On Saturday, August 29, the Central Arkansas Scale Modelers set up a display table at the River City Comic Expo, which was held at the Statehouse Convention Center. Members working the table included Rusty Nail, Matt Bond, Ron Leker, Tom Brown, and me. For this display, we focused on model subjects that included sci-fi, fantasy, anime, horror, and gaming, to fit the theme of the convention and the interest of the attendees. The display also included works by Jeffrey Griffin and Chris Luna, and Rusty brought a bust painted by Amazing Figure Modeler writer Rick Cantu. Dave Stillwell made a surprise visit, and hung out with us for a while, as well. The convention featured close to 100 vendors and around 30 publishers, artists, and a few actors. There was a large area set up for table top gaming, and presentations and panels were held throughout the day. A cosplay contest was one of the final events of the show. At last report from the River City Comic Expo Facebook page, well over 4,000 people attended the convention, and they are still counting ticket sales! These numbers do not include children under 12, who attend free. Needless to say, the place was packed with people. Almost everyone that passed our booth at least took a moment to look over the display. While we didn’t keep track of it, I would conservatively estimate that somewhere between 200 and 300 people stopped to talk to us about the models and the club, and most of those picked up a Sproo-Doo flier and/or a CASM business card. Of the many people we spoke with, several had built models years ago and hoped to one day get back into the hobby. There was one gentleman who showed up the scar on this leg from an accident while stretching a piece of sprue over a candle. I spoke with a stay-at-home mother who wanted to learn how to paint figures. There were several gamers (Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer, etc.) who wanted to learn how to make their game pieces look better. Other interests included sculpting and using 3D printing for model applications. Perhaps best of all, we talked a few people who had wanted to try modeling but didn’t even know where to begin. Several of the kids also were excited to see the work. For the ones that were a little older, we planted the idea that they could one day build models. One mother introduced her youngest son, and told us that he had started a couple of models but hadn’t finished them yet. We told her that he was obviously an advanced modeler! While we did have a few minor incidents of children getting a little too excited and trying to grab the models, most parents were very good about keeping an eye on their kids, and no models were damaged. Rusty called our display “the nervous parent table.” It was interesting to us to see which models caught people’s attention. Ron’s Babylon 5 Starfury was the big hit of the day. The Battlestar Galactica pieces by Matt and Jeffrey were also very popular. Anime fans were drawn to Tom’s figures, and horror fans liked his Spike bust and Rusty’s Friday the 13th bust. The gaming guys loved Chris’s Warhammer figures, and my Mach 5 received several compliments, as well. Overall, this display was a very positive undertaking for CASM. Never before have we gotten this kind of exposure from a single event. Will we get new members? Will more spectators attend the Sproo-Doo? Will more modelers join our Facebook group? Only time tell, but we did make a lot more people aware of our existence, and plant a few seeds of interest in our hobby. Whether the people we spoke are ready to start building today or a year from now, they at least know that we are here to help. All of us that were in attendance felt it was a great event, and have already started discussing what we can do better next year! By Brent Bristow
For sci-fi modelers, one of the most anticipated releases of 2015 is the 1/1000 Romulan Bird of Prey, released by Round 2 Models. The kit was released in the beginning of July, and since then, our own HobbyTownUSA in Little Rock has had trouble keeping them in stock. In fact, every shipment of these kits has sold out within 24 hours of arriving! So, what makes these kits so popular, and do they live up to the hype? The Romulan Bird of Prey has been a holy grail kit of many sci-fi modelers for decades. The original studio model was designed and built by Wah Ming Chang. The model appeared in the 1966 Star Trek episode “Balance of Terror,” then disappeared shortly after filming. It is believed that Chang was angry and destroyed the model when the propmaker’s union prevented him from being paid for his work since he wasn’t a member. There are other theories, but the absence of the studio model has made it difficult to produce an accurate kit, and the low resolution of 1960’s film doesn’t help. In recent years, a few photographs have surfaced, showing greater detail of the studio model. For many years, the 1/650 kit was the only version available, and it is very inaccurate, the parts do not fit together well, the decals are hard to manage, and the kit has had limited re-released since its debut in the 1970s. A 1/1600 version has been available since the ‘70s in a set of three ships, but this version is also inaccurate. A new, more accurate 1/2500 version has been available since 2013 as part of 3 ship set, but the 1/1000 scale allows for more detail without being overly large, and fits in well with the already available 1/1000 Enterprise and Klingon D7. While there have been resin and vacuform versions available, this kit is the first mass produced styrene kit of the ship with this level of detail in a larger scale. The new kit is a snap together kit, much like the 1/1000 Enterprise and D7. The ship is molded In 12 white styrene parts, and 2 clear parts. There was some minor flashing on 2 of the parts, but overall, they appear very clean with no visible mold lines or injector pin marks. It also comes with a stand that allows you to display the ship in a flying position. It has a detailed decal sheet that includes the large bird on the bottom of the ship, which is separated into 3 parts. There are also window decals for the front of the ship, and you have the option of using the light or dark windows. Initial dry fitting of the parts indicate that there shouldn’t be any major issues with the parts fitting together. Of course, cutting out most of the male portions of the snap together parts will facilitate an even better fit for gluing and should require only minor puttying. Looking at the accuracy of the kit, there are many features that are not seen on the 1/650 kit. The angle of the wings as they meet the nacelles matches the pictures of the studio model. The recessed edge around the top of the hull, which is completely missing the 1/650 kit, is present and appears to be accurately scaled. The “V” shaped areas on the top and bottom of the hull are also improvements over the old kit, not the mention the overall shape and width of the hull. The only complaint I’ve heard mentioned of this kit is about the raised ports on the top of the hull. However, when compared to the photos of the studio model, and even to the remastered CGI version of the ship from 2006, the raised ports are accurate. Close inspection reveals that there are small indentions within the port, so you can detail these with a wash or watercolors, or drill them out for lighting. Overall, I am very pleased with the quality of this model. It is much more accurate than earlier kits, and well made with no major indications of fit issues. The 1/1000 scale is large enough to make a nice display, but not so large as to take up too much shelf space. This model will look great built straight out of the box, but it is possible to add lighting as well, although it will be tight getting wires though the wings into the nacelles. I highly recommend this kit and consider it to be a must have for any fan of Star Trek modeling!
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Central Arkansas Scale Modelers are hosting their 15th Annual Sproo-Doo Model Show on September 26.
The show will be held in the Ballroom of the Statehouse Convention Center. The show committee is very excited about this year's show and is inviting everyone to come out to join in the fun. Admission to the show is free and open to the public. Entry fees are listed below.
*IPMS and AMPS Members get a discount! Registration is open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Awards Ceremony will be around 4 p.m. ***BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS*** This year, we are providing a brand new Special Award: Battle of the Champions! Entries for this special award are separate from the general entries as this is a fundraiser. All proceeds from entries to this award will go to the USS Alabama. Donations will also be taken at the registration desk.
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February 2017
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