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OTHER AURORA MODELS

Aurora was the principal figure model kit manufacturer from the 1950s until the end of the '70s.

In that time they released dozens of kits, not all monsters.  This page is devoted to those other models, reissued as noted in the captions.

Alfred E. Neuman

Alfred E. Neuman

Alfred E. Neuman

This is the 2000 reissue by Revell of Aurora's classic Alfred E. Neuman model kit. If you're looking at this web site at all, you're probably familiar with MAD Magazine's idiot poster boy. So what's coming shouldn't be much of a surprise...

A. E. Neuman - Listen

A. E. Neuman - Listen

Here' a full shot of the model, which I estimate to be about 1/5 scale; the roughly 10" figure would be a little over four feet tall. The model displays just the sort of irreverent attitude that was displayed on pretty much every MAD Magazine cover.

A. E. Neuman - Down With...

A. E. Neuman - Down With...

Same model, different set of arms and interchangeable signs. The arms have pegs that line up with slots in the shoulders. This made swapping out the arms and placard quite easy. It was a slick and well-engineered idea.

A. E. Neuman - Down With...

A. E. Neuman - Down With...

I had to shoot Alfred from a couple angles to make clear just what he's doing. I'm pretty sure today's kids would be happy with the sign as is, though they could probably add to it...

A. E. Neuman - Love Thy...

A. E. Neuman - Love Thy...

Here's another message with a certain universal appeal.

A. E. Neuman - Love Thy...

A. E. Neuman - Love Thy...

Of course, we don't feel this way about ALL our neighbors. But there are always those few...

A. E. Neuman - Honesty...

A. E. Neuman - Honesty...

It may be, but those who follow this policy seem to be few and far between! I built this model straight out of the box, except for the resin nameplate from Posthumous Productions and hollowing out Alfred's missing tooth.

A. E. Neuman - Box

A. E. Neuman - Box

How to store all them furshlugginer sets of arms and signs? My answer was to take a cigar box and decoupage copies of the box art on the outside and the instructions on the inside. Then I cout several layers of foam core board to provide recesses for each set of arms, with an area for the placards as well. So simple, Alfred himself could have thought of it. Potrzebie!

The Green Hornet and Kato
(Dick Tracy)

James Bond 007 and Oddjob

...And He Never Misses.

...And He Never Misses.

I posed the James Bond 007 and Oddjob figures on a single base as a vignette. The idea came from a similar pairing of two military models I saw at the 2001 IPMS Nationals. These are the 1999 reissues by Polar Lights/Playing Mantis.

Oddjob

Oddjob

The hat that came with the kit looked nothing like the bowler worn by Oddjob in GOLDFINGER (1964). I scratchbuilt a new hat and repositioned the hand holding it for a better throwing grip. In the film, the hat had a steel lining in the brim that made it a deadly weapon.

Oddjob_Close Up

Oddjob_Close Up

Although the Aurora figure didn't look too much like Harold Sakata, the actor who played Oddjob, it was still a menacing character. I drybrushed his hair over the lighter scalp color for a buzzed hair cut look.

Front View

Front View

Showing Bond's predicament. But the title of the piece is ambiguous - just WHO "never misses"...?

Bond_Full

Bond_Full

Both models were built pretty much out of the box. However, I did drill out the trigger guard and the end of Bond's pistol.

Bond_Close Up

Bond_Close Up

I think the Aurora kit captures Sean Connery's features very well. By referring to photos of him in GOLDFINGER, I was able to enhance the resemblance using artists oil paints. That characteristic lock of hair was made with Elmer's white glue.

The Incredible Hulk

The Hulk_Front

The Hulk_Front

In 2003, Polar Lights reissued the Aurora model of Marvel Comic's The Incredible Hulk. The original kit was issued in 1/12 scale, so the large diorama parts would fit in the standard Aurora box. This made the Hulk much smaller than the company's other 1/8 scale figures

The Hulk_Angle

The Hulk_Angle

Since the original Hulk molds were long lost, Polar Lights was forced to do what it had done with other Aurora models: reproduce the molds from existing examples of unbuilt kits. Laser scanning and CAD programs made this possible, but Aurora took the Hulk one step farther and produced the kit in 1/8 scale. That made it much larger and, I feel, a much more satisfying kit.

The Hulk_Close Up

The Hulk_Close Up

In MONSTER MODEL REVIEW #38, Rob Mattison described the Hulk's face as looking rather "goofy". I thought so, too, so I changed it. I squared off the page boy bangs and the raised eyebrows by carefully trimming them with a curved #10 hobby knife. Hairless eyebrows were added and I strengthened the Hulk's chin with Aves Apoxie Sculpt.

The Hulk_Left

The Hulk_Left

Some parts of the diorama base didn't make much sense, like the "electronic flash" piece. I used that part to add a little zip to the nameplate, along with some scale debris to accompany the bent girder. The bricks were culled from an Aurora Superman reissue.

The Hulk_Right

The Hulk_Right

Like Mr. Mattison's build of the 1/12 scale Hulk, I consigned the smoke puffs parts to my spare parts bin. I burnt some wooden kitchen matches and added the pieces to the base. Then I airbrushed some cotton with dark gray to represent smoke and applied it to the wood parts. Cotton isn't the best solution, but it looks more like smoke than the kit parts.

The Hulk_Back

The Hulk_Back

The Hulk's pants were molded with a really out-of-scale texture, like corduroy on steroids. I filled in the texture with Squadron Green putty and added the (undersize) back pockets with Aves. I dirtied the Hulk up with ground up artist's chalks and some fine sand to match the base colors. A vicious touch was the addition of a sign, cut from the kit box, to let us know just whose building the Hulk has demolished...

The Munsters

The Robot from Lost in Space

The Robot from Lost in Space

The Robot from Lost in Space

I built this model, a Polar Lights/Playing Mantis reissue from 1998, straight out of the box. The paint scheme represents the Robot as it appeared on set during the TV series' first season, which was filmed in black and white. The base was painted to match the box art.

LiS Robot Full Left, High Angle

LiS Robot Full Left, High Angle

I tried to paint the lights on the Robots front panels to look lit. Color stills from the first season of LOST IN SPACE weren't very helpful, as the suits' power was rarely turned on during the photo sessions. So I sometimes had to guess what color to paint the lights.

LiS Robot Full Front

LiS Robot Full Front

Look carefully in these high-angle shots and you'll see the signature of Bob May on the base. It was Mr. May who performed within the Robot suit for the run of the series. He signed the base at the 2003 Frightvision Convention, and the model appeared in the KITBUILDERS magazine number 35 coverage of the show.

LiS Robot Full Right

LiS Robot Full Right

The seams between the front and back upper body halves were difficult to conceal. The upper body is a smooth and featureless cylinder - and the silver paint highlights every flaw. In some light, a "ghost" of the seam still appears. >:-(

LiS Robot Full Left, Low Angle

LiS Robot Full Left, Low Angle

Smoothing the seams of the corrugated arm halves isn't really very hard. It does require a triangle hobby file, lots of fine grit sandpaper, and plenty of patience, though.

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