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AFM #69 Kaiju issue

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lsamuels
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AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#1 Post by lsamuels »

Is it too early for a discussion of AFM #69? Some folks may not have gotten their issue yet, I guess?

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Contents: Kaiju issue! (summary from AFM website)

p 4 Construction Zone

p 8 GIGAN Bill Gudmundson - The Master of Putty sculpts the Master of Mayhem, Gigan!

p 12 GODZILLA 1954 Steve Riojas - Steve gives Kaiyodo’s 1954 Godzilla a shocking reception when he recreates a classic movie scene!

p16 GLUZILLA Kurt Krause - Kurt takes it all off at the Aurora Models’ strip club! Learn how to strip and restore vintage styrene model kits.

p 20 GODZILLA RAIDS (YET) AGAIN! Jon LeGrand - Jon gives Cretaceous Creations’ Ankylosaur a lesson in Kaiju evolution as he converts dinosaurs into Kaiju creatues!

p 26 AFM ARTIST PROFILE: BILL GUDMUNDSON Terry J. Webb - Sculptor Bill Gudmundson talks with Terry Webb about all things Kaiju!

p 38 AFM ARTIST PROFILE: TAKUJI YAMADA Stan G. Hyde - Stan speaks with Japan’s diorama master!

p 42 It came from the garage

p 46 WISH YOU WERE HERE! Robert Troch - A travelogue of Robert’s journey to Japan’s Wonder Festival.

p 52 BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE! Dave Prosser - Dave brings the heat this issue with Aoshima MFS-3’s Mechagodzilla!

p 58 KAIJU KAWAII! Stan G. Hyde - Stan documents the world of Kaiju Super Deforms!

p 66 GODZILLA 1989 Dave Barker - Dave builds Kaiyodo’s massive 1/80th-scale Godzilla from Godzilla vs. Biollante!

###########################################################################

I usually make some notes about interesting techniques or models as I read the issue, so I figure I can contribute them here as well.

One thing I noted as I read Robert Troch's article about his visit to Japan; he writes "Akihabara is way over the top in having young girls in skimpy anime-style outfits parade outside of various stores to attract customers." Hmmm... how do you think this would go over at the local Hobby Lobby or Michael's... -)

lsamuels
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Re: AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#2 Post by lsamuels »

Just a few comments and observations from a quick read through:

p 4 Construction Zone
I like the bust of Professor Lampini (Karloff) - good likeness by Ray Santoleri, and a very distinguished look for Karloff. Somehow it seems very different from most Karloff kits I've seen - if I remember right, we've seen a kit of Lampini being dragged down into ?quicksand? from the end of the movie, but that's the only one I recall. Any other kits of Lampini? (House of Frankenstein). Possibly a kit from XO Facto? (sorely missed)

p 8 GIGAN Bill Gudmundson - The Master of Putty sculpts the Master of Mayhem, Gigan!

I enjoy seeing how folks sculpt, since it's such a mystery to me. -) (And later in this issue, there's an interview with Bill Gudmundson, so we find out more about his kits sold in Japan.) I find it interesting to see him printing out an image of the intended sculpt and fitting an armature to that - I'd never have thought of that. Similarly, he makes some 2D plastic profiles of the claws, and sculpts on top of that, to be sure he follows the correct outline.

p 12 GODZILLA 1954 Steve Riojas - Steve gives Kaiyodo’s 1954 Godzilla a shocking reception when he recreates a classic movie scene!

I always enjoy Steve's writeups and find something to learn from them. He has a nice touch melting some styrene towers (to look destroyed by G.). He has an interesting idea painting both G and the towers with a lighting effect - orange red/orange/yellow on one side of G. to simulate the light of the melting electric tower.

More later, as I read...

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Re: AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#3 Post by Zeiram »

I really liked the interview with Bill. He's a super nice guy, but a bit quiet and reserved - so getting so much info and opinion out of him in one place was a treat.
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Re: AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#4 Post by DoctorG »

Yes, it looks like folks are slooooowly receiving their copies as things at the USPO have sloooowed down during the CV-19 crisis. It's well worth the wait though!
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Re: AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#5 Post by lsamuels »

Zieram - the interview with Bill G. was fascinating. Hearing more about the 1-day licenses at the Japanese Wonderfest was interesting; limited-run kits sold for one day only. Whew!

Dr G. - I hope I'm not jumping the gun here, discussing things. I figured it'll whet people's interest.... -)

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Re: AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#6 Post by lsamuels »

Speaking of which:

p16 GLUZILLA Kurt Krause - Kurt takes it all off at the Aurora Models’ strip club! Learn how to strip and restore vintage styrene model kits.

Here, the author takes an old Aurora Glow Godzilla, strips it down, and rebuilds it. I have plans to strip a few kits, so it's interesting to see him combine Castrol Super Clean with an ultrasonic cleaner. Cleaner overkill! But it sure seems to do the job.

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Re: AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#7 Post by DoctorG »

lsamuels wrote:Zieram - the interview with Bill G. was fascinating. Hearing more about the 1-day licenses at the Japanese Wonderfest was interesting; limited-run kits sold for one day only. Whew!

Dr G. - I hope I'm not jumping the gun here, discussing things. I figured it'll whet people's interest.... -)
No worries Larry.... :D
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Re: AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#8 Post by lsamuels »

p 20 GODZILLA RAIDS (YET) AGAIN! Jon LeGrand - Jon gives Cretaceous Creations’ Ankylosaur a lesson in Kaiju evolution as he converts dinosaurs into Kaiju creatues!

This article discusses an idea I hadn't into before: "Godzilla Concepts", versions of G and his cohorts that were envisioned for films, etc. but never quite made it in that form. Some nice picts and sculpts of alternative versions shown in the article; fig 1 is a great looking Godzilla.

In the article, Jon Legrand uses an ankylosaur model as a starting point for "Anguirus", interesting transformation. I noted the use of Durham's Water Putty, mentioning (among other uses) filling hollow models. I may need to do that on some vinyl kits, maybe I'll give this a try.

p 26 AFM ARTIST PROFILE: BILL GUDMUNDSON Terry J. Webb - Sculptor Bill Gudmundson talks with Terry Webb about all things Kaiju!
Read it! Neat article, great pics.

p 42 It came from the garage
I like the color pict of The Gorgon from Blackheart Models, and the complex base from Jean Louis Crinon.

p 52 BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE! Dave Prosser - Dave brings the heat this issue with Aoshima MFS-3’s Mechagodzilla!
This is really something; a MechaGodzilla kit with 328 parts ("including decals and optional features").
The author goes into detail at the end about creating lighted explosions, based on Bjorn Jacobsen's book "How to Make Fires and Explosions in Dioramas". I'm not sure if this is Jacobsen's method, but in this model he adds LEDS, colored gels, cotton batting wetted with glue, and black/red painting. As he says, it looks like "a burnt meatball" when power is off -), but when he powers the lights - wow! Orange/red/yellow explosions!

p 58 KAIJU KAWAII! Stan G. Hyde - Stan documents the world of Kaiju Super Deforms!
This inspired me to get out my own Mike Parks Godzilla vs Mothra kit. Lots of good humor in these models

p 66 GODZILLA 1989 Dave Barker - Dave builds Kaiyodo’s massive 1/80th-scale Godzilla from Godzilla vs. Biollante!
A HUGE model. He has to use PVC pipe inside as supports. He mentions how the first one he made, in 91, gradually bent and collapsed without internal support.

All in all, a great issue!. Next one: "Reader's Choice".

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Re: AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#9 Post by Zeiram »

lsamuels wrote:In the article, Jon Legrand uses an ankylosaur model as a starting point for "Anguirus", interesting transformation. I noted the use of Durham's Water Putty, mentioning (among other uses) filling hollow models. I may need to do that on some vinyl kits, maybe I'll give this a try.
Durham's is good stuff, but make sure it is thoroughly dried out before you seal it up. I've seen durham's get moldy if it isn't adequately ventilated while drying. Moisture + dark + contamination = recipe for nasty stuff.
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Re: AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#10 Post by lsamuels »

Thanks for the good advice. There are so many fillers, maybe I'll consider something else; we'll see.

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Re: AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#11 Post by overspray »

Zeiram wrote: Durham's is good stuff, but make sure it is thoroughly dried out before you seal it up. I've seen durham's get moldy if it isn't adequately ventilated while drying. Moisture + dark + contamination = recipe for nasty stuff.
I've had mold problems with Durham's, but I've also had good luck with adding some hydrogen peroxide to the mix. I'm still playing around with the right ratio - too much peroxide makes the putty a little soft and tend to crumble. Can't beat Durham's for being cheap and easy to use.

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Re: AFM #69 Kaiju issue

#12 Post by lsamuels »

overspray wrote:
I've had mold problems with Durham's, but I've also had good luck with adding some hydrogen peroxide to the mix. I'm still playing around with the right ratio - too much peroxide makes the putty a little soft and tend to crumble. Can't beat Durham's for being cheap and easy to use.
Cheap is always good! At least, that's what I used to tell my dates... -)

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