Kit of the Day: Bachmann's Fisher Boy

Bachmann, who brought us the Birds of the World, Animals of the World, and Dogs of the World kits also made three dioramas entitled Bachmann's Americana. They apparently didn't sell well because they were discontinued after three models: Fisher Boy, Home Plate, and Bowling Alley. I'm not sure of the scale but the boy stands about 4 1/2 inches tall without his hat. I painted this one mostly by the instructions, but I substituted my own paints for the ones supplied in the kit, which were old and rather worn out. My main departure was the fish, which they wanted gray and silver. I tried to make it look more like a largemouth bass. There's a guy selling the Bowling Alley kit on eBay for $80.00. It's missing the entire front half of the man in the scene. I got this, complete, for half that, although the boy was glued together and his hair was already painted. The middle photo shows the fish, and the bottom picture shows a little bunny peeking out at the base of the stump. There are other nice touches, like the slingshot and can of worms. All in all, a great little scene.

 

 

 

Kit of the Day: Wire Hair Terrier

Since not one single solitary human being on Planet Earth saw fit to comment on my Pteranodon, I thought perhaps a cute little doggie might bring some kind of response.


Reply, dammit!

Kit of the Day: Pteranodon

I found this at a Goodwill store for a mere $4.00 and decided to move it to the top of my to-be-built pile (actually, a tbb room with many piles of kits therein). It stands 15 inches tall and I had to epoxy a couple of peach-sized rocks into the back of the cliff to prevent it from flopping over on its face. The baby pteranodon is supposed to be twins, but half of the face of one was missing so I carved out the other half and rescribed the wing in hopes of making it look natural. The sea is a piece of velvet paper I balled up, flattened, and painted with acrylic to make whitecaps. As for the guano, I'm just guessing that pteranodon droppings are that color. Thank you very much.

 

 

Drakkar Oseberg

A recent completion is this Viking ship in 1/180 scale from Smer. Drakkar means dragon, but it doesn't have the typical dragon's head on the prow. The finished model is about 5 inches long. The fit of the parts was very good and I a swell time building it. Some day I will do the larger Viking ship I have in my TBB (to be built) room.

Kit of the Day: Collie

Here's a collie I call Champion Denton's Laddie Good Boy. He's another plastic model kit from Bachmann that was issued in the early 1960s. The paints that come with these kits are hard little buttons that are supposed to melt when mixed with Bachmann's thinner--a tolulene solution. The colors that came with this kit weren't for this pooch so I used oils and mixed the shades as best I could.

Kit of the Day--Standard Poodle

 

In the early 1960s, Bachmann manufactured model kits of animals and birds that were well-made, attractive, and simple to assemble and paint. Plus, everything needed to complete these kits came in the box: paints, brush, thinner/glue, dog, and stand. I recently got this poodle, along with a collie, on eBay and completed it last night (really, just a few hours ago, but it's after midnight). The instructions call for him to be either all black, white, brown, or silver, which made painting pretty simple. I opted to use black, then mixed a very dark gray to paint the shaved areas on his waist, legs, face, and tail. Finally, I used silver to dry brush highlights on the fur. I'm reasonably satisfied with the result.

 

Kit of the Day

Sassy the Kitten

In an effort to get more young girls to build models, Revell created four kits of cute, cuddly animals. They were marketed between 1957 and 1962, but the little ladies preferred Tiny Tears or Barbie and the idea flopped. Along with Sassy the Kitten were Perri the Squirrel, Teddy the Koala Bear, and Friskie the Beagle Puppy. Price guide values for these kits today range from $75-100, but I've seen a Perri on eBay for less than that for over a year with no takers.

Kit of the Day

 

   Wooo! Scary, kids, right? Or it would be except for one thing...

...IT HAS NO BODY! Who in the name of Nimitz thought that a shark head would make a good model kit? Even the lobster and long horn bug had bodies. Or thoraxes, or whatever they have. It's a shame, too, because the head is very nicely done and if it had the rest of the fish it might have made a good display. But they went ahead and did this without consulting me first, so this is the best they could come up with.

     I don't think we're going to need a bigger boat.

Kit of the Day

Want to make a movie or diorama about a giant bug invading Tokyo? How about this kit of an eight-inch Long Horn Beetle. As you can see by the box, It Walks! That's because it comes with a tiny motor that propels it along. The maker is Bandai, a Japanese firm that also makes regular model kits.

The Alamo Falls

On this day in 1836 the Alamo fell to the forces of Mexican dictator General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. The Cap'n salutes the brave defenders of the Alamo.

Milestones

What a week so far. It's Linda's birthday today and last night her mother died. Plus, our sewer is clogged.

Corinne Johnson Wise, nee Krona, was 95. For her final 15 days she ingested neither food nor liquids. One tough old bird. She was married to Russell Johnson (no, not the Professor from Gilligan's Island) for around 60 years, and after he died married Fred Wise. Fred passed away about seven years ago.

Happy Birthday, Ma

My mother turned 90 today. I'm happy to report she's doing very well and living on her own in a seniors' apartment complex.

If I would credit anything to her longevity it's housework. She has always been phobic about keeping the home tidy and spotless. I remember visiting her about ten years ago and staying in the guest room. I got up one morning to go to the can and when I got out a few minutes later the bed was made.

She is also deathly afraid of rodents.

Playing Catchup

     I was having trouble with my blog during January, it wouldn't allow me to browse for photos. Today I tried again and it worked. I love capricious computers.

     So let me mention a few items that went unheralded since I stopped blogging.

Jan 16--my father's birthday. Alas, he died in 1977, age 59, of emphysema. Thanks, Chesterfields.
Jan 17--I got out of the Army.
Feb 1--Molly, my German shepherd, turned two. That's her in the photo with her frisbee.


     I spent about a week in the middle of January with a cold. I still have a cough but feel fine.

     I really didn't expect this blog to work properly so I have nothing else prepared.

     The Superbowl ended a few hours ago and while I wasn't surprised by the outcome I have to say it wasn't what I'd hoped for. There weren't too many boneheaded calls by the officials but a couple of them hurt the Niners and may have affected the outcome of the game.


     And so it goes.

Happy Birthday, Toby and Tiny

The Chihuahua brothers are ten years old today. No photos since Blogger once again decided to make a shambles of the system.

A MAD and Merry Christmas

A day early, but I don't mind. We're opening presents later today because Kristine has to work tomorrow.

In Everlasting Memory

On this day in 1980 John Lennon was murdered by a piece of scum whose name is unworthy of mention.

Remember Pearl Harbor

On this day in 1941, a Sunday, the Japanese launched a sneak attack on our sleeping fleet and airfield at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Lousy, stinking, dirty, rotten cruds!

Happy Birthday, Kristine

My baby is 22 today. Where does the time go? I can say this: Every day has been a joy and delight.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Georgie

George Armstrong Custer was born on this day in 1839 in New Rumley, Ohio. In this picture he's leading a charge against superior Confederate forces at Gettysburg. Had the rebs succeeded in this flanking maneuver the battle would have been lost and Lee would have been free to invade Washington, D.C.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby

My lovely granddaughter, Sofia, is two today. What a ball of energy this kid is.  She's with her mother, Stephanie, in these pix.

Thoughts For The Day

 

Look Who's 65 Today

Still rocking after all these years.

Kit of the Day, Bill Crider Edition

    

     Who wouldn't want a model kit of The Six-Million-Dollar Man fighting a gator? Here's your chance, it's on eBay right now and I believe the price is reasonable. The only thing that has me scratching my head about this model is the briefcase at Lee Major's feet. Is this a tool box so he can tighten up a loose screw, or a secret formula the gator, an agent of a foreign power no doubt, is trying to steal?

     The maker of this oddity is Fun Dimensions, not a well-known name in modeling circles these days. Since it's a snap-together kit (no glue needed) the main challenge would be painting it to look realistic. And I have a feeling not many kids were up to that challenge.

     Bill, here you go.

Kit of the Day

Tired of building tanks, planes, cars, and ships? How about a nice crustacean? So went the thinking of Superior Plastics of Chicago, Illinois, back in 1962. No, not really. This is from a line called Superior Science Series Projects. I suppose the idea was to introduce educational projects for the kids, or at least hope their parents would buy them a lobster instead of a Big Daddy Roth weirdmobile. The finished lobster was 15 inches long and cast in red, just like the real thing. No bib. I have to wonder what prompted Superior to take on such an enterprise since creating a mold is a very expensive proposition and the potential buyers of such a kit were almost non-existent. Still, I found two of these rarities on eBay this past week. One was selling for $17.01 and the other for $9.95. And you know, the more I think about it the more attractive this kit becomes. Should I?

Happy Veteran's Day

Thanks to all my brother and sister vets for your service. Have a great day.

Happy Birthday, Stephanie

On this day in 1989 my first daughter, Stephanie, entered the world. A wonderful day, and the wonders never cease. Love you, kid.

Events

Friday: Mother-in-law turned 95. Today: Kid sister's birthday. Today: My 23rd wedding anniversary.

Wolf Creek: Bloody Trail

This is the first in a series of ebooks from the Western Fictioneers and if I understand its rather sinuous structure properly, each viewpoint character will be written by a different author. Also, this first edition is written by six scribes, each taking two consecutive chapters. Wolf Creek is a small town struggling to survive in post-Civil War Kansas. There are the understandable resentments among the residents who fought on opposite sides during the Recent Unpleasantness, but mostly folks get along. When a gang of former Confederate raiders invade the town to rob the bank, leaving dead people and animals in their wake, the townies assemble a posse to track them down. Some simmering resentments come to the fore during the manhunt, but by the time it's over the survivors see things in a brighter light. Because this is the first installment in a series there is a lot of exposition and backstory offered. I think it was a good two-and-a-half chapters before there was any action, but when it came it was well handled. I trust future books won't feel the need to recross the expositionary ground because even though the backgrounds of many of the charatcers are interesting, swallowing it in large doses may turn some readers off. My advice is to stick with it because there are a ton of talented people working on the books and I expect the ensuing ones to be humdingers. I know I'll be reading them. One nitpick: The Lamatt pistol, which had a shotgun barrel beneath a revolver barrel, was a 16-gauge, not 18-gauge.

No Moon Tonight

Let the dancing begin. "Reverend" Sun Myung Moon is dead. The Moonie leader is famous for arranging mass marriages among his adherents to people who often were total strangers to each other. Also for love bombing newbies and having his zombielike followers sell peanut brittle and jewelry door-to-door. The world is better off without people like him.

That Day Again

As every schoolboy worth his salt knows, today (June 25) is the anniversary of Custer's Last Stand, which occurred in 1876. Surrounded in mystery, controversy, and emotion, this is perhaps the most discussed and written-about battle in American history. Certainly the most famous in the Plains Wars of the 19th century. I also have my semi-annual dental checkup today.

Kit of the Day, Evan Lewis Style

Over on his blog, Evan Lewis has been touting the life and times of Jean Lafitte. In his honor I present today's kit, a pirate ship based on the movie THE BUCCANEER. Produced by Aurora, this seems like a simple and sturdy model (note the heavy rigging) and one a modeler of modest skills could build. I'm guessing it was an old kit with a new box to take advantage of the movie, yet none of the actors from that film are part of the box art. The opening bid was $24.99 and postage will be $7.95. Not too bad for an old Aurora kit. I'm sure Evan will want this so hold your bids and let him have it. BTW, fans, I think I've set this blog up so anyone can comment. No doubt this will issue in a whole new era of annoying spam, but I'm willing to take the gamble.

Happy Birthday Tony Dow

Gee, Wally is 67.

Kit of the Day

I have to admit I liked The Beverly Hillbillies, more now then when it first ran. The interplay between Jethro and Granny was always good for a laugh, and Donna Douglas made for some nice eye candy. Uncle Jed was the hub that held all the spokes in place. And how about that great theme song? I was saddened to learn that the singer and banjo player on "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," Earl Scruggs, just passed away.

But what better a subject for a model kit than the old Grapes of Wrath-style truck the Clampetts drove through their ritzy neighborhood? I believe in one show the 1921 truck was tricked out as a mean-ass hot rod, so this kit allows you to build either version. I imagine when you're done with one there will be enough spare parts for half of another vee-hickle.

The kit was issued in 1968 by MPC, a company that also made toy soldiers--the famous ring hand figures, among others. I have built MPC kits and they were often cheap and poorly engineered. That didn't diminish the value of this item on the collector market, however, because one of these kits recently sold for $249 + $13.60 shipping.

Kit of the Day

Yes, nothing says speed like a cement mixer, and what better way to show that than to create a combination cement mixer/hot rod?

Actually, I kind of like it.

Kit of the Day

Comic artist Rube Goldberg created a lot of crazy contraptions on paper that would make the simplest jobs long and complicated via a string of interconnecting gadgets, animals, and tools. These gimmicks seemed like a natural for a model kit, someone must have reasoned, and a series of kits were issued that copied the Goldberg genius. If properly built they would perform the task at hand. In the one I'm showing it's a way to scrub grandpa's back. I've never had one of these kits, or even seen one, but it looks like it would be fun to build one.

It's That Day Again

Beware the Ides of March

Remember the Alamo

March 6, 1836. After 13 days of siege the Alamo was overrun by the forces of General Santa Anna, general and dictator of Mexico. The heroic stand made by the Alamo's defenders has been the subject of books, movies, TV shows, comic books, and several Marx playsets. It has spawned wonder and controversy. The Alamo today--the little that's left of it--is a major tourist attraction. Some of the most famous men of their day died at the Alamo, notably Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie. Today is indeed a good day to remember the Alamo.

Kit of the Day

Bond, James Bond, fighting it out with Odd Job in a scene from GOLDFINGER. Note how the precise sculpting captures the dynamic action and breathtaking excitement.

Like fudge it does. I can't imagine why the company allowed this cheap-looking, stilted kit to reach the market, but it did. Fortunately, better kits from the Bond movies, including a very nice Odd Job pose, are available.
Airfix is a British firm that produced toy soldiers as well as model kits, and most of their output is very good. My guess is they either rushed this one out or couldn't find anyone skilled enough at figure sculpting to produce a convincing diorama.