TWO MODEL KIT NAMES HOLD HANDS: MOEBIUS JOINS PEGASUS

KIT-MAKER MOEBIUS MODELS has linked with Pegasus Hobbies, another company that releases many science fiction and fantasy subjects.

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - DISCOVER THE DISCOVERY FROM MOEBIUS MODELS

Mat Irvine: This is a 1:144 scale kit that many modellers reckoned would never be made.

PROTEUS SUBMARINE DIVES IN FROM FANTASTIC VOYAGE

CERTAIN SUBJECTS just cry out to be made as model kits, and sometimes you wonder why it takes so long. This is certainly the case with the Proteus, submarine star of the 1966 science-fiction movie Fantastic Voyage.

MOEBIUS BRINGS ON ITS BIGGEST BATMOBILE YET

MORE MODEL MANIA FOR BATMAN FANS has arrived with the Moebius Models 1:25 scale Batmobile, as featured in the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

INCOMING 1:25 SCALE WHEELS - RETRO AMERICANA AND NEW BATMOBILE FROM MOEBIUS

TOLEDO COLLECTORS TOY FAIR CAR KITS on display included some mouthwatering new releases from Moebius Models.

MARVELS FROM MOEBIUS - SNEAK PEEK AT 2014-2015 KITS TO COME

Here’s a look at what Moebius Models is planning for the coming 12 months, as seen at this year’s iHobby Expo at the Schaumberg Conference Center, near Chicago.

iHOBBY EXPO 2013: MAT IRVINE PREVIEWS NEW MOEBIUS MODELS

Moebius Models performed a neat trick for 2013. The company was present at iHobby Expo in Chicago, while simultaneously mounting a display some 400km (250 miles) away, at the Toledo Collectors Toy Fair, Sylvania, Ohio.

MOEBIUS MODELS BATPOD COMING SOON

Another Batman kit is on the way, says David Jefferis:

Due for release from Moebius Models in October is this 1:25 scale sci-fi motorcycle. It’s the Batpod, a Hollywood prop that first appeared in director Christopher Nolan’s 2008 movie The Dark Knight. 

MOEBIUS MODELS BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - HUGE SPACECRAFT, TINY SCALE

Size is Important, says Mat Irvine:

There is a big problem when you try to make a small model of an immense object, and it is literally one of scale. With most models, it’s an easy subconscious trick to work out scale by comparing bits and pieces on the model to their real-life counterparts.

THE WONDER OF WONDER WOMAN - A SUPERHEROINE KIT FROM MOEBIUS MODELS

A Mat Irvine review

Although Wonder Woman is most likely best known from the 1970s TV series starring Lynda Carter, the character existed long before that. In fact, the original Aurora kit of 1965 was based on the comic books that first featured the character in the 1940s. Along with Wonder Woman, Aurora issued others in the same vein, such as Superman, Superboy, Spider-Man, Batman, Robin, and The Penguin. However, amongst all those boys (and a bird), Wonder Woman never seemed to have quite the appeal - must be all that testosterone (and fish) - and the Wonder Woman kit was only available for a couple of years.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? THE NEW FRANKENSTEIN FROM MOEBIUS

A Mat Irvine review

You had the same situation with the classic Aurora monster kits - all had their own names: Dracula, Wolfman, The Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon... except Frankenstein, for it was of course a monster of his own creation, not Dr Frankenstein himself. But over the years the two have ended up as virtually interchangeable names. 

Moebius breeds a new monster in the cellar

Although the original Aurora kit has reigned supreme for nearly half a century, there’s now a new kid on the block, or in this case, monster in the cellar: the new kit of Frankenstein’s Monster from Moebius Models. Some Moebius kits have simply been recreations of Aurora kits, but this kit is brand new. However, it is made in a similar style to those of Aurora, to the same 1:8  scale, and posed in some appropriate scenic setting, but in a completely different location. Also, and although Aurora modelled the actor most associated with the creature - Boris Karloff - pretty closely, this monster bears an uncanny resemblance. It recreates the scene where the creature opens the door to the basement, and in fact the box-art is a still of the same scene from the movie.

Building the Moebius kit

Besides the figure you get a sizable chunk of floor, walls, and cellar door. The overall construction, as is the case with most of this style of kit, is not difficult as the scenery comes in very large chunks of plastic. In fact there are just 32 components in all. Maybe a bit of filler is required on a few of the seams, but in a model like this, these are easy to conceal in folds of the clothing. 

SUPERHEROES REIGN IN WOODSTOCK MUSEUM

David Jefferis reports
That’s not the hippie Woodstock, but the handsome town in folksy Olde Englande, on the edge of the beautiful Cotswold Hills. Here the local Oxfordshire Museum has regular displays on all manner of subjects, and at the moment it’s a Superhero show, based on the private collection of Kevin Losonczi.

Robots and Aliens
Kevin has been an avid fan of the Superhero genre since he was a teen, and now has 1000-plus items including many one-offs and rare pieces, including massive 1:1 scale Terminator, Predator and Robocop figures. The pull is a link to Kevin’s childhood in which his dreams were packed with magic that included having the extra powers of Superheroes.

For model fans, science-fiction and Superheroes are well catered for, though it’s fair to say while the choice in ready-made figures and equipment is huge (just cruise the aisles of Toys ‘R’ Us to see what I mean) the number of model kits is not quite so expansive. Still, let’s not complain, as Moebius Models covers a wide range these days - and there isn’t a dud among them.

Moebius Iron Man
Among the newer kits is Iron Man (reviewed by Mat Irvine not long ago) and Iron Man 2 in various versions, and modelled from digital files used for the movie. It’s fair to say that on scale models, chrome usually looks rather gaudy, and some dulling down usually helps in the realism department - and it’s true here, though don’t let that put you off these great little kits. 

Visit Kevin’s collection here.

Visit Moebius Models here.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1  Iron Man bust.
2  1:4 scale Incredible Hulk.
3  Spider Woman
4  Spiderman and Batman.
5-6  Moebius Iron Man kits.

AURORA LIVES - IN ‘LIVING DEAD’ PLASTIC MONSTER FORM ANYWAY

Mat Irvine reports
If there was one thing that the original Aurora Plastic Company of Hempstead, Long Island, was famous for, it was monster figures. Other companies may have done figure kits, some may have had similar subjects, but it was Aurora that became synonymous with these creatures of the night.

Monsters DVD
The original Aurora company is long gone - as dead as most of its monsters - and as long ago as 1976, most of the tooling that survived was acquired by Monogram. But Aurora certainly hasn’t been forgotten. And to this end, enthusiasts Dennis Vincent and Cortlandt Hull bring you ‘The Aurora Monsters’ - the DVD. With extras, this provides two hours of stories and interviews with people associated with creating the Aurora monster legend, all hosted by Zacherley the Cool Ghoul, with Gorgo the Gargoyle.

What's on the disc?
To UK TV viewers, Zacherley’s name will almost certainly be unfamiliar, but in the US, particularly in earlier years, his was the face that introduced all those old Universal movies that are now found on TV, and in many ways more famous than the movies themselves. The Zacherley-Gorgo duo introduces the main DVD, then - by Gorgo supposedly finding and running some old film stock - this leads into the interviews. These include my old friend Andy Yanchus in New York, who was Project Developer for Aurora, and worked on, if not the original figure series, certainly the later Monster Scenes. On the DVD, Andy regales you with stories of how Aurora got into terrible trouble with parental groups, who assumed all this monster mayhem was injuring their little darlings. Mind you, ask the kids, and it was the opposite view - they loved it all!

Box artist
Also present on the DVD is one of the most famous box-art illustrators ever, James Bama, who did all the monster boxes for Aurora, some again for reissues. Then there is Ray Meyers, who was one of the original sculptors for the company and managed to get incredible likenesses of actors who portrayed the movie monsters.

The interjections of Zacherley and Gorgo is a bit of an acquired taste, Gorgo coming across at times like the Muppet Kermit the Frog on speed, but the spooky setting looks effective, considering it must have been done on an incredible tight budget . 

Taking over the Aurora mantle
Aurora may have gone, but new companies have taken over much of the catalogue. Some are ‘garage’ outfits (ie specialist) Sideshow Collectibles, while others use traditional injection-plastic techniques. They lease old tooling from Revell-Monogram, retro-engineer original kits, cut new tooling from original parts, or create brand-new kits ‘in the Aurora style’. Two of these companies, Polar Lights and Moebius Models are mentioned on the DVD (the other is Monarch Models), with the Moebius CEO Frank Winspur interviewed.

The YouTube clip above is from the DVD; thanks to Andy Yanchus for the review disc.

Visit the DVD website here.

Visit Moebius Models here.

Visit Sideshow Collectibles here.

Have a look at a range of monster and fantasy stuff here.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1  DVD cover, featuring six of Aurora’s most famous monsters: Phantom of the Opera, Wolfman, Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon.
2-3  DVD frame grab and publicity still of Zacherley and Gorgo. Note the Aurora Frankenstein box.
4  Illustrator James Bama.
5  Sculptor Ray Meyers.
6  Frank Winspur (left) and David Metzner of Moebius Models.

MOONBUS KIT FROM THE CLASSIC MOVIE 2001 REISSUED BY MOEBIUS MODELS

Mat Irvine reports
The Moonbus from 2001: A Space Odyssey was first issued as a kit by Aurora in 1968, along with Aurora’s take on the Orion spaceplane from the same movie. The Orion was reissued in 1975, but the Moonbus never reappeared and prices for the kit have tended to go through the roof on certain on-line auction sites.

Retro-engineered Moonbus
Moebius Models - one of those new model companies often dubbed the ‘New Aurora’ - has been contemplating the Moonbus for a couple of years, and now it is available online and in stores. The approximately 1:55 scale spacecraft is a retro-engineered kit - one that is copied from an existing original, with subtle changes made to improve assembly.

Useful improvements
Changes include the addition of locating pins and the like, which are hidden once assembled. But there have also been improvements to visible parts. The cockpit windows on the Aurora kit were single-layer transparencies, with an inner window canopy missing. Moebius have rectified this error. Also, the side passenger windows have been corrected and are now individual window panes, instead of one long strip on each side. The kit includes nine decently sculpted figures, so the craft can be fully occupied if you wish.

More 2001 spacecraft in the wings?
If the Moebius Moonbus is successful - and the way the kits are selling, it seems more than likely - there may be more spacecraft from this most famous science fiction movie coming soon. Apart from the Orion, none have been made in conventional injection-moulded kit form.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1 The original Aurora box.
2 The Moebius Models reissue - the only real difference is that movie references are absent.
3 Aurora components (left) came in grey and light green, the new kit is in white.
4, 5 My Aurora kit-build shows the removeable roof and interior.
6, 7, 8 Views of the Moebius kit, which looks extremely convincing when completed.

Sample kit supplied by Moebius Models. You can visit the site here.

The Moonbus is also available here.

A recommended reference book to the movie is Piers Bizony’s Filming the Future published by Aurum Press. It is available here, though the last reprint was in 2000, and used copies are not cheap.

FEELING BLUE? THEN NOSFERATU IS THE VAMPIRE FOR YOU!

Mat Irvine reports
I was watching The Simpsons recently, and it reminded me that there was a kit I’d acquired some time ago, but had yet to build.

It was a figure in the style of the old Aurora kits, of a subject that Aurora perhaps should have done, the original vampire movie of 1922, named Nosferatu for copyright reasons. Later versions of Count Dracula by Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee set the benchmark for what a self-respecting vampire should look like (it was good enough for Grandpa Munster, after all), but the German actor Max Shreck’s portrayal of Nosferatu was far more frightening, even though - or maybe because - the movie was black-and-white and the vampire was seen mostly only in shadow.

The Canadian model company Monarch Models, run by Scott McKillop, is one of the companies often cited as the ‘new Aurora’, along with Polar Lights and Moebius Models. Monarch’s Nosferatu has been nicely produced in the style of the original Aurora company, even down to the vertical blue box. The only real change is that the instruction sheet is in full colour, whereas Aurora’s would have been black and white.

The features of the model match Max Schreck as Count Orlok, aka Nosferatu the vampire. He is shown descending the steps to his cellar, with added features (again typical of Aurora) that include a spider, centipede, human bones and a couple of rats. There’s also a version that includes luminous parts, which is just as well, as the standard version has a 'Sold Out' sign.

Oh, and The Simpsons reference? Mr Burns of course. Apart from having an uncanny likeness to the undead, he actually took on the role in Treehouse of Horror IV, which briefly featured a scene with a passing nod to Nosferatu.

The pictures show (top to bottom):
1 Monarch kit box.
2 Box and parts.
3 Nosferatu assembled on base, blue skin and all.
4 Colorized frame from the 1922 movie. btw German director Werner Herzog made an excellent 1979 remake, which is well worth a look if you’re into the genre.

Visit Monarch Models here. You may have to reload the page, as it seems to be a bit iffy at the moment.

DVDs of the movies are available on Amazon here.

IRON MAN'S ATTRACTIVE INSTRUCTIONS

Just thought we'd mention the neatly produced instruction sheet for the Moebius Iron Man model, pictured above. It's clean, clear, and heaps better than some of the opposition's offerings.

Note that the parts are pictured in a cream shade. The actual kit has ruby red parts, so the ones used for the instructions could have been early early test shots, before the final injection shade was decided.

IRON MAN - BUILDING THE MOEBIUS MODEL

A MAT IRVINE REVIEW
The movie Iron Man turned out much better that I was expecting. Frankly, having gone off a lot of superhero movies because, well, those superheroes can seemingly get away with anything, Iron Man initially seemed to be of the same genre, but of course it isn’t. Tony Stark is an ordinary man (OK, a very rich ‘ordinary man’) who builds a power suit to help him defeat the bad guys, but it does not empower him with ‘superpowers’ as such - we are not talking the missing sibling of the Fantastic Four here. The screenplay was much assisted by Robert Downey Jr in the role, and the humorous elements mean that he doesn’t get it right all the time.

Iron Man never had the honour of being represented in plastic by the originator of the ‘super figures’ kit, Aurora. Instead, it’s been one of the companies that has taken on the mantle of ‘new Aurora’, Moebius Models. MM has reproduced the Iron Man figure in 1:8 scale (part of the instruction sheet is shown, top picture above) and made it in a style that is certainly reminiscent of what Aurora might have done. (And there is a long list of what Aurora could - or should - have done.)

The kit is moulded in the rich rub red of the Iron Man suit, so you could get away with just painting the gold section of the armour. However, for a more authentic finish, paint the whole figure gold. Wait until it’s thoroughly dry, mask off the areas that will remain gold, then spray on a transparent red. This will then match the original finish very closely. Finally add painting details to the base.

There’s one other kit you could add to this display. Although not specifically made as an Iron Man movie model, the recent Revell 1:24 scale kit of the Audi R8 could be added, as it is one of the cars featured in the movie. (Audi seems keen on such product placements). Finish the car in silver and metallic black - oddly it does not appear in the movie in matching Iron Man colours - then add California ‘STARK 4’ licence plates.

Incidentally, Robert Downey Jr (playing Tony Stark) had a cameo role in the most recent 2008 The Incredible Hulk movie; Iron Man 2 is in the works, for first screening on April 30, 2010.

Visit Moebius Models here.

And for absolutely everything you ever wanted to know about Audi R8s in movies and TV - and a lot more besides - visit the Internet Cars Movie Database here.

LUNAR MODULES - APOLLO REALITY AND TV FANTASY

Forty years ago today, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon, while Michael Collins orbited high above in the Apollo Command Module. The Lunar Module (LM) was a fragile aluminium-skinned bug-like contraption that was a true spacecraft, designed for operation in a vacuum with none of the smooth streamlined shape necessary for flying in a planetary atmosphere.

There are various models available for the LM, including Revell’s excellent 78-part 1:48 scale LM and diorama that we’ve shown here before. But there’s also another landing module available, a design that echoes the flavour of the real thing, even down to its insectoid triangular windows, and that’s the Space Pod from the third and last series of the 1960s TV show Lost in Space.

The Space Pod (top picture) comes in big 1:24 scale from Moebius Models, a company that also makes the Lost in Space Chariot ground vehicle to the same scale (bottom). The Moebius Space Pod features an opening hatch, so the possibilities for a diorama open up for spacesuited figures stepping out onto a cratered landscape under the landing pads - or, since it’s a science fiction subject, you could add some colour and even exotic alien lifeforms to add some visual spice.

You can visit the Space Pod at Moebius Models, here.

IRON MAN KITS FROM MOEBIUS MODELS

There are quite a few collectibles around for Iron Man, of Marvel comic and recent movie renown, but kits are not so common. However, Moebius Models has a nice pair of Iron Man figures to build.

The first Iron Man kit (top picture) is available now and stands some 230 mm (9 in) tall, on a rather tasty steampunk-style cogs-n-bits circular base. The Iron Man Mk II has a plated finish, and includes decals for the rivets. According to Moebius Models, the moulds for the kit are, “...engineered and cut directly from digital animation data used to make the Iron Man movie”, which sounds good to me.

If you haven’t seen it already, the movie is well worth seeing. I viewed it again recently on DVD and it’s a tightly-edited production, deserving of the near-$100 million USD taken on its premier box office weekend. The drop-dead gorgeous suit itself sums up many of my wish-fulfillment fantasies; ho hum, what a shame it’s not for real. Scriptwise, I reckon the movie (starring Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges) is somewhat deeper than the bangs ’n’ bullets trailer (above) indicates - or maybe that’s just me.

You can buy the DVD from Amazon here, view the Moebius kit at the Forbidden Planet store here, or directly at Moebius Models here.