The Classic – The Wolfman – Aurora Model Kit

The Classic – Wolfman

Aurora / Monogram Model Kit

This is the Monogram re-issue of the Classic Aurora Wolfman model-kit which I completed over the summer. I was probably 9 or 10 years old the last time I built this kit. It was originally released in 1962.

There were a lot of seams that needed to be filled and sanded on this piece. Quite a bit of thin plastic remnants around the fingers and toes had to be cut away and scraped off. That’s to be expected as the molds to these old kits begin to wear out through the years and become less perfectly fitted.

I painted a quick background on a piece of cardboard as an afterthought, then liked the way it came out. I built a small rocky base to hold the two silver background trees and the cardboard backdrop behind the kit to add atmosphere to the scene.

Model Kits – Aurora Prehistoric Scenes – Allosaurus

 

Aurora Prehistoric Scenes

Allosaurus

with custom base

This kit was re-issued by both Monogram and Revell and is still widely available to those who look for it. It originally hit the market in the 1970’s. It had it’s own base for one year, then, for unknown reasons, Aurora dispensed with the base and sold the Dino, only.

The kit I purchased is an original Aurora Prehistoric Scenes kit (without base) in a ‘used lot’ collection. It was missing a hand and the outer half of it’s left arm.

I sculpted a new hand and arm piece.

I never liked the kit’s original green color, so I primed it gray and decided to go with a brown color with snake-like designs along it’s back.

Flowing from the mouth is slather which attempted to make the beast look like it was salivating over a kill. I debated cutting it off and just having a tongue. I think most kit builders agree, it wasn’t very authentic looking, but I decided to leave it to represent the original kit.

In Jurassic Park, I believe the effects crew set up this shot as a homage to the kit. Instead of slather, the T. Rex had bits of the rubber from the car’s tire hanging from his mouth.

Once the kit was complete, I decided to make a base from scratch. I started with a Styrofoam board and cut out a random shape. I edged it with rocky molding and outcrops to mimic the Aurora bases.

I molded grass and plant designs similar to those on the cave-man kits. I could have used more realistic Scene-it products but I wanted to keep some aspects of the Aurora look. I did use Scene-it trees and some branches.

I liked the idea of the Allosaurus crashing through the trees, onto the scene.

 

 

Aurora Monster Models and Prehistoric Scenes Kits

Aurora Monster Models and Prehistoric Scenes Kits – Part II

When I was a youngster, I loved to build monster model kits. I would see ads in the back of Famous Monsters of Filmland and I would send away for them via mail order or have my mom take me to local hobby shops to purchase them. The premier company in horror model-kits back then (1970’s) was Aurora. I started with the Universal Monsters model kit collections and soon moved on to the Prehistoric Scenes Kits. Eventually, the kits I owned went to the big toy graveyard where all kids things seem to find their end. For the longest time I thought those model kits were gone forever. But recently, I have found many of the wonderful kits I enjoyed as a kid, still available for purchase.

Aurora Prehistoric Scenes kit molds were first bought by Monogram who only kept seven of the Dinosaurs and the Wooly Mammoth. Sadly they destroyed the other kit molds to reuse the material. Then Revell bought Monogram and re-released the dino kits (twice). Today you can still purchase many of the Aurora Dinosaur kits under the Revell label. Although the box art is different, the kits are basically the same as the old Aurora kits minus the bases and extra accessories.

the same Ankylosaurus model released through the years…

Many of the Aurora Monster Model kits were purchased by several different companies such as Playing Mantis, Moebius, and Polar Lights. It is a bit of work to hunt all of these down as they release them sporadically but you can get almost all of them. I have recently purchased, The Forgotten Prisoner and the Aurora Godzilla model.

On top of that there are several companies that release customizing kits under the “What if…” banner and alternative pieces market which are often called Conversion Kits. You can change the head of the original Godzilla to one that is more in line with the movies. You can change the heads of the Triceratops to create different horned dinosaurs such as the Torosaurus or the Monoclonius. You can change the head of Dr. Jekyll to match the original  film “The Fly” (which looks amazing). You can now buy Julie Adams to fit with your Aurora style Creature From the Black Lagoon, where she will be set in his arms like the famous scene from the film.

Today’s model kits are amazingly detailed and there are quite a few hobbyists that take great pride in the building and painting of these kits. Many are limited release and can sell for upwards of $200. There are 3 types of kits, plastic, vinyl, and resin kits. The resin kits are the most expensive and offer the most detail.

One new kit I’ve been waiting for is Gorgo, by the company, Monarch. It was supposed to be released last year but no one has heard any news since. I hope they continue there plans to release it, because it is a fantastic model. Update: model kit was released – you can see my build here: Monarch Gorgo Model Kit

Below are some links if you care to check out some more info and pics on the subject. Some of the pics used here are from these sites.

If you want to learn more about the Aurora Kits and product lines, a good place to start is with the documentary dvd, The Aurora Monsters: the model craze that gripped the world. You can get the dvd at monstersinmotion.com or Amazon.

www.monstersinmotion.com
www.geometricdesign.net 
www.culttvman.com
www.auroraprehistoricscenes.com
www.tylisaari.com
www.morbidmonster.com
www.universalmonsterarmy.com
http://creaturescape.com

Gallery of classic kits:

this model is gone forever, the molds were destroyed.

–
Gallery of new kits and conversion accessories:

same body, different head, new dino.

Model builder vids:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAWsr3aI0Ic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlB_rkH2414&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnWP3cg0olE