FAREWELL TO SPECIAL-EFFECTS MODEL MAKER BILL PEARSON

WE ARE VERY sad to learn of the death of professional model maker Bill Pearson.

INCOMING MONSTERFEST: ALIEN CREATURE KIT TO 1:8 SCALE FROM MPC

Mat Irvine: Here’s a blast from the past with a reissue of the first Alien kit ever issued, a 1:8 scale science-fiction monster from MPC, now produced by Round 2 LLC.

CALLING ON ALIENS? 1:48 SCALE VOYAGER SPACEPROBE FROM HASEGAWA

Mat Irvine: It’s perhaps a slightly odd decision for Hasegawa to model a spaceprobe that is more than 35 years old… but let us be pleased the company did, as it is a very interesting kit for any space enthusiast.

SPRING FAIR 2012 - TREASURE CHEST FOR COLLECTIBLES

Spring Fair report from David Jefferis:

Another trade show that’s running this week is the UK’s Spring Fair, held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham. While not quite as massive as the Nuremberg Toy Fair, Spring Fair is still a major footslogger that attracts more than 70,000 visitors. It’s a mega-roundup of 300,000 offered products, ranging from goodies like coffeemakers and cooking gadgets, to art prints and jewellery. And neatly stirred into the mix are halls dedicated to toys and games, aka collectibles, hobbies, and models.

2012 SCI-FI ART - ALIENS vs PREDATORS CHESS SET

SMN report:

There’s no doubt that big movie franchises really get people’s interest in a major way. Alien and Predator represent two of the biggest in the science-fiction genre, so it’s interesting to see an individual miniature concept that is not destined for the mass-market toy, kit, or collectible markets.