Model Kits, etc

POSTED BY: Kimmael
UPDATED: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 23:39
VIEWED: 9353
PAGE 1 of 2

1 2 NEXT PAGE

KIMMAEL

Tuesday, August 15, 2006 10:48 PM

Hey, y'all;

I'm new here and thought I would share some of my network with all of you. That's the way it's done around here, right?

Some of you may or may not be familiar with the sculptor, BARSOM. He's best known for his Coop Devil Girls and his likenesses. He's also a FREELANCE artist, meaning he can create anything without being in violation of DC Direct conflict of interest, yadda, yadda...

Anywho- you can visit his page:

http://www.BarsomArt.com

to see his stuff. Some of the things that didn't make it to mainstream were his likenesses of Sigourney Weaver, Christian Bale and Brad Pitt. I was the model for Vertigo's DEATH bust done by BARSOM, so I can vouch for his abilities & dedication.

What would it take to get him to do a kit? Well, licensing would be GREAT (permission to copy someone's likeness where everyone benefits is the best way to go). From there, consider size (this man can do detailed micro-sculpts that would creep you out, they're so life-like) and style.

Contact him directly at BarsomArt@yahoo.com to pitch to him (or I can do it, I've been working negotiations and promotions for him for a number of years).

Stay strong & be well,
Kim

*** Barsom can sculpt either the ship or the characters. All he needs is turns and control art.

MICJWELCH

Wednesday, August 16, 2006 12:54 PM

Are you talking about a model kit of Serenity? Or of characters? 'Course, either way I'd be interested... So far all we have is a paper model of Serenity. Sure, there are some little plastic jobbies, but I would love to be able to build a bit model of Serenity myself.

"We may experience some slight turbulence, and then... explode."

ZOMBIE61

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 6:06 AM

If you have experience working with resin kits, this kit is available:

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/cfstore/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.di
splay&Product_ID=580

Customer service from that site is second to none; I've yet to wait any longer than 7 days from the time I've placed my order 'til the time I've received my order.

BTW, I am not affiliated with the site or the company that manufactures this kit, therefore the kit's success or failure does not affect me financially in any way; you asked, I'm just tryin' to help. Just so's you know.

MRPACO

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 6:30 AM

Have you actually bought that kit for yourself, and tried it out? I only ask to see if you can vouch for the quality of the kit itself, rather than just the site...because on the RPF, somebody mentioned that kit, and they said the details were kind of "soft," not too distinct. And truth be told, it sorta looks that way in the pictures. Your thoughts?

-Patrick

http://firefly-fans.deviantart.com/ My personal Firefly fanclub! We'd love new members!

MICJWELCH

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 2:48 PM

My issue with that kit is that it's $85, and I don't have that kind of money... Why can't we have something like all those cheap plastic models out there? I can make those look pretty good with a little work.

"We may experience some slight turbulence, and then... explode."

ROBINHOOD

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 3:06 PM

There are \\\"2\\\" paper models of Serenity. This is probably the lesser known one, but by far the best, and at 3ft long, your not going to find a larger one that isn\\\'t owned by Universal
http://www.paperworlds.com/forums/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=8&s
howentry=208#comment208
Yes, it\\\'s alot of work to make good- (I\\\'ve been at mine since Feb, but then I\\\'ve fitted a perspex canopy, and a cockpit with cutout crew. Plus those engine intakes are horrible. I\\\'ve cut out some plastic bottles necks to replace those) -but the plans are \\\'free\\\' to download.
Just need thick enough paper, dry paper glue, craft knives etc a couple of hours most days and alot of patience.
Hope to finish mine... er..... this year?

Just had a look at that website, brilliant sculpture!!!!

ZOMBIE61

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 4:48 PM

MRPACO: "Have you actually bought that kit for yourself, and tried it out? I only ask to see if you can vouch for the quality of the kit itself, rather than just the site...because on the RPF, somebody mentioned that kit, and they said the details were kind of "soft," not too distinct. And truth be told, it sorta looks that way in the pictures. Your thoughts?"

Yes, I have purchased the kit, though I haven't built it yet. I thought the detail looked soft as well when I first saw photos of the raw resin parts, but then I found the kit designer's website, which contains photographs of three different built kits:

http://www.planet3earth.co.uk/Serenity%20firefly.htm

My personal opinion? Yes, the detail could be a bit sharper, but it's no worse than most styrene kits on the market today, and better than many resin kits. And I initially balked at the price as well. But I eventually realized that I liked the kit enough that it was time to "put up or shut up."

MICJWELCH: "My issue with that kit is that it's $85, and I don't have that kind of money... Why can't we have something like all those cheap plastic models out there? I can make those look pretty good with a little work."

I would have preferred a styrene kit as well; I've been building models since the late 60's, long before resin and vinyl kits were even being considered. The problem with styrene kits is, they are generally produced by large corporations who first have to be convinced they will receive a substantial return on their investment. Car kits have always sold very well; science fiction, not so much. It would take quite a bit of fancy footwork to convince a large company such as Revell or AMT/Ertl to produce a kit of an odd-looking spacecraft featured in a television series that was cancelled after only 11 episodes and has a very select fan following.

A good alternative to the Stargazer Models kit, IMHO, is a resin ornament currently produced by Dark Horse comics. This can be found online for around $20. It's a bit smaller than the Stargazer kit and should be re-painted to look more like our beloved Serenity--the base color on the actual piece is a too-dark "gunmetal gray", with not a hint of the "sienna tone" in the promotional photos. But it's a very nice collectible for the price.

http://www.tfaw.com/Profile/Serenity-Ornament___217120

Again, not affiliated, don't make a dime, don't care whether you buy one or not; just tryin' to be helpful.

MRPACO

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 8:13 PM

I think I'm shooting for that ornament. Nice, cheap, simple. Good stuff.

-Patrick

http://firefly-fans.deviantart.com/ My personal Firefly fanclub! We'd love new members!

MICJWELCH

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 2:10 AM

Yeah, I've been working on a paper model as well. Found it at http://www.chihuahuadepapel.com/ingles.htm It's not very big, but it's already pre-printed with all the details. (There is a modifed version of it at the bottom of that page that looks really good.)

"We may experience some slight turbulence, and then... explode."

ROBINHOOD

Wednesday, August 23, 2006 2:57 PM

There are some aspects of that smaller model that are better than the larger one I\'m doing. The removable shuttles for example. I kinda nicked that idea and I\'ve had to apply it to this one myself.

1 2 NEXT PAGE