COUNTDOWN TO SMALLSPACE 6 SCI-FI SHOW

COMING THIS SUNDAY - the sixth and best mega show from the Hamex team.

Click here for full details of the unmissable event.

COUNTDOWN TO SMALLSPACE 4 SCIENCE FICTION FESTIVAL

SCI-FI FANS GET READY for the smallspace 4 sci-fi fest this coming Sunday July 12. It should be a great day for full-size and scale model fans alike. Star of the show will be the Whomobile, the futuristic ride of the famed TV Doctor.

HEAVEN ON EARTH FOR SCIENCE-FICTION FANS - SMALLSPACE 3 LANDS IN THE UK THIS COMING SUNDAY

SUNDAY JULY 13 MARKS the third one-day smallspace show, when Daleks, Cybermen, and many more deadly aliens descend on Hanslope village, UK. As well as full-size sci-fi mayhem, there will be plenty of scale models on display too. The result? An unmissable event. 

SALUTE TO RAY CUSICK, CREATOR OF THE DOCTOR WHO DALEKS

Raymond Cusick, the production designer behind Doctor Who’s Dalek enemies, has died aged 84. He worked on the BBC TV science-fiction series from 1963 to 1966.

INCOMING - HAMEX 4 MODEL EXPO DUE SUNDAY

SMN PREVIEW:
The sales tables are booked, club stands organized, hot sandwiches on order, models good to go... Yes, it’s HaMeX again, this time the fourth in the annual event series. For anyone living in reach of the Milton Keynes area in the UK, this is the model zone to head for this coming Sunday.

FROM POLITE ROBO-DOG TO SNARLING KILLER-CANINE - DOCTOR WHO K-9 UPGRADE

SMALLSPACE COUNTDOWN:

The smallspace “model show for all things space, science fiction and fantasy” will be held this Sunday, July 1, and among the sci-fi stars on display will be the original K-9 robot dog from Doctor Who.

KENTUCKY FRIED SCIENCE-FICTION - WONDERFEST HOBBY EXPO COMING ON MAY 26-27

SMN REPORT:

The WonderFest Hobby Expo is a weekend-long feast of science-fiction, horror, and fantasy modelling that’s held every summer in Louisville, Kentucky. This year, there’ll be a star-packed lineup of movie special effects guests, and a mega-size model contest for sci-fi, horror, and comics-related subjects. Model and toy dealers will be there, as will seminars to entertain and improve sci-fi hobbyists of all ages.

INCOMING DIARY DATE FOR UK MODEL FANS

Here's a reminder for UK model fans that HAMEX 2 - the second Hanslope Model Expo - is being held this coming Sunday November 28. Mat Irvine will be showing many of the Special Effects models from his days at the BBC, and doubtless the Doctor Who robot dog K-9 will be there on demo as well.

Food supplies in excellent hands
The bacon butties ran out last year, which was a bit of a shame, but unsurprising really as the bacon was really something special. This year the catering crew assures the HAMEX 2 team that extra supplies have been laid in especially for the show.

Kit swap
If you make the show, then it's a good idea to bring along some spare cash, as there will be kits aplenty on sale - and as those winter nights are with us (and Christmas is coming) what better time to lay in 'a little something' for the work bench?!

For details visit the HAMEX 2 site here.

THE HAMEX MODEL EXPO - H-DAY VIDEO RELEASE

The HAMEX (Hanslope Model Expo) went off OK, and for a first-time event it really seemed to do the stuff. Mat Irvine demonstrated Doctor Who’s K-9 robodog and showed groups of science fiction enthusiasts various props and models from BBC TV series that he has worked on, including Blake’s 7 and Moonbase 3.

We made the quickie video above with an iPod Nano, which gives pretty good results bearing in mind it’s little bigger than a stick of chewing gum. The tiny machine is particularly impressive for its closeup abilities - even in fairly dim lighting the pimple-sized lens can give sharp results when recording objects as close as 20-30 mm (1 in) away. Simply amazing, especially when paired with the iMovie video editing software that comes free with any Apple computer.

Take a look at iPods here.

THE HAMEX MODEL EXPO - H-MINUS 5 DAYS...

Here’s another trail for the HAMEX event we’re involved with this coming Sunday, November 29. If you’re in reach (there’s a map on the link below), it’ll be well a visit, so do come along and visit us if you can.

HAMEX (Hanslope Model Expo) is masterminded by Mat Irvine, who will be bringing along lots of his BBC Special Effects models and props, including the Doctor Who K-9 robodog, the Liberator spacecraft from the classic Blake’s 7 TV series, and a world-first: space models from the 1973 BBC science fiction series Moonbase 3.

Mat will be hosting two informal question-and-answer sessions, one at 1130, one at 1430 - and if you’re a dog-lover (or a robot fiend) then K-9 will be in rolling-robot demo mode!

HAMEX co-host Paul Fitzmaurice of Little Cars will be there too, with a galaxy of tasty tools and accessories for model makers.

David Jefferis (‘Mr J’) of Scale Model News will show a fascinating range of items from the SMN vaults, and with luck we’ll be showing some videos too.

Check out the Hanslope Model Expo here.

Check out Little Cars here.

Mat Irvine’s site is here.

THE HAMEX MODEL EXPO - H-MINUS 24 DAYS AND COUNTING...

Here’s a trail for a UK model event later this month. If you’re in reach (there’s a map at the link below), here’s the date for your diary: Sunday, November 29. It’ll be the first - of many we hope - model events that SMN will be co-sponsoring.

HAMEX (Hanslope Model Expo) is masterminded by Mat Irvine, who will be bringing along lots of his BBC Special Effects sci-fi stuff, including the Liberator spacecraft from the classic Blake’s 7 TV series (top pic above), the Doctor Who K-9 robodog (bottom) and much more besides.

HAMEX co-host Paul Fitzmaurice of Little Cars will be there, with a galaxy of tasty tools and accessories for model makers.

David Jefferis (‘Mr J’) of Scale Model News will present the Win-A-Prize competition, plus a fascinating gallery of items from the SMN model vaults, and with luck we’ll be projecting some videos too.

Check out the Hanslope Model Expo here.

Check out Little Cars here.

Mat Irvine’s site is here.

HAMEX - A ONE-DAY EVENT FOR UK MODEL FANS

If you’re in reach of the UK’s Milton Keynes area, here’s a date for your diary - Sunday, November 19, which will be when the first model event (of many we hope) that SMN is co-sponsoring opens its doors.

The Hanslope Model Expo (HAMEX for short) is being masterminded by Mat Irvine (pictured above) who will be bringing along lots of his BBC Special Effects stuff, including Doctor Who’s K-9 robodog, the Liberator spacecraft from the classic Blake’s 7 TV series, and much more besides.

HAMEX co-host Paul Fitzmaurice of Little Cars will be there, with all sorts of tasty tools and accessories for model makers.

David Jefferis (‘Mr J’) of Scale Model News will present the Win-A-Prize competition, plus a fascinating gallery of items from the SMN vaults.


Check out the Hanslope Model Expo here.

Check out Little Cars here.

Introducing Mat Irvine: a master of the model world

SMN is delighted to welcome Mat Irvine aboard the site. Mat is well regarded as the ‘Dean of TV Special Effects’ and has written many modelling books, including two that we’ve reviewed here in the last few weeks.

Mat is also known as ‘Keeper of the Dog’, said animal being K-9, Doctor Who’s famed robodog. Mat maintains K-9 in full working order, and demos the little mechanoid regularly, to devoted Who fans. Mat is touring in the USA at present, and will be sending over on-the-spot reports while he’s on the move.

The pic of Mat above btw was featured in a recent convention in London. To see what's happening in July this year, visit the London Film and Comic Con.