Venus Or Bust!

COSMOSTRATOR by Pegasus Models
Built 2/2018
Painted 9/10/2018
Completed 11/7/2018

Another terrific, easy-build & paint (just silver from a rattle can) classic sci-fi spaceship, from the 1960 Crown-International Picture, First Spaceship on Venus. I admit, I've only watched the movie all the way through once - it's badly-dubbed from German, and all available prints look like crap - but I love the design of the Cosmostrator ship.

The base was hand-sculpted from Super Sculpey (no tools), baked, and painted over a few hours. I gave it a base coat of a greenish-black, then drybrushed lighter layers of green over that, finishing with highlights of "neon" green for an otherworldly look. Finished it off with some green sand from the dollar store. 

The Spirit Is Wailing

THE GHOST OF CASTEL-MARE by Monarch Models
Built 10/28/2018  
Painted 11/3/2018

"The Ghost of Castel-Mare" is one of a handful of terrific original kits released by Monarch Models during its few years of existence, intended as a companion kit to the classic Aurora "Prisoner of Castel-Mare." I'm a big fan of Monarch's line, so when I got the opportunity to pick this one up at a reasonable price, I couldn't resist.

The paint job is a little rough - as usual, I rushed it - but it turned out okay. It's not exactly how I had it pictured in my head (I wanted the Ghost to look more spectral), but I'm pretty pleased with the painted "glow" and lighting effects on the wall, which was all done with layer after layer of dry-brushing and washes with cheap craft paints from Michael's. No glow-in-the-dark paint was used - it's all just simulated.

 

Have Rocket - Will Travel

ROCKETSHIP X-M by Pegasus Models
Built 12/2017
Painted 9/10/2018
Base 10/31/2018

I bought this kit last Christmas as a gift for myself because Rocketship X-M is one of my favorite 1950s sci-fi movies, and I love its design. It was the first new model kit I'd built in a couple of years. 

A very simple kit, simple paint job - but technically the first spaceship model that I ever properly painted. Did a bit of putty & sanding on the seams, and a little black paint on the windows and rocket exhaust (which you can't see here.) 

The base was my first attempt at creating a custom base for a model kit. I sculpted it entirely by hand (no tools) from Super Sculpey, baked it, and painted it in a few hours. Because the movie has the ship landing on Mars (despite setting out for the Moon!), I went with a reddish-brown wash on the ground (with some faint black scorch marks under the X-M's exhaust), and added a little bit of scenic grass. 

I'm very pleased with how it all came out.

Glorious Black & White

Don't Fear the Reaper

THE GRIM REAPER by Moebius Models
Built 1/2018 
Painted 10/26/2018

I'm really happy with how this turned out - the paint, the scenics on the base  - it's exactly how I hoped it would look.

I've seen some build-ups of this kit online where the modellers went way overboard with adding scenic foliage to the base, but I figured, this is the Grim Reaper, so everything should be dead, right? So I covered the ground with dead leaves (imported from China!) and tufts of dead grass. The cobweb in the tree was a single strand of simple, cheap Halloween webbing. 

Gordon's Alive!

FLASH GORDON by Atlantis Models
Built 2/2018 
Painted 10/26/2018

"Pathetic Earthlings. Who will save you now?"

This is the Atlantis Models re-issue of the 1965 Revell Flash Gordon and the Martian kit. I chose not to build and include the goofy little Martian, nor attach the clear plastic space helmet.

This is my first human figure paint-up. I chose not to follow the paint scheme on the box, which was a simple white spacesuit, in favor of more Flash-y colors. The paint job is a little rough - I had a devil of a time getting a smooth even coat with the red and yellow paints, neither of which covered the gray primer very well. Further, I found my hand a little unsteady when it came to detail work like the yellow stripes on his sleeves and pant legs, the belt, straps, etc.  I also have a  long way to go before I master painting faces.

While I was painting it, I was convinced that it was a disaster, but while it's not the perfect, pro paint job I had in my head, it's not terrible. I have to learn patience - both while painting (I tend to rush) and with my own learning curve. If I stick with it, I'll improve over time.

Curse of Kharis

THE MUMMY by Polar Lights
Built 9/8/2018
Painted 10/21/2018

"For who shall defile the temples of the ancient gods, a cruel and violent death shall be his fate, and never shall his soul find rest unto eternity. Such is the curse of Amon-Ra, king of all the gods. "

This is the Polar Lights re-issue of the legendary 60's Aurora Mummy kit, from around 2000. I bought it at the Toys 'R' Us in Boca Raton, Florida... and then it sat in storage until this year. 

My first classic Aurora monster. I didn't putty/sand the seams since I worried that I'd lose too much of the bandage detail... and, well,  it would be a hell of a lot of  frustrating work. I sprayed the base with a base coat of camouflage tan and the Kharis figure with a flat white, then hit both with multiple washes of brown and black. 

I think I slightly overdid the wash on the wrappings and I wish I'd spent a little more time on the face, but the real white sand I added to the base worked out well.

Glorious Black & White

You Damn Dirty Ape!

CORNELIUS by Polar Lights
Built 5/2016
Painted 10/21/2018

This is a 2000 Polar Lights/Aurora re-issue of the 1975 Addar kit.  

I tried to match the colors to the Planet of the Apes film costume closely. I applied some tufts of scenic grass and some moss to liven up the base, but I didn't want to go overboard with the detailing. Overall, I like the way this turned out.

I had the original Addar kit as a kid, but never painted it.

Guns, tanks, bombs - they're like toys against them!

MARTIAN WAR MACHINE by Pegasus Models
Built/Painted 9/2018

I love this ship from the 1953 George Pal production of H.G. Well's War of the Worlds -- and I didn't screw up a single thing on the model. The copper spray job is nice and even and looks a lot better in reality than it does in these photos. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I didn't paint the base, though I may do so later.

Which way to Roswell?

ALIEN by Lindberg Models
Built 5/2016
Painted 10/16/2018

My very first fully-painted figure model kit, two years in the making!  I picked this up several years ago at the Waterville Marden's discount store for about five bucks. I assembled it in May of 2016, and finally got around to painting it this month.

A super simple kit to build and paint... but that made it a good one to start with. Most build-ups I've seen of this kit online gave the Grey a silver jumpsuit, but I went with a flecked, metallic blue. The base was primed in a dark gray, which I drybrushed with a lighter gray before hitting the whole thing with a heavy black wash.

"I come in peace...."