that person will remain nameless, I wouldn’t want everyone to deluge them with e-mails about doing a Queen.

However, it got Tom and me talking about how great it would be to have a Loader & Ripley to go along with it. Since we’re both huge fans of the film, we just couldn’t let that idea go.

It took a while to gather the right reference. Tom worked on it in his spare time. But, it finally came together.

Power Loader baseRtB: You sculpted the kit’s base. What materials did you use to make the original?

Mike: Well, much like Tom, I wouldn’t call what I did on the base sculpting. More like fabricating.

The first thing I have to say is … thank the Lord for DVD … and the ability to screen capture! I don’t think I could get anywhere without that!

Anyway, the base began as a drawing I made in the computer. Once I had all the measurements down, I started cutting all the shapes from sheet styrene. I knew that I wanted the base to have that feel of a little section of the spaceship Sulaco’s bay.

After studying the film, and talking to folks in the know, I discovered that the floor tiles were made from plastic bread trays. They had a very distinctive look. There were some other kinds of grating in there too.

So, I created some artwork on the computer and sent it to Mark Kaelin. I have to throw a plug in here for Mark. His magic printing process takes a piece of black and white artwork and turns it into three-dimensional reality!

Once he sent me the master plates for the floor tiles, I poured a quickie mold and cast a few up. The name plate is from Mark as well.

To finish out the base, I wanted to do some details around the edge, so I dug into a spare parts box I have kept for years. In these cases, it pays to be a pack rat. I used bits of old plastic kits to add detail, along with guitar strings and styrene tubing.

RtB: I confess wasn’t aware that you were a sculptor. Have you created bases for other kits? Do you sculpt other kinds of works?

Mike: Well, like I said before, I wouldn’t really consider myself a sculptor. I have definitely created bases. I did the bases for the Forbidden Zone Blade 2 kit and the Son of Frankenstein kit. Those bases were mostly created with Styrofoam and Durham’s Water Putty. I did a base for an article in the latest issue of Amazing Vehicular Modeler.

I am also fabricating some feet and legs for a Martian War Machine. I have some other “fabrication” projects planned for the near future.

As far as traditional sculpting, I have toyed with it a little. I started a Rocketeer a few years ago that never really went anywhere. I would love to try it again someday. So many things to try … so little time!

Ripley & Power Loader, Part II: Tom Seiler

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

Originally published May 4, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Power Loader

This week’s subject is a big model kit, so it’s appropriate that it would require a little extra space. In the last Resin the Barbarian entry, I talked about the specifics of Forbidden Zone’s upcoming Power Loader garage kit and spoke with Gabriel Marquez, sculptor of the Ripley figure on the kit.

Tom SeilerTom Seiler is the man behind the machine on the Power Loader. Like Gabriel, Tom lives in the Houston area, about an hour away from Gabriel’s home.

“I don’t call what I do ‘sculpting,'” Tom wrote in an e-mail. “Don’t put me in the same category as someone like Gabriel, as I’m not worthy! I will answer to ‘fabricator’ or ‘scratchbuilder,’ though, as I assemble bits of sheet styrene, plastic tubing, plumber’s epoxy and lots of putty and primer into master parts.

“I break a project into subassemblies and then make a model of each bit. The closest I come to sculpting is creating a transition or fillet here and there. I like to break objects down to their basic shapes, like the Loader foot is a rectangular solid with a half-cylinder on top of it.”

Read on for more of Tom’s description of assembling the Loader.

TOM SEILER ON MAKING THE POWER LOADER

Resin the Barbarian: Would you like to say anything about creating the Power Loader? I know that project was quite some time from conception to completion, so I’m sure you spent many hours working on it and I can’t imagine how much you focused on details.

Power LoaderTom: I did spend many an hour on it, many a month, many a year. We were really lucky to get some great help from folks with invaluable Loader reference photos. Frame grabs from the DVD were helpful, too.

I’m also very lucky to live in Houston because of the great scratchbuilding resource we have here. G&G Model Shop near Rice University keeps nearly the entire Plastruct and Evergreen plastic inventory in stock for the models built by students of engineering and architecture. There is nothing like being able to pop into their shop and pick up anything you need in sheet, strip, rod, domed, tube or textured plastic!

For my starting point, I used the Halcyon kit, since the folks that made it had good references, at least as far as the scaling and proportions. I took one of their parts, laid it in my scanner, blew it up 150 percent, and PC-drafted plans of that, adding details Halcyon omitted, and correcting much of it.

I made very detailed plans for each part initially, loosening up as I went, until toward the end of the project I spent my time making parts rather than drawing them.

Like I said, I made a model of the Loader foot, a model of the forearm, of the claw, etc. I made all of it posable, knowing full well the kit would not be. Having working joints and pistons allowed Mike, Gabriel, and myself the ability to meet and lock in the final pose before the Ripley was started.

Power LoaderLike I said, I’m no sculptor, and we needed a consensus between the three of us on what worked, both dramatically and mechanically.

Before anyone asks, if the kit had had all separate movable parts (and a Gumby-style flexible Ripley), no one could have afforded it!

Once the pose was final, Gabriel took over and sculpted a fantastic Ripley! In the meantime, Mike has created a great base featuring the grids and a bit of the airlock of the Sulacco deck and is making some great decals, again much more thorough than what the Halcyon kit had.

Our Loader has a dynamic fighting stance, unlike the Halcyon kit. And Gabriel’s Ripley likeness is spot on. It really makes it all work! I can’t wait to see the first castings!

Ripley & Power Loader, Part I: Gabriel Marquez

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

Originally published May 4, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Ripley and Power Loader
• “RIPLEY & POWER LOADER”
• Produced by Forbidden Zone
Ripley and Power Loader• Created by Tom Seiler (machinery), Gabriel Marquez (Ellen Ripley) and Mike Allen (base, decals and instructions).
• Casting by Mark Brokaw of Earthbound Studios.
• Scale: 1/8, roughly 16 inches tall.
• Material: Mostly resin, but it will include rubber tubing for the hydraulic hoses, metal mesh for the roll cage over the figure’s head, styrene rod for some details on the Loader. It will also have a clear, vacu-formed dome for the emergency beacon on the top.
• Number of parts: “I think it’s around 30,” Mike says, “but that may change once it’s molded.”
• Price: TBD, probably in the $250-$275 range.
• Date of availability: TBD, sometime in 2007. Contact Mike Allen through the Forbidden Zone Web site if you’re interested in an update.

“Get away from her, you B!#tiny_mce_markeramp;!”

Man, that’s one of the best uses of a naughty word in a movie and I wish I could let it rip here, in text, even half as effectively as Sigourney Weaver delivered it before the climactic battle in Jim Cameron’s 1986 movie “Aliens.” You’ve seen the movie, haven’t you? You know about the big fight between Ripley in the Power Loader and the nasty Alien Queen, right?

If you’re one of the few who managed to miss that one, it’s time to put it on your “must-see” list. Heck, you could probably pick up a cheap secondhand VHS copy on eBay for less than the price of a rental.

Forbidden Zone’s Mike Allen of Halfmoon, N.Y., is plainly a fan of the movie, and sometime back he helped set in motion a project that’s got model-kit lovers interested: a remarkably detailed kit of Ripley in the Power Loader, created by some extremely talented people.

Ripley and Power LoaderOne of the fun things about doing these weekly GK entries is that I don’t have to be ashamed of getting in touch with some of these talented people and ask all kinds of stupid fanboy questions. Gabriel Marquez has been impressing hobbyists for about a decade, and he’s the person who generously let me pester him this week with a Q&A (below).

Lifelong Houston resident Gabriel is a sculptor, 37 years old, married to Terri. He started off working semi-professionally as a sculptor 10 years ago and earned enough respect for his work that he was able to become a full-time professional in 1998. In his Web-site biography, he says his interest in art stems from an early love for fantasy and horror movies such as “King Kong,” “Frankenstein” and “Jaws.” He’s also a fan of the stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen (and who isn’t?).

To be honest, I don’t think I’m up to adequately describing what’s so impressive about his work, which is why I’m glad I can include pictures with my entries. If these photos aren’t proof enough for you, then check out the gallery on the Gwin Sculpture Works Web site.

I asked Mike for his thoughts on working with Gabriel.

“Well, the story goes that, when Tom and I first started talking about the Loader, we knew Ripley had to be part of the kit,” Mike wrote in an e-mail. “Gabriel was my first and only choice. He had sculpted Ripley before, from the first film … so I knew he was familiar with her likeness.

“I have worked with Gabriel several times before, and he’s always been professional and inspirational. Plus, Gabriel is just an infinitely talented guy. He knows what will work in terms of pose and attitude. All I have to do is tell him what I’m thinking … and he delivers on the vision!

“He faced a lot of challenges with this project, in terms of trying to meld a human form into some complex machinery (which Tom did a beautiful job on). Gabriel did a wonderful job, and delivered in record time!”

Ripley and Power Loader

Q&A WITH GABRIEL MARQUEZ

Gabriel MarquezResin the Barbarian: Why is your company called Gwin Sculpture Works?

Gabriel: It was named after my late father-in-law. I wanted my sculpture company’s name to have more of an open feel instead of being a vehicle driven solely by me. Almost like Gwin, it is its own entity. When I delve into more fine art projects, I use just my name.

I also share my name with world-renowned author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, sans the Garcia, and I thought Gwin sounded cooler.

RtB: As I understand it, you are the sculptor of the Ripley figure in Forbidden Zone’s new Power Loader kit; Tom Seiler did the machine itself. How did that work? Did you have a completed Loader sculpture in front of you while you were sculpting the figure, or was there some other process?

Gabriel: Once Tom finished the Loader master in a “fixed pose,” it came to me. First I had had to decide whether to sculpt it in sculptor’s wax or polymer clay. I decided to go with Super Sculpey 3.

I created an armature out of copper and galvanized wire of different gauges. I had to cover the Loader in plastic sheet to protect it from the oil and solvent in the polymer clay. I then sculpted the figure “rough” right into the master.

Once I had Mike’s approval of the “rough,” I removed the figure from the Loader and detailed everything out but the feet and arms. Once I had the figure 80 percent done, I moved it back to the Loader master to get the proper alignment of her arms and completed it.

RtB: What reference material to you use as you work to so faithfully re-create the look of a character? Did you watch “Aliens” on DVD and freeze the picture? Do you have pictures?

Gabriel: This project was done entirely by studying screen captures from the DVD and actually freezing the screen as I sculpted from it.

RipleyThis project was especially difficult because Sigourney Weaver is one of the hardest likenesses I have ever attempted to sculpt. She’s got a lot of character to her face, so you would figure it would make it easier. It didn’t!

RtB: Do you have to buy your reference material, borrow it, or is it provided by the person commissioning the sculpture?

Gabriel: All of the above. Most of the time the client will supply reference but nowadays it’s not too hard to find picture reference of anything online. Google Image Search is a resource I use a lot.

RtB: What do you do when you realize a sculpture isn’t shaping up the way you want? Or, do you often step back and decide a sculpture is not at all what you intended it to be and have to back up?

Ripley and Power LoaderGabriel: When a project isn’t going how I would like sometimes just stepping back and not looking it for a few hours helps. Another simple thing that helps me is to look at my sculpts in a mirror or upside-down. This process usually keeps things going smooth.

RtB: I presume your sculptures become the property of the people who commission them. Is it ever particularly difficult to let go of one?

Gabriel: Projects usually take from four to six weeks to complete, so most of the time I’m glad to see a sculpture go so I can move on and the client can do what he needs to do.

RtB: Do you sculpt anything strictly for yourself, disregarding whether the subject is marketable? If so, would you mind telling me what you sculpt?

Gabriel: I am a huge fan of H.G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds” and last year’s release of the Steven Spielberg movie re-ignited my passion for the literary version.

I decided to create a literal version of the Martians and their Fighting Machines. All I used was Wells’ descriptions of how they looked and moved my imagination. Reviews have been mixed from the sculpting/modeling and fan community. I still really dig it!

I’m not sure if I will offer the Fighting Machine or Martian as kits but I am working on an new resin garage kit of my design called “Lilith” right now and will be ready to show it early this summer.

Mole Man Big Head by Mike Falcigno

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

Originally published April 27, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Earthbound\'s Mole Man Big Head

• “MOLE MAN BIG HEAD”
• Produced by Earthbound Studios.
• Designed and sculpted by Mike Falcigno.
• Scale according to Mike: Technically the Big Head line is 2/3 scale, basically very close to 1/1 scale but people sometimes think they are 1/1 because if you take a 7-foot monster’s head and make it 2/3 scale it is still the size of an average human head, hence the confusion.
• Material: Resin.
• Price: $150 plus shipping.
• Kit pictured painted by Steve Parke.

Earthbound Mole Man Big HeadOccasionally, some garage-kit fan will visit one of the various Internet forums available and ask the assorted members: What’s the appeal of a bust? This question inevitably leads to a bunch of sophomoric jokes about women and bosoms; I don’t have the stats to prove it, but I suspect at least 75 percent of the people who build these kinds of kits are male, and like most guys we’ll take any opportunity to discuss female anatomy with a level of sophistication that rivals Beavis and Butt-Head.

Then genuine explanations get thrown around. Busts are distinct from the full-figure kits and have their own unique appeal. Since busts generally don’t go much beyond head and shoulders, the scale is larger and the facial expressions more interesting. Busts are more “artsy”. They use up less space on the shelf. The smaller ones don’t take long to complete. And so on.

However, I think most of us get the appeal of the Big Head busts from Earthbound Studios. First, the sculptures are simply fantastic. Second, they’re big, and that’s important to guys. You don’t appreciate just how big until you actually see one right in front of you. Third, the subject matter (most of them are B-movie monsters). Fourth, they’re offered by Mark Brokaw’s Earthbound Studios, which means you’ll get a first-rate kit for a fair price. The sculptor of this week’s Mole Man, Mike Falcigno (pronounced “fal-cig-no”), said $150 for the Big Head busts is an “incredible value” for their size and quality, and he’s right.

I traded e-mails with Mike recently to find out a little more about him and his work. He’s a 31-year-old resident of Milford, Conn., produces garage kits under the name TerrorForm Design, and has been with his girlfriend, Erin, for five years. Mike is talented enough to make his living as a full-time 3D/2D artist and he writes a weekly home video column called “Digital Creep” for the Fairfield County Weekly.

Fiend Without a FaceIn addition to the Mole Man bust, Mike’s 3D work includes another Big Head, “The Fiend Without a Face”; a piano-key deluxe base for Forbidden Zone’s “Phantom of the Paradise” and an upcoming 1/4 scale bust of Peter Lorre for Forbidden Zone.
Mike’s works for TerrorForm include a popular 1/3 scale “Abominable Doctor Phibes” bust (picture below), a “Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell” bust, a life-sized “Invader from Mars” Martian wall plaque under his Creature Cranium series and a bust of infamous dead punk rock icon G.G Allin.

Mike creates life-sized monster figures through commission. “I am currently finishing a life-sized Karloff Mummy for a client that had me do all the Universal classic monsters,” he said. He also takes on the occasional film effects job.

The “2D” part of Mike’s career is “a lot of ink and paint work. Mostly character design, graphic work, tattoo design and commissioned illustrations.”

A Q&A WITH MIKE FALCIGNO

Mike Falcigno and his WolfManResin the Barbarian: What is the original Mole Man sculpture made of? I assume Super Sculpey, but I’m not a sculptor and so my assumptions count for nothing.

Mike: Actually the Mole Person was sculpted entirely with the Aves Apoxie line of products. A hard foam
understructure was used as a base and worked up to its finished stage with Apoxie Sculpt and a few areas in Apoxie Clay. The claw was sculpted in the same manner.

For the sand areas of the base I used Aves ClayShay over a hard foam understructure and used more Apoxie Sculpt to render the rocky terrain and mushrooms.

It’s really incredible stuff, the detail you can push into the material is astounding and the fact that it cures without baking makes for a “crack”-free project. I did find it very strange at first because of the working time involved, but with a little messing around I worked out a method for sculpting with it in no time.

RtB: How long did it take you to sculpt this?

Mike: Well, if I kept a time sheet next to all my sculpts I would probably slip into a depression because of how long some take compared to the pay rate, but for the Mole Person I would roughly guess over 100 hours from start to finish, this includes the base.

TerrorForm Design StudioRtB: From what I’ve seen of your articles in Amazing Figure Modeler, you do a lot of sculpting to enhance the kits you build and paint. Have you always done this with your model kits, or it something you started doing after time?

Mike: I was into sculpting before model kits so it’s just a natural tendency of mine to want something that’s more a one- of-a-kind piece. Granted, when someone paints a kit it’s the only one like it, but adding or augmenting an existing design makes the finished piece even more personal.

RtB: How long have you been involved with model kits in general and garage kits in particular?

Mike: Building models goes back to my preteen years, probably 6 or 7 years old. I used to build them too at my grandmother’s house every Sunday (in between making monsters with Play-Doh). Various family members could be swayed into buying me kits if I promised to finish them.

My earliest figure models included AMT’s Bigfoot, Aurora monsters, Monogram’s Allosaurus and ankylosaurus and anything else that would have appealed to a my warped little-kid sensibilities.

I got into garage kits when I came across an issue of Model and Toy Collector when I was about 13 and from that point I would save months of paper route money just to blow it on a garage kit, then start the process all over again. Billiken’s Creature, Horizon’s Mole Man, Tsukuda’s Metaluna Mutant, Screamin’s Freddy and some Lunar/Dimensional Design kits were my first garage-kit figures.

RtB: What model kits drew you to the hobby as a sculptor?

Mike: I ended up pursuing special effects makeup for many years (through and after college), which caused me to devote far less time to figure kits.

TerrorForm PhibesA few years ago I came across some of William Paquet’s stuff online (“Plague of the Zombies,” etc). I was blown away by the quality of his work and tracked down his phone number. After a few lengthy phone calls, we ended up having a lot in common and started hanging out in person.

William is an immensely talented and giving person, I would have to cite him as the catalyst for me getting back into the hobby as a sculptor. The days spent in William’s studio inspired me to start sculpting smaller-scale pieces and I eventually had my first work produced by Mark Brokaw of Earthbound Studios.

RtB: What do you buy and build these days? And do you build as much as you buy, or do the kits accumulate faster than you can build them?

Mike: Amid my personal workload, I don’t have time to paint much in the way of kits. Writing for AFM and AVM (Amazing Vehicular Modeler) enables me to paint a piece every few months which is nice.

Recently, I started collecting the built-up work of artists who I feel are the industry’s best painters in hopes of building a diverse cross-section of museum-quality statues. I am always running out of space so I only buy sculptures that I truly love.

RtB: Who are your sculpting “heroes”?

Mike: This is a very tough question because I’ll never be able to name them all. I am heavily inspired by various types of artists. From the brush paintings of Basil Gogos, James Bama, Jack Davis, Ghastly Graham Ingles, Frank Frazetta , Rainer Engel and a slew of others to musicians, writers and kit painters.

As far as sculptors go, William Paquet, Andy Bergholtz, Barsom, Mark Newman, Tony Cipriano, Takeya, Oniki, Jeff Yagher, Stuart Jackson, Jordu Schnell, John Pinkerton, Mike Elizade, David Grant, Thomas Kuntz, Dave Grasso, Miles Teves,Tony McVey, Ray Harryhausen, Mark VanTine, Thomas Keubler, Rick Baker, Mike Hill, Mitch Devane, Gabe Perna, Casey Love, Mike Petryzack and Gabriel Marquez all immediately come to mind.

There are plenty of names that escape me and some I’m not yet aware of but all the people listed above have created some truly beautiful works of art.

At the risk of putting readers to sleep, I should move onto the next question.

RtB: Is anyone else in your family involved with the hobby?

Mike: My younger brother Mark is a hardcore Hot Rod/Lead Sled builder. He works on real cars along with scale car models, which in itself is an artform.

RtB: As a home-video columnist, what would you say about the 1956 movie “The Mole People” (upon which this bust is based) to persuade someone like me, who’s never seen it, to put it in his Netflix queue?

Mike: “The Mole People” is a textbook example of great ’50s-era entertainment rising from a pool of cinematic cheese! You’ve got hilarious opening exposition presented by a melodramatic “scientist”, a bunch of square-jawed adventurers (one of whom is actually Ward Cleaver from “Leave it to Beaver” fame!!) delving into the bowels of the Earth, a beautiful girl in peril, a race of subterranean albinos who enslave bizarre mutant beings that eventually run amok, putting the humans in a perpetual state of terror.

Mole ManDid I leave out the ear-screeching musical score, cardboard props and hammy acting? Oh yeah, and the Mole People can’t stand sunlight and live off giant mushrooms!! Oh, the simpler times … before morons like Stephen Sommers had to ruin everything great about monster movies!

Unfortunately, the film isn’t available on DVD so you’ll have to seek out a bootleg or old crappy VHS copy.

RtB: What are your favorite movies?

Mike: Again with the impossible questions!! Here’s a partial list:

The silent horror films all monster fans like (“Nosferatu,” “Häxan,” “Caligari,” etc), the classic Universal stuff, anything with Peter Cushing, Chistopher Lee, and the rest of the wonderful Hammer Horror players.

I love “Big Trouble in Little China,” “American Werewolf in London,” the Romero “Dead” films, the “Blind Dead” series, good Fulci flicks, Argento films, crazy Asian horror and weird s— like “The Calamari Wrestler.”

“Creepshow” No. 1 is awesome, I like my kaiju served with lots of rubble and beginning with the letter G Godzilla, Gamera, Gargantuans, etc.), I can watch B-monster flicks till my eyes dry out (“Fiend Without a Face,” “Black Scorpion,” “I Married a Monster from Outer Space,” etc).

Have you seen “OldBoy?” That movie is friggin’ amazing!!! “Hellboy,” “Devil’s Backbone,” “Blade 2,” “Mimic” and anything else Del Toro makes in the future is fine by me.

“Ichi the Killer” – you’ll feel dirty watching that one.

“Fearless Vampire Killers,” “Fright Night” and lest I forget the granddaddy of in yo’ face balls-out horror – Tobe Hooper’s “Texas Chain Saw Massacre.”

If I’m in the mood for brain eating it’s “Return of the Living Dead.” “Alien,” “Fight Club” and “Halloween” also rule!!

VINCENT PRICE films are … well … Pricelessly good fun.

As for remakes. “The Thing” and “The Blob” rock and if I want to feel sick I’ll throw in anything directed by German auteur Jörg Buttgereit (“Nekromantik,” etc).

So you see, Todd, I’m a movie geek. I love the stuff. All the pictures I rattled off don’t come close to all my favorites (here’s another one I just though of – “Blade Runner”! And another – “Time Bandits,” which then leads me to “Brazil” and “Fear and Loathing.” This is madness!!). Besides, yer only reading a horror film chain of thought.

I also really enjoy comedies, animation (NOT MANGA except “Akira” and “Blood”), ’70s grindhouse sleazoid pictures, crime thrillers, and s— – even a few dramas. Let’s move on to the next question.

But first I must recommend John Carpenter’s segment of the “Masters of Horror” series: “Cigarette Burns.” It stars Udo Kier and it’s sweet!

RtB: What media and snacks do you have on hand while you’re working? Do you watch DVDs, perhaps, or drink caffeinated beverages? What’s the environment like? Where is your workroom?

Mike: I like to drink strong iced coffee by the quart and smoke Camel Lights by the carton. The latter I really should quit but I’m a weak little slave to the nasty things and I lack the willpower to stop at this point in time.

The studio environment is wall-to-wall stuff. All the things I love surrounding me in one studio, which is set in a basement location, kinda like a modern-day dungeon but minus a cauldron of boiling oil and any real corpses.

I can’t watch movies while working and prefer music, mostly soundtracks to films or bands that I like.

AFM bannerRtB: You recently became a moderator for the AFM Forum, in part I think because David Fisher couldn’t monitor it closely enough and things sometimes got out of hand. Do you get aggravated by the politics and occasionally strange behavior you encounter among others involved with the hobby? Do you have any problem keeping yourself separate from the battles that arise?

Mike: Wow, that’s a touchy question. I’ll answer it but expect vague generalities because I don’t care enough to argue with any of the paranoid people that repeatedly assume the worst with no valid reason.

Fisher is an artistic genius. The guy single-handedly lays out an entire magazine, his work ethic is inspiring to say the least. David and Terry Webb have managed to build the only figure magazine still in existence owned by the same people there from its inception. Therefore, the dedication to producing the highest-quality magazine possible keeps both of them from moderating the forum full time.

For the record, the AFM Forum was never intended to branch so far out into the hobby but as a place for readers to share tips and ask questions about things pertaining to AFM and kits in general. Where everyone connected to the forum was happy to see it take off without any heavy promotion, the unfortunate reality of the Internet is that select diabolical idiots troll all the forums online with trouble stirring on their minds.

Terry is too busy with the business side of AFM and David is always up to his ears with art duties, so I joined as a moderator in an effort to take up some of the slack.

As for the politics and strange behavior of some kit guys, it’s like any other business. Basically, —holes exist in all walks of life. These “bottom feeders” are annoying but they do serve a purpose, namely, they make all the good people look even better in comparison.

You’ll find that most people in the hobby that are artistically talented (sculptors, painters, mold makers and promoters) or have a TRUE love for the subject and the art form. Producers, dealers and writers are for the most part great people.

Every so often an egomaniac/ bitter human being/deranged lunatic decides to lash out against someone they perceive to be an enemy and arguments inevitably insue. I (like most) don’t have time for this and would rather be doing something constructive but at times it’s unavoidable.

The important thing to remember is that these weak little goons won’t last very long. Everyone has the ability to change for the better and ignore those that have nothing positive to offer.

Mole ManRtB: How long have you been writing for AFM?

Mike: My first article was for issue 28 (The “Denizens of the Deep” issue). I may have written some kit reviews prior to No. 28 but I’m not sure. It’s all a blur at this point!

RtB: What do you think was more important to Terry Webb and David Fisher when you got involved with the magazine, your ability as a model-builder or your talent as a writer?

Mike: I’d have to say that both factors played equal importance. AFM is an incredible publication to write for.

David and Terry are both genuinely nice guys and the magazine has always had an open-door policy. I had talked with Terry in the past and when we met in person and hit it off, he asked if I would be interested in writing for them.

The AFM staff are, for the most part, working professionals outside the hobby so the work we do with kits is fueled by a desire to take great sculptures and created finished works of art. I have always had the feeling that if any of our writers needed a hand with a project they could call a fellow staff member and find it.

Thanks for taking an interest in my work, Todd, it’s really been a pleasure talking with you.

Cliff Green’s T-rex

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

Originally published April 20, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Cliff Green

TYRANNOSAURUS “CENTENNIAL” REX
Produced by Cliff Green Studio of Price, Utah
Sculpted by Cliff Green, who also does his own painting
6 inches tall, 12 inches long. It’s 1/35 scale, representing a 38-foot-long dinosaur with a 5-foot-long skull
$50 for an unpainted kit (two parts, dino and base), $140 for a painted resin statue, $1,000 for a bronze statue

My interest in model kits was sparked somewhere around age 7; my interest in dinosaurs predates that by at least a couple of years. These two fascinations have risen and fallen with me over the years, but neither has ever faded completely away. So, when I found out recently about Cliff Green, a sculptor whose works include small dinosaur sculptures he sells as kits, working practically in the neighborhood, I had to get in touch to find out more.

Cliff loves prehistoric animals and for the last seven years has made a living as a professional sculptor specializing in prehistoric fauna. He recently worked on a full-sized Dilophosaurus wetherilli bronze monument for the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm and hopes to start a full-sized Brontotherium hatcheri bronze monument for Badlands National Park in South Dakota soon.

For “self-therapy”, Cliff also sculpts, casts and sells 1/35th scale prehistoric animals, including the T-rex pictured above. I was glad Cliff suggested focusing on this in my blog, because the T-rex has long been the dino that most fascinated me (probably because I thought he was the toughest). Cliff describes this sculpture as being rendered under the direction of some of the top Tyrannosaur experts of the 21st century, during the June 2005 “100 years of T-Rex Symposium” in Hill City, S.D. The anatomy, pose and skin are based on the experts’ critiques.

Cliff works out of the garage and front room at his home but hopes to buy a studio when the Brontotherium commission in South Dakota comes in, “hopefully very soon.” In the meantime, he says people are welcome to visit him at his address but need to call at least a day ahead of time “so I can hide the bodies.” If you’re interested, give him a ring at (435) 636-0887 or send him an e-mail at dinonaut@emerytelcom.net; I’ll leave it to him to share the actual address. He can also send you a price list if you contact him through e-mail.

For fellow garage-kit enthusiasts, it’s also worth mentioning that Cliff’s brother, John, ran John Green Models for 25 years. That operation closed up shop within the last couple of years and is remembered fondly by longtime hobbyists.

Cliff let me ask him a few questions through e-mail; I kept it light, partially in an effort to avoid exposing my ignorance on the subject of dinosaurs since the last book I read in-depth about the subject was heavily illustrated and written (for little kids) around the time Raquel Welch donned a fuzzy bikini for “One Million Years B.C.”

Me: Can you point to anything as inspiring your interest in prehistoric animals?

Cliff: I have been interested in animals, prehistoric and otherwise, for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of looking at my grandparents’ old encyclopedia, and marveling at the photos of Charles R. Knight’s Chicago Field Museum murals. My older brother and I would recreate the murals in clay and display them, sometimes for months.

Of course, I loved the old Aurora Prehistoric Scenes model kits. I was one of those kids that was absolutely obsessed with dinosaurs. Unlike most children, I never outgrew that passion.

Me: What sustains this interest for you now?

Cliff: Sculpting prehistoric animals for museums, parks, and occasionally the film industry is extremely rewarding to me. I am far from wealthy, but I have been able to support my family as a full-time professional sculptor for seven years now. There is nothing better than being your own boss and making a living doing something you love.

The downside is that sometimes the commissions dry up, or clients are slow to pay, or have financial boondoggles. It is always a feast-or-famine lifestyle.

Me: Which came first for you, an interest in dinosaurs or living in Utah?

Cliff: Definitely prehistoric animals are my primary interest. I am not originally from Utah. I was born and raised in Southern California, and most of my family still lives there.

I moved up to Utah in the early ’90s, looking for work, after I graduated from college in Phoenix. I met my wife 10 years ago in northern Utah, while working construction of all things. We have been married 10 years now, and moved here to Price five years ago.

Price has a lot of bang for the buck, when it comes to paleontology, affordable homes, and a less hectic lifestyle. Having grown up in giant overcrowded cities, this town is a nice change of pace. I don’t know if we are putting permanent roots down here, but Price works for us right now.

Me: Do you have a favorite dinosaur?

Cliff: Horned dinosaurs are my favorite dinosaurs as a group, but if I had to pick one favorite dinosaur specifically, it would have to be the Utah state fossil, Allosaurus fragilis. It is a really cool-looking carnivorous dinosaur.

Ultimate Soldier by Alterton

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

Originally published April 13, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Alterton\'s Ultimate Soldier

“THE ULTIMATE SOLDIER”
Produced by Mad Dog Resin
Sculpted by Alterton
1/6 scale, resin kit, comes in 10 unassembled, unpainted pieces
$135 plus shipping
Kit in pictures painted by Norm “Kitman” Piatt
Ultimate Soldier by AltertonIt’s amazing the people around the world a hobby can put you in contact with, thanks largely to the Internet. Before getting re-interested in model kits in late 2001, it would never have occurred to me that one day I would encounter Alterton, a former dentist who now works as a freelance sculptor. And if these facts alone don’t strike you as at least slightly off the beaten path, consider how Alterton describes his home to this geographically unsophisticated fellow:

“I am in a small city called Trelew in Chubut province, to the south in Argentina in a beautiful region called Patagonia. I was born here and turned back at the end of 2005 with my lady after 11 years living in Buenos Aires.”

This fellow from Argentina is a comic book fan, and he’s the creative force behind the sculpture of the red, white and blue hero in the pictures. A few weeks ago, I spoke with Norm Piatt of Paradoxx Resin and John Allred about an Alterton piece called “Aldrhiel The Forgotten One”; this week, I’m pleased to say Alterton fought past the flu and a bad Net connection to tell me a little more through e-mail about himself, “The Ultimate Soldier” and his work in general.

Me: How did a person from your part of the world get involved in sculpting a character who is so distinctly United States-oriented?

Alterton: Thing is, I have always loved fantasy-related stories. My grandfather and then my father were fans of an Argentinean editorial called Columba, with great fantasy characters and stories, those were the days Argentina had a great production of fantasy comics with magazines like Nippur de Lagash, El Tony, D’Artagnan, Scorpio, etc etc etc.

Ultimate Soldier by AltertonWe had great storytellers and 2D artists working for national publications and international comics, especially from Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Germany). As for the American comics; Mexican, Spanish and Argentinean editorials (VID, Abril, Novaro, etc) were reproducing Marvel and DC characters.

By the time I was a child and living at the a** of the world (yeah, Trelew is 932 miles south from Buenos Aires), it was really difficult to get those American publications, so I had to wait until summer holidays to go to Buenos Aires to spend Christmas with the rest of my family to get them. Then we had the “SuperFriends” TV show to watch and the ol’ Marvel cartoons. I was also a great fan of “Master of the Universe” toons and my parents got me all the toys.

When I started school, I also started to take drawing lessons and by my 17s I was studying with a great advertising guy. Nowadays don’t ask me to draw cause I am not able to do a smiley face!

Me: What sparked your interest in sculpting garage kits?

Alterton: It wasn’t garage kits; hey, I didn’t know there was a collectible business!!!!! I thought everything was death after the action figures!!! Everything changed when I moved to Buenos Aires at my 18s to start dentistry at the university. I was taking a walk and suddenly I found The Comic Club, a comic store, the first one I saw in my life.

Ultimate Soldier by AltertonI was amazed, everything comic-related in one place! And the first thing I saw was Bowen’s Hulk vs Thing bookend! Bum, I dropped dead!!! I loved it… I asked the salesman how much that beauty cost and he told me something like 300 bucks each one…he was out of his mind. So on my way home I thought, “How hard could it be to sculpt those pieces by myself?” (how naïve was I?), so I bought some regular clay and I started to sculpt. The Internet showed me the rest.

There was a whole world behind that statue, and there were a lot of them and there were people behind them, sculptors and they had names and styles, so I started to scroll the Net for all the info. I discovered a new world I didn’t know it was there.

After two years I stopped sculpting to finish my career until thanks to the Clubhouse back in 2000-2001 I met Norm “Kitman” and then Martin Canale, they were the ones who pushed me to go back and grab some epoxy to start again, and two years later Jayco was producing the “Iron Dictator,” I was amazed! People were buying a sculpt I did and they were assembling it and painting it and customizing it!!! It was a shock!!!!

The GK world is fantastic because of two things: first, it allows to wannabe sculptors to show their stuff, to practice, to create their own style until the big call; and second, it helps the pros to do what they can’t do with big companies, like their own versions of established characters or to release their own creations in small runs. Besides, it is beautiful to see how modelers give their personal touch to the sculpts!!!! It is an awesome underworld I will always love!

Me: What is your favorite of your own works so far, and what can fans of your work expect to see next?

Alterton: So far, my best piece is my first original design sculpture, the “Portal of the Gods,” don’t ask me why cause when I see it I see a lot of faults and imperfections, and I mean a lot, but that winged wolf is like all my dreams together captured in 3d form. How sick is that?

And what is next? Well, I am really excited about “The Forgotten Ones” series Paradoxx Resin is releasing. Norm is doing such a terrific job with it and it is really an honor to be able to work with one of the most important persons in my sculpting career.

Besides, seeing the paint job Allred is doing is killing me! I almost died when I saw “the Forgotten One” painted, those bastards never told me what they were doing, and believe me when I said it was a great surprise.

I never pictured the sculpt painted and when I first saw the pics, wow!!!!! I was speechless!!!!! It was really beautiful!! Can’t wait to see how the next pieces will look.

The next figures to be released will be “For Hire” and “Ahead We Must Go.” And we are talking to Norm to see what is next … so expect more news from us!!!!!

Gabe Perna’s visions of villains

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

First published April 6, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Question: Whose idea was it for you to sculpt your own visions of these comic villains?

Gabe Perna, sculptor: It was one of those things where I just kinda started one and saw that I was having some fun. I wanted to make a sculpt that was sort of “museum bust”-like, with the sides and back truncated, in a larger scale than some of the stuff I had been doing at that point. No sooner than I finished the first one, I had started the second. They were quick and a real blast to sculpt. I showed ’em to Randy of Killing Time Kits and that was that!

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If you’re looking to kill a little time by building a model, Killing Time Kits has three killers worth considering. They’re the unique visions of DC Comics villains by the sculptor Gabe Perna, dubbed “some of Gabe’s best work” by Randy at Killing Time, which is saying something.

Darkseid by Perna

“THE MONARCH”

Inspired by DARKSEID, ruler of the planet Apokolips

Painted by Dan Cope

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Bizarro by Perna

“ME AM #1”

Inspired by BIZARRO #1, an imperfect duplicate of Superman

Painted by Dan Cope

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Killer Croc by Perna

“CROCODILE JONES”

Inspired by Batman enemy KILLER CROC

Painted by Joe Dunaway

All three museum-style resin busts are about 10.5 inches tall, a little larger than 1/4 scale, and sell for $60 plus shipping. They all come in two parts and are unpainted.

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Gabe and Randy are two more guys I encountered through the Clubhouse Internet modeling community. Randy started out like me, a fan of garage kits (although he’s more talented), then he branched into kit production after a couple years or so. Gabe came along a bit later and quickly drew a lot of attention because of his striking style of sculpting. For some reason, both of these jokers struck me as guys a person could get along with, and I found out for sure that was true when I met them last year at WonderFest in Louisville, Ky.

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Here’s more of my e-mail Q&A with Gabe:

Me: What hours of the day do you sculpt, and do you have any kind of snack or drink on hand while you’re working?

Gabe: I keep the worst sort of hours (in a traditional sense). I generally stay up hammering the clay until about 5:30 am and rise again at about 10 am. I rationalize the long hours, because I’m mainly sitting on my duff for the better part of the day.

As for fuel – it’s all about coffee for me. I’m fairly certain that 75 percent of what’s running through my veins has also run through my coffee pot. Sometimes I’ll go nutty on Red Bull, too. It doesn’t really give me the pep it should, but I really like the taste of it. Odd, considering I hated it the first time I tried it…

Me: How do the people closest to you support your sculpting, assuming they do?

Gabe: One of the main reasons I do what I do is because my wife, Regina, pushed me into it. Honestly, she has more faith in me than I do – so I live under constant paranoia of letting my wife down. I couldn’t get by without her!

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This is a good place to mention that I also met Regina last year at WonderFest, and I’ve read some things she’s had to say about Gabe in some Internet forums. From what I can tell, Gabe is a long, long way from letting her down.

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Randy of Killing Time was also kind enough to answer a few questions through e-mail.

Me: You and Gabe have collaborated on a number of projects in the last couple of years. How did this collaboration/friendship begin?

Randy: Friendship first and foremost. We razz each other continuously but it’s in fun. Gabe and I started talking a few years ago on the Clubhouse because of a mutual interest in some old British sitcoms. It grew out of that and we found we had a lot in common. Once I decided to start making kits, he was the first person I asked about commissioning a piece. I was awestruck by his Lobo and I wanted to see a few other characters done in the same style.

Me: You got involved in producing garage kits fairly recently. What inspired you to take the leap from kit builder to kit producer?

Randy: There were characters I wanted to see but no one had done. There are a dozen Batman standing on a ledge kits; same with Superman, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk, etc. … I wanted to see some new faces. Doing a lesser-known character doesn’t always work out. Those five characters are done because they sell.

Me: I know you’ve got a lot of new stuff in the works as WonderFest approaches. Can you give me a preview of what’s coming?

Randy: Gabe and I are branching away from the comic book figures for a while and into horror kits. We’ve both got a dark side, an enjoyment of the the sick and grotesque, and neither of us will shy away from producing a figure just because it’s disturbing. Things like the old Fewture kits, that were disturbing yet so beautifully done you wanted it. Over the years Gabe has started a dozen pieces along these lines and abandoned them in favor of more mainstream work. We’ve decided to go ahead and do the nightmare.

However, since I deal with other sculptors, Killing Time will still release comic-related kits … and Gabe has not abandoned heroes, just taking a break to do other things.

My big summer release is a scene from when Bane broke Batman’s back (sculpted by Mike Baldwin). Several years ago I was asked what type of kits I’d like to see done. The characters are more than just an image or icon. They had history and what I thought would be really cool would be a kit that shows a defining moment in that character’s life. Bane breaking the Bat is one of those moments.

I hope to do more kits of defining moments, but I’ve learned not to plan too far ahead.

One of the first from Gabe’s horror line is a bust of a zombie, called “Patient #13”. The zombie is just gross. It’s large, about 1/3 scale, missing parts, and should be a blast to paint.

Bubba the Redneck Werewolf and John Diaz

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

Originally published March 30, 2006, at GJSentinel.com.

Doesn’t this look like a happy fella?

Bubba the Redneck Werewolf

Meet “Bubba the Redneck Werewolf”, a 1/6 scale resin kit from the wonderful folks at Resin Realities and Wolf’s Den. The kit’s sculptor is Mark VanTine and it comes unbuilt in four resin parts; the one in the pictures was painted by Saul Alvarez. Bubba – who is also the star of his own comic and soon a movie – will be available in kit form for only a limited time; the price is $65 unbuilt or $75 for an assembled “bronzed” edition, plus shipping.

Sculpting Bubba “was a fairly straightforward job, which I both designed and executed,” MVT told me in an e-mail. “When finished, I sent it to John to do his thing.

“I’ve been working with John for over 10 years now, and over the years we’ve both learned to trust each other enough to allow the other to do their job. That’s the best way to work, if you ask me.”

The “John” he’s referring to is John Diaz, president of Resin Realities, a person known and admired by garage-kit fans around the world. I’ve known John for a few years, mostly because we’re both members of the Clubhouse modeling community, and I’ve also done a few transactions with him. I finally got to meet him face to face in the dealer room last year at WonderFest in Louisville, Ky. It was amazing; I approached John’s table with a bit of trepidation, wondering if I should bother to introduce myself; before I could decide, and while I was still several steps away, he picked out the name in small type on the tag I was wearing, gave me a big smile and started a conversation. Being able to make people so comfortable, so quickly, is a rare gift.

Bubba the Redneck Werewolf

Here’s what John had to say about Bubba in particular and producing garage kits in general recently through e-mail:

Me – What can you tell me about the character Bubba the Redneck Werewolf? (I wasn’t even aware of the comic until last week or so.)

John – Bubba was a character created by a friend of mine, Mitch Hymen. The story goes that he was a dogcatcher who was bitten by a dog that had been infected due to cosmetic testing in a lab and escaped.

Bubba likes to drink beer, drive a 4×4, has a hot girlfriend named Bobby Joe and is extremely jealous of anyone around her. He is more of an antihero as he really only cares about himself and just ends up beating and eating guys who cross his path. He has a sick sense of humor and is a redneck through and through. A fun read should you get the chance.

The comic was released sporadically due to finances and was mostly in black and white and has a major cult following. The new issue being released will be in color under a new label. There will be a feature film done sometime this year and there’s a good chance I’ll cameo in a bit part.

Me – How did you get involved with producing garage kits, and how long have you been doing it?

John – I have been doing garage kits for about 14 years now. I was a collector first and once I discovered how unique and cool it was, I was hooked.

Bubba the Redneck WerewolfBack in 1992, the availability of certain merchandise – be it toys or models – was scarce or nonexistent for some characters and films. Resin garage model kits filled that need for the collector. It was like trading and selling to a few fans, and sometimes you’d make a buck and sometimes you’d be lucky to break even.

The bottom line was that you were getting these cool figures that were never going to be produced due to whatever reason or lack of interest or profit potential the larger companies had. Some of those companies were watching what we were doing, though, and we are directly responsible for the high quality of the toy and statue industry today. They basically watched us garage-kit producers and used us as product research. They knew they had the resources (money and license). So they hired the sculptors who started out doing garage kits (through which they honed and developed their talent) and began their own companies.

Look at any of the big-name toy- and statue-producing companies and I can name many of those sculptors who worked in the garage-kit industry first. So the bottom line is that we serve a real purpose here and enjoy what we do.

Me – You are a well-known person among garage-kit fans, and I think your involvement with GKs has taken you to places around the country. Can you share one or two favorite memories about life as a GK fan and producer?

John – Being a producer, you get to travel a bit doing the various shows. I have been to Florida, Virginia, Kentucky and New Jersey, to name a few. You also get to meet some very interesting people and celeberties at these shows.

One of my fondest memories was at a Chiller show in Jersey. I was to bring Tom Savini as a guest to the show to help promote a new kit. I had hired him to sculpt a Fluffy kit, an updated version of the crate monster from the movie “Creepshow.” It was a large 1/4 scale figure. Tom had explained to me no one had ever approached him to sculpt a garage kit before and he’d be thrilled to do it. He did his best and sculpted an updated version of the beast with less body hair, atop the crate in a menacing pose.

I was thrilled to be working with one of the guys who was not only a great person but a top special effects makeup guy in horror film history. He also co-starred and cameoed in several films, including “Knightriders”, the original “Dawn of the Dead” and “From Dusk Till Dawn,” to name a few. Here he was working for me and hanging out with me at a show. HOW COOL IS THAT?

Another great memory was a couple years ago back in Kentucky at the WonderFest show. The guest of honor was none other than movie special-effects legend Ray Harryhausen. This was big, as Ray rarely if ever did these shows. The lines to get his autograph were hours long and me wanting one but being stuck behind my dealer’s table, it was not going to happen.

Ray would take breaks and just walk around the dealers’ room, looking at the various kits. I was surprised to see him not only stare at my table but take the time out to begin a conversation with me. He was mesmerized by several of the kits I was displaying for sale. He had taken notice of the gypsy woman Wayne “the Dane” Hansen had sculpted and particularly the bust line I had of the Bride of Frankenstein series. We had the Bride and both doctors (Frankenstein and Pretorius) displayed; the monster wasn’t sculpted yet.

Ray asked if he could pick them up and look at them and said SURE. He loved the way they were presented and sculpted. He asked if I take checks; jokingly I said the answer would normally be “no,” but for him I’d make an exception. We both laughed and he said he’d be back.

He came back later with his wife to show her and she was equally surprised and showed great interest. He asked if it was the painted ones I was selling. No, I said, they were just for display and my personal pieces. He looked at me and asked if I would sell the painted ones and I said I didn’t think so. So he smiled and said he’d be back .

He was set up with John Ulakovic from Janus Co. and I had discussed with Mark VanTine (the sculptor) and my painter, Saul Alvarez, what I should do. Saul and MVT suggested that I give him the busts and Saul would paint another set for me as a replacement. I agreed, but I wanted an autograph (LOL), so we sent John of Janus the message that I would sell the busts to Ray, nothing else.

So John comes to the table with Ray and a crowd is following at this point in hopes of getting his autograph. So he says, “I’m here to buy these busts,” and he pulls out his checkbook and asks “How much will it cost?” I joke with him (“I hope you have a lot of money”) and we laugh. Saul and Mark are standing next to him as he picks up the kits again and is staring at them, reciting lines from the film and telling Mark how exquisitely he thinks these were sculpted. Mark is in heaven and I’m in awe that he comes to my table when there are over 200 hundred other kit dealers there and this legend in film history is like a little kid in a candy store drooling over the kits I had produced.

So he says how much and Saul tells him it will cost you a check for $1 plus sign some autographs. He gives us a surprised look, saying “What, all you want is a $1?” We respond its the least we can do for a legend such as you and thank him. He was genuinely touched and very appreciative of the gesture.

We then proceeded to have him sign some photos and had several taken with him. Now I didn’t have to worry about waiting in line, LOL.

So, in closing, although the financial reward is not always there in garage kits, the lifetime experiences and memories can never be taken away.

Koma’s Unbreakable David Dunn

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

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

“How many days of your life have you been sick?”

David Dunn (played by Bruce Willis) is a man sadly moving through a midlife crisis until he becomes the only person out of hundreds to survive a train derailment in director M. Night Shyamalan’s “Unbreakable.” Then he finds a note under his windshield wiper, asking the question above, and things get really interesting.

David Dunn, see, goes on to meet the man who wrote the note – Elijah Price, a.k.a. “Mr. Glass” (Samuel L. Jackson, wearing a hairstyle inspired by Frederick Douglass) – and eventually accepts he has the ability to be a superhero, of sorts, in a real world that isn’t as much fun as the pages of most comic books.

Unbreakable David Dunn

Unbreakable back

“Unbreakable David Dunn” is a new model kit produced by KOMA Designs and available from Amok Time. It’s a 1/5 scale resin kit, 14 inches tall, five parts, includes two hoods, and sculpted by … well, all I know is the sculptor is “a real fan of this movie who wishes to remain anonymous,” according to Paul, a producer of the kit. It’s limited to 20 to 30 castings, one of which my wife, Lisa, pre-ordered for me at Christmas. The kit comes unbuilt and unpainted; the one in the pictures was painted by Saul Alvarez.

A Mr. Glass kit is also in the works from Koma.

“Unbreakable” was an acquired taste for me. First time through I sort of liked it, thought some scenes were well done but overall it was so low-key I didn’t spend much time on the edge of my seat. The ending wasn’t as big a surprise as the one in Shyamalan’s previous film, “The Sixth Sense,” but I didn’t see it coming. When the movie ended, I flipped off the TV and pretty much said, “Eh.”

Then I couldn’t get it out of my head. I bought the DVD the next week and have viewed the movie five or six times since then. Last time, when I knew this kit would arrive in my mail before long, I paid particular attention to some scenes toward the end when David battles a murderous home invader, and I started plotting ways to make his slicker look wet and dripping, like he just got out of a pool and is ready to return to the battle.

Unbreakable side

Don’t know what I’m talking about? Rent the movie. Even if you hate it – which, honestly, seems to be about half the people who watch it – it’ll still be a better way to pass two hours than most of what the networks air these days. Plus, the DVD set’s second disc includes a documentary that’s fascinating viewing for longtime comic fans like me, featuring interviews with Denny O’Neil, Trina Robbins, Will Eisner, Alex Ross, Frank Miller, Dave Gibbons and more.

Paul was kind enough to answer a few questions through e-mail.

Me: You say you’re a fan of the movie “Unbreakable”. Did you like that movie the first time you saw it, or did you keep returning to it and feel it growing on you?

Paul: I was in the minority, I think. The movie took hold of me immediately. I remember most people in the theater walking out clicking their tongues saying “ahh it was no ‘Sixth Sense’…”

I had to wake my girlfriend up, I was ready to shout, “WHERE DID ANYONE SAY IT WAS ‘THE SIXTH SENSE’!”

I am a comic book fan or fanatic and thought: If there ever were real superheroes/villains, that is how they would behave, rationalize their existence and function in a “realistic” world.

Me: This is a two-parter: Did the ending of “Unbreakable” surprise you or had you figured out the twist? And what do you consider the all-time-best surprise ending to a movie?

Paul: The ending I did see coming, but still loved the payoff. Samuel Jackson revealing himelf as “Mr. Glass” in the end monologue, I could watch a million times.

All-time best twist endings? That’s a tough one, for me I’ve got a few favorites (no particular order): “Planet of the Apes”, “The Usual Suspects”, “The Sixth Sense”, “Psycho”, “Seven” and “SpongeBob SquarePants”, I never thought David Hasselhoff would save the day like that!

Me: Do you expect this kit to be a quick seller or is it simply a labor of love?

Paul: My friends have dubbed this kit “Unsellable”, another friend who does not like the movie called it “Unwatchable”. However, if I ever listened to anyone but myself I would be in a different business right now. Modeling as a whole is a labor of love, almost a lost art form. The feeling of accomplishment when you are done seeing your project through is the best reward. It is something that cannot be understood unless you are a part of it. Some projects you break even, some you may not. LOVE is what keeps this hobby going. Many companies/people do not understand it. Garage kits are about love, not money, and that, dear readers, is why the hobby will be around forever.