News/Updates 

Jada's site has just been relaunched wih a brand new design and interface - you can check it out here.

Boyd Leon Coddington
August 28, 1944 – February 27, 2008

Outside of the automotive realm, 1/24 scale collectibles can be few and far between. But there are a couple of cool licenses on the horizon that may be pretty darn close. First up is the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade motorcycle & sidecar set:



Although the Hasbro Titanium line doesn't subscribe to any particular scale, the motorcycles (as seen in the Ghost Rider line) are pretty close to 1/24. It would be great to see this follow that tradition, lets keep our fingers crossed. You can see the other vehicles in this series (including a minor SPOILER ALERT regarding Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) on the Star Wars Blog.

Next up is a statue representing the final showdown from the original Jurassic Park:



This is the first in a series of statuees from Sideshow Collectibles, and according to their figures it measures 12" high including the base. Doing a quick eyeballing of the statue, that looks like it puts the Tyrannosaur at about 10" tall - perfect for a 20' tall dino in 1/24. You can see more photos here.

Jason has sent in some new photos, this time two big block Chevies: the Monte Carlo from The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift and a '70 Chevelle. You can check out the new photos here.

Dear Valued Guest,

At Toys"“R"Us, Inc., kids are central to who we are and to what we do. Our commitment to their safety is non-negotiable. I wanted to share with you today some of the decisive and proactive changes we have made recently to our already rigorous quality assurance standards:

NOTIFICATION TO MANUFACTURERS OF INCREASED QUALITY ASSURANCE STANDARDS AND OVERSIGHT:

• We have instructed all manufacturers who produce items for Toys"“R"Us, Inc. that products shipped to the company on or after March 1, 2008 must comply with strict new standards, which include:
  
  
  
  • Significantly increasing the frequency of third-party testing, including each batch of product imported to the United States by Toys"“R"Us, Inc.;
  
  
  • Ensuring all product samples submitted for testing are selected by the company'Â’s third-party, certified laboratory;
    
  • Date-coding all products;
  
  
  • Applying a more stringent standard of 90 ppm for lead in surface coatings versus the current federal standard of 600 ppm for all products manufactured exclusively for Toys"“R"Us, Inc.;
  
  
  • Requiring substrate materials to meet a standard of 250 ppm for lead versus the company'Â’s current standard of 600 ppm for all products manufactured exclusively for Toys"“R"Us, Inc.; and
  
  
  • Using lead-screening equipment to conduct company auditing of all products at their point of origin and at various points in the supply chain.
  
  

REDUCTION OF PHTHALATES AND POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) USE:

• All manufacturers have been notified that by the end of 2008 juvenile products sold in any Toys"“R"Us or Babies"“R"”Us store in the United States must be produced without the addition of phthalates that have raised concerns about infant safety.


• Additionally, as we move closer to our goal of offering PVC-free products, we have already begun replacing PVC and phthalates in juvenile products manufactured exclusively for Toys"“R"Us, Inc.

ELIMINATION OF NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES FROM ALL PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED EXCLUSIVELY FOR TOYS"“R"US, INC.

• We have instructed manufacturers to immediately take steps to eliminate the use of nickel-cadmium batteries from all items manufactured exclusively for Toys"“R"Us, Inc. This process is expected to be complete by the end of 2008.

We know that you trust and expect that we will always do the right thing when it comes to the safety of children, and we take that responsibility very seriously. At every turn, we will continue to look for ways to provide the safest shopping environment for the children and families we serve. We love kids and babies -– and safety in all we do for them, and for you, is an imperative.

Sincerely,
Gerald L. Storch
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Toys"R"Us, Inc.

###

Customers can now register to receive safety notifications via e-mail by registering here.

This year's tribute to Burt Reynolds almost didn't happen - twice. My first goal had actually been to finish the Cannonball Run Ambulance: I had gotten an old CR kit for the decals and accessories, an old MPC Dodge van for the correct body, and had made all of the appropriate modifications when disaster struck. For some reason, the topcoat refused to adhere to my base white, and ended up coming off in huge chunks. Trying to clean it only made things worse, and I ended up having to strip everything back to base...including the carefully completed body modifications.

With a mere three weeks, I knew I didn't have time to redo the work, so I went with plan "B"; the Firebird Trans Am from Hooper. Things went swimmingly, with the body work falling together and the undercarriage mods going smoothly. Then a repeat of the Ambulance occurred when the topcoat crazed all the way down to the plastic. Unwilling to accept defeat this time, I stripped everything down to bare plastic and started over. I even nearly made it by the 11th, but a nasty virus and bad weather prevented held things off for a few extra days.

Still, I'm happy enough with the end result and - although belated - I was able to complete my task. Plus, the wreckage of the ambulance may give me a head start on next year's project.

I just finished watching the Knight Rider movie, and overall thought it was pretty decent. Certainly a fun time, and I especially enjoyed some of the little touches they included like the old KITT references in the garage at the beginning and the effect of the reactive armor. The choice of (and explanation for) the car's fuel source was nice, as was KITT's command of various electronic and telecommunication devices. I also liked his "no-frills" silver camouflage, and the transition effect between modes was a lot cooler than the old "stuff pops out" super pursuit mode.

Speaking of the old SPM, there were a couple of misses: that second wing looks about as practical as the air brakes on the original Trans Am. Also, the car chase was a little far fetched, as I have trouble believing that KITT couldn't simply outrun a stock Ford Escape. I also could've done without the money/death threats sub-plot, but fortunately none of these issues were too bad. I can definitely say that they did a good job playing to the Mustang's strengths, so no problem there.

In fact, KITT's voice acting was a pleasant surprise for me (especially considering the 11th-hour replacement). William Daniels' voice fit the sophisticated Firebird perfectly, but as I mentioned earlier it wouldn't have worked nearly as well in the new Mustang. Kilmer, by contrast, isn't as aloof and is more direct, befitting of the muscular GT500KR.

The final showdown was a mixed bag...having KITT control the armor was an interesting choice, but I didn't think they handled it well. If KITT is vulnerable to weapon fire while shut down, does that mean that he's leaving chunks of nanotech armor on the side of the road with every hit? The way they stopped the baddies was fun to watch, even if it should've killed everyone inside regardless of seatbelt usage. Fun fact: the sport ute used by the bad guys was a GMC Yukon - and as it was the only non-Ford used in the movie (even Michael's race car was an old Cobra), it was the only car that had no badges.

Last but not least, it was great to see the Hoff in his cameo. Yeah, I'm a sucker for nostalgia, but it was still nice to hear him deliver the "one man..." line.

I don't know if I want to see it expanded into a full TV series, but I definitely enjoyed this return to the Knight Rider universe. If they do carry through with the thought of a full series, I'll be sure to check it out.

TFormers.com has photos of the colored prototypes at this year's Toy Fair. Sunny and Prowl are my personal favorites thanks to their realistic alt modes (a Lamborghini Gallardo and Nissan 350Z, respectively), but they all look pretty good. You can see the full gallery here.

Northbrook, IL (February 15, 2008) -– Revell today announced its exclusive license to distribute SnapTite kits for Star Wars. The addition of this license, to Revell’s already existing long list of licenses, enables the company to continue to drive the model kit industry through subject matter and themes.

"“Creative application of licensing is an important driver to Revell’s success with different segments of the market,"” said Mike Brezette, Revell marketing vice president. “While it’s important to continue to provide models with historical relevance for those 55 and over, we realize that our Star Wars license is important to appeal to younger children and teens.

The SnapTite Star Wars kits available today at Target*, hobby stores and online are Anakin Jedi Star Fighter, Obi-wan Jedi Star Fighter, Millennium Falcon, Droid Tri-fighter and All-terrain Recon Transport AT-RT. These snap together models come pre-colored and pre-decorated, requiring no paint, stickers or glue. Depending on the model, these SnapTite kits range in suggested retail price from $16.95 to $53.95 (USD).

Revell plans to continue to release SnapTite kits for Star Wars throughout 2008. Star Wars enthusiasts can expect the ARC-170 Starfighter and the X-Wing Fighter in May, as well as the Imperial Shuttle in August.

###

* Anakin Jedi Star Fighter, Obi-wan Jedi Star Fighter are models available at Target.

Welcome to Jason, the newest modeler to join the Guest Gallery! He has sent in a few shots of some TV & movie themed cars - including Ecto 1, a Futura Batmobile, a movie General Lee, and Christine - as well as a high riding Regal with a custom flake paint job. You can see his work here.

Every few weeks, the end of the world comes to our hobby: AMT is dissolved, Lindberg is sold, the Worst Model Ever is reissued, Scale Auto modifies its web site, Wal-Mart stops carrying models, etc. Every one of these harbingers of doom spells the end of scale modeling, and how the hobby will never be the same as it once was. Although the latter is always true-nothing can remain unchanged forever-the former is a bit of an exaggeration. One of the recent victims of this hysteria is Revell, who was acquired by Hobbico last summer. That, coupled with Wal-Mart's decision to drop a dedicated modeling section, created panic in the online community. I had a chance to talk with Michael Brezette, Marketing Vice President at Revell, who was able to clear up some of the confusion plus shed some light on the future of Revell.

The first thing that needs to be made clear is that Revell isn't going anywhere anytime soon. On the contrary, they plan to release over 100 products in 2008, averaging at least two per week. They also don't mourn Wal-Mart's decision. Looking behind the scenes, it turns out that Wal-Mart has not actually given up on models, they've just gotten rid of the model section. Kits will still be available, but rather than taking up a single dedicated section of shelf space they will be placed with similar licenses: for example, Star Wars kits will be sold next to Star Wars action figures. This rearrangement will no doubt give dedicated hobby stores a boost, plus it has also opened the door for other stores to pick up models as well. Target is already carrying some Hot Wheels themed and Star Wars themed kits, and Toys 'Я' Us may have a dedicated model section as early as this fall.

There are a few other things to look forward to from Revell in the coming months as well. First, they will reintroduce online shopping on their site, to allow customers to purchase directly from them. Next, they will be changing the way some Revell of Germany kits will be sold in North America. Currently, any RoG kits sold in the US & Canada have to be special order items. In the coming months, many of RoG's most popular items will be warehoused in Hobbico's Champaign, IL facility and considered regular "in stock" items. And finally, some builders may remember how certain kits were rebadged and sold in different markets around the world (the best example being Aoshima's Back to the Future DeLoreans being sold under the AMT banner in the US). Although there are no current plans to resurrect this practice at the moment, it may be something Revell will consider later on.

We also got a chance to talk about some future releases and the hobby in general. TV- and movie-licensed properties are always a gamble, especially since model companies need a full year or better to make up a new tooling. There are certain "safe" properties that Revell plans on continuing, including the aforementioned Star Wars, some Battlestar Galactica kits to coincide with the show's 30th anniversary, and reissues of the Bullitt models. Unfortunately, the dismal reaction to all things Batman & Robin related has made Revell wary of any Batman themed properties, so there won't be a Tumbler model kit on the shelf this summer. A reissue of the old Futura tooling is out as well, as the molds are pretty well used up at this point. There were some exciting possibilities for other kits, though: the popularity of the Peterbilt 359 kit may spur Revell to expand their truck line, and other modified reissues are in the works such as a '68 version of their outstanding '69 Dodge Charger.

Finally, I asked if he could settle the debate about who they sell models to. Every age group is certain that they should be the ones targeted: older modelers know for certain that kids are too interested in video games, while younger builders know for certain that without their sales the market will stagnate and die. Well, it turns out that there's about a 60/40 split (though it may be closer to 55/45 according to some of their market research): modelers over 18 make up just over half the building population. It seems that there's a bit of a gap, though: the vast majority of modelers are either under 18 or above 35...apparently the tail end of Generation X didn't produce too many model builders. So Revell's response is the same as any prudent business' would be: sell to everyone.

One of the ways they're doing this is by targeting products to specific age groups. Kits for younger builders will be snap-together kits with a strong shelf presence (including clamshells taking the place of the old cardboard boxes), while older builders can look forward to more detailed historic vehicles. They will also be expanding their robotics line (currently limited to the VEXplorer series) to add more functionality and interactivity: model kits aren't just for shelf display any more. One other interesting trend is that a number over-55 builders seem to be taking up the hobby for the first time, or at least the first time in decades.

So what does all this mean? Basically, it means that we have a lot to look forward to. If we consider Revell as a measure of the model manufacturers in general, then they are well aware of the changing marketplace and are taking steps to meet it and continue growing. A major part of this hobby (and something that makes it tough for model manufacturers) is its vast diversity: how many other hobbies can claim to include everyone from children to senior citizens from all around the world working toward the same goal? This diversity means that there has to be some give and take, and a few disappointments now and then like canceled kits or money spent on genres we don't personally build. But this is nowhere near the "death" of the hobby. As long as we keep building, the hobby will be alive for a long time to come.

Get Fuzzy is one of the most consistently funny strips in the paper today, and modelers got a bit of a shout out with today's strip:



Not being a ship builder, I was curious as to whether this kit actually existed. So I did a little checking around, and found out that Airfix does do a 1/144~1/150 version of the HMS Vasa (or, depending on how you want to spell it, the Wasa). Airfix kits are generally accepted as decent but not intricately detailed kits, good for new modelers. So this actually seems like a good choice for Satchel. If you'd like to try it yourself, this place has the kit in stock. Or, if you'd like something a little bigger and more detailed, there is also a big 38" version available here.

So although I didn't find a 1/175 version of the ship, I do have to give Darby Conley credit for his work on the box art:

Three links have been added to the Links Page:

First up is the return of an old link: Dan Thompson's Batmodels. His previous site went offline a while back, but thanks to a post on the Batman: Yesterday, Today, & Beyond boards I learned where it was moved to.

Next is a figure modeler who has been recently bitten by the "automotive" bug. All of the projects are well worth a look, and you can check out both figure- and auto-based projects here.

And last is a site for a product that I meant to post a while back: Taskboard.com. I finally remembered t order some of this to try out, and I'll be sure to post my thoughts when it arrives.

Bob has sent in a shot of his latest, and old-school '57 Chevy Gasser reworked from a former stock '57. You can see it here.

Back in February 1995, my model collection was still in its early stages but was definitely on its way. I was partway through construction of my diorama, and in the process I was learning new techniques and trying new ideas on a near-daily basis. It was also during that time that my father (to whom I owe all my modeling enthusiasm) picked up a copy of a magazine he saw at the local hobby shop: Scale Auto Enthusiast.



The issue seemed especially appropriate because the photo near the bottom of the cover showed a Ford Ranger Splash loaded with equipment from Fujimi's Garage & Tools set: the same set I was using for many details inside my garage. It turns out that the article made no more than a mention of the tools, but it didn't matter: the magazine had us hooked, and we've been regular readers ever since.

At the time, SAE came out every other month, alternating with its sister publication Car Modeler. It was also a different world in those pre-internet days: the magazine was a robust 96 pages, and carried all sorts of specialized columns: "Strictly Stock" (eight pages of new & reissued kit reviews!), "Tips & Tech,""Forum 43" (for 1/43 cars), and "Light Commercial" and "Truck Stop" for news for truck fans. There were also ads for every possible need: paints, tools, mail-order hobby stores, plating services, resin, photoetch, and more.

As the years went on, the magazine went through some changes. Ideas such as diecast and slot car articles briefly found their way into the magazine, but the subscribers cried "foul" and demanded SAE remain 1/24~1/25 plastic and resin only. So, with printing costs rising and advertisers turning to online sales, the only other alternative was to reduce the overall content. Although the magazine started getting thinner, the number of issues per year increased in 1999 when Kalmbach discontinued Car Modeler (the name lives on today as an annual publication). We also saw a minor name change in 2002, when Scale Auto Enthusiast became simply Scale Auto.



Things were happening online as well. Kalmbach launched its site in 1996 (with sub-pages devoted to the individual magazines), followed by a separate site for Scale Auto in 1998. ScaleAutoEnthusiast.com was a small but fun site with a welcome letter from the editor (then Kirk Bell), downloadable articles, tips, news, events, classifieds, a modeling FAQ, and a guest gallery. To a degree, the information contained in that early site served as a template for my own site. In the fall of 2003 the site underwent a major redesign, to the look it more or less retains today.


(Click to enlarge)

On a personal note, I've been able to make a couple of minor contributions to Scale Auto over the years. A couple of my diorama photos were part of their early gallery, and my Knight Rider Legends KITT appeared in their February 2004 Reader Gallery. Still no larger photo or article yet, but maybe someday... For now, you can catch me on the SA forums pretty much daily, using the same screen name I use everywhere.

It's been a fun 13 years with Scale Auto, and I look forward to spending more time reading it in the future. If you haven't checked out their latest issue yet, Jim Haught's letter talks about the possibility of SA drifting to an electronic format, a concept that I'm 100% behind. In part because I see several advantages of a "paperless" format, but also because I'm happy to support what continues to be an excellent resource and integral part of our hobby.