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MarkMcGovern

IPMS/USA Member
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Posts posted by MarkMcGovern

  1. Guys,

    Two freakin' years ago I launched "The Great Flash Gordon Invitational Community Build". The idea was to get members of several different modeling forums to interpret the same model, the then-newly reissued ex-Revell 1965 "Flash Gordon and the Martian" kit from Atlantis. The response was terrific, and a lot of people posted photos of really great models. Except for me, I got caught up building other people's kits and couldn't finish my own. Idiot.

    Anyhow, I still want to see the project through. So those of you who did finish your models, as well as those of you who didn't or would like to participate, can visit the Facebook page I've just set up: https://www.facebook.com/pg/greatflashgordoncommunitybuild/posts/. I still want to gather up the photos of everybody's completed models to include in an article for publication in a hobby magazine. I can't make any guarantees, but I've had good luck seeing my stuff in print in the past.

  2. Hello, all!

    I hope everybody has had an enjoyable Labor Day, and are enjoying their labors on their Flash Gordon kits! There are some updates I'd like to share with you as we enter the final month of The Great Flash Gordon Community Build.

    Since I started the thing, I'll go first: finally got to the point where I gave up trying to post photos of my progress here, so I've posted WIP photos on my web site. If I post them here, the photos are simply too large. And, in my WIP gallery there are captions that explain what's going on.

    Next Steve Marciante, "bilikenmonster" on The Clubhouse forums, has done what they said couldn't be done: he has had made one piece glass helmets to replace the kit item. Steve's helmet will fit over Flash's head, which the two-piece plastic helmet can't. That means you could twist off the helmet from a completed figure and slip the new one on painlessly. Supplies of the glass helmets are running low; to quote Steve "...I think I have 4 left but I can get more..." At $16 each, these are a great addition to the model. Contact Steve for yours at: billikenmonster@gmail.com.

    Here's a bit of a surprise, but it only occurred to me after we started building: everybody please send me one or two good raw (meaning unedited) photos of their finished models. I plan to work up an article about the Community Build and submit it with all the photos to the IPMS/USA Journal. No guarantees that the article will get into print, but they've published three of mine this year already.

    This may put a strain on those of you who haven't got their models done yet and aren't sure they can get Flash Gordon finished by the October 1 deadline (I'm in that club). With all due respect to those who have finished their models, I'm willing to take a vote from everyone who has at least begun a kit. How many want to see the deadline extended and to what date? Mr. Marchiante suggested the end of October; anyone else?

  3. UPDATE: As we end the first month - and the first quarter - of The Great Flash Gordon Invitational Community Build, I'm happy to report that we have ten participants so far. On the HobbyTalk Modeling Forum, there is: ark undertaker, cajjunwolfman, deadmanincfan, mach7, Mark McGovern, rkoenn (who has already finished his model!), Roy Kirchoff, and scooke123. Several of these builders are also members of this forum, but billikenmonster is posting exclusively here. Finally, Roktman on this forum has stated his intention to join the community build. We also have a few guys who are following our progress even though they've said that they can't participate; we're happy to have them along for the ride.

    There's been a lot of activity on the HobbyTalk Modeling forum, and interest shown at The Clubhouse and FineScale Modeler Figures forums. The Universal Monster Army forum has been quiet, but I'll keep them in the loop, anyway.

  4. UPDATE:

     

    mach7 has posted WIP photos of his build on the HobbyTalk Modeling Forum, along with some insights on the styrene in which the model was cast. Also, halloweenfan 1978 has been posting his progress over at The Clubhouse.

    I haven't started the figure, yet. I'm working on a scratchbuilt diorama item. As soon as I have the thing put together, I'll post photos; WIPs would be meaningless at this stage, trust me.

  5. Ladies and Gentlemen:

    I have posted the suggestion on the HobbyTalk Modeling Forum that we organize a group build. This hadn't been done since 2014. The suggestion garnered some support; then it occurred to me that it might be fun to invite modelers from other forums to participate as well. So consider this your invitation to join the group build!

    The model selected is the Atlantis reissue (or an original kit, if you're so inclined) of Revell's Flash Gordon model kit. The group build will commence on June 1st, with a deadline of October 1st. Do whatever you wish with the model. Post your WIP photos and comments to this thread and I'll publish links among all the other forums involved so every participant can view everyone else's progress.

    The idea here is to see how many variations can be accomplished with the same model kit, promote figure modeling in our hobby, and of course, to have fun. The Great Flash Gordon Invitational Community Build is on! Are you in?

    Here are the other forums I've invited (I'm waiting to get placed on the FineScale Modeler Group Build calendar): The Clubhouse, the HobbyTalk Modeling Forum, and the Universal Monster Army. Hopefully we'll get the FSM forum soon.

  6. Ladies and Gentlemen:

    I have posted the suggestion on the HobbyTalk Modeling Forum that we organize a group build. This hadn't been done since 2014. The suggestion garnered some support; then it occurred to me that it might be fun to invite modelers from other forums to participate as well. So consider this your invitation to join the group build!

    The model selected is the Atlantis reissue (or an original kit, if you're so inclined) of Revell's Flash Gordon model kit. The group build will commence on June 1st, with a deadline of October 1st. Do whatever you wish with the model. Post your WIP photos and comments to the thread on the IPMS Group Builds forum and I'll publish links among all the other forums involved so every participant can view everyone else's progress.

    The idea here is to see how many variations can be accomplished with the same model kit, promote figure modeling in our hobby, and of course, to have fun. The Great Flash Gordon Invitational Community Build is on! Are you in?

    Here are the other forums I've invited (I'm waiting to get placed on the FineScale Modeler Group Build calendar): The Clubhouse, the HobbyTalk Modeling Forum, and the Universal Monster Army.

     

    UPDATE: I got tired of waiting to get on the FSM calendar and simply posted a thread on their Figures modeling forum:http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/5/t/171143.aspx.

  7. RG,

     

    I've been on forums where the group build was of one specific model. To me, that's the most interesting - it's fascinating to see how many variations different modelers can bring to the same kit. Sure, some people will consider that too limiting, but it's been done on the HobbyTalk Modeling Forum. I don't see how it could hurt to propose such a group build of one particular kit here; the kit would need to be relatively inexpensive, likely to be in most modelers' stashes, or at least readily available.

  8. Nice job, I love all those re-pops from various companies. These sci-fi kits were my first modeling love.

    Ditto. And thanks for sharing the fact that you don't always get it right the first time! I know I don't, but the articles in hobby magazines make it seem as though the authors never make a misstep. Encouraging to hear that other modelers aren't perfect, either. Oh, and your base is spectacular.

  9. ewahl,

     

    As I have heard many times before, a scenic base is not to be considered by figure judges. Once or twice when judging a contest, I've seen a nice base sway a decision between two equally well-done models. But for a base to be considered as part of the overall presentation, a figure model has to compete in another category. Hence my proposal here.

  10. Guys,

     

    Again, thanks for your thoughtful input.

     

    To answer Mike's question, I think the Nationals would be the ultimate goal for the addition of this category. In many respects, the way things are done at the Nats affects how they're done at local shows. For example, at the Judges meetings of local shows I have attended, frequently the general comment is made that National contest rules apply, except where the local club might allow sweeps or something like that.

     

    On the other hand, Dick and Gil have pointed out that the process of getting a category change for the National contest isn't easy. Trial runs for a "Single Figure with Base" would best be conducted at the local level, so it's success there would be a strong argument to the NCC. Dave, as I mentioned above, the one time my chapter offered the category we got a small but enthusiastic response. You're a figure modeler - if you knew that such a category would be judged at a show, would you build a model specifically for it?

  11. Guys,

     

    First, I must thank you for your thoughtful replies; I was expecting more terse comments with words of fewer syllables...

     

    Your concerns about confusion over this category are probably accurate and to be expected. I think that simple wording will solve many problems. For example, a host chapter might describe the Single Figure On Base category along these lines : "A single figure on a scenic base, judged as a whole". The contestants would have to decide for themselves whether a finished wood plaque constituted a "scenic base" or not. At some shows, the Single Figure On Base idea could be the criteria for a split among a large number of entries in a given Figure category.

     

    This category was tried a a local show a few years ago. As I recall, we didn't get very many entries by modelers who were aiming for the Single figure category, which I put down to it being the first time the category had ever been tried. But the contestants we did get were very enthused about it. Unfortunately, the club opted not to list the category again.

  12. Would judging a fig and the base as a single entry not be better described as a "diorama" or "vignette"? Aren't there already categories for these remarkable pieces of workmanship?

    Not really, Dick. The issue is that "Vignettes" are often defined as a composition with no less than two and no more than five figures. I've heard some very strong opinions at local shows that single figures cannot be considered in that category. And "Dioramas" seem to be universally defined as a composition with five or more figures. Therefore, under current rules, a single figure must either compete with no consideration for its base in the appropriate Figures category, or else it must compete in Miscellaneous against other types of models.

     

    In every contest I've ever judged, we have been instructed to ignore the bases of models in the regular Figures categories. If Vignettes and Dioramas are closed to a single figure entry as well, the only alternative I can see is a "Single Figure With Base" (probably all types and scales), which would be added to the Figures class.

  13. It's been a long time since I've been on this forum, but there's been a sore point that's been bugging me long enough to reactivate my account. It has to do with the exclusion of a figure's base for consideration by judges at IPMS and other model competitions. In my humble opinion, a base that has been as competently done as the figure only enhances the overall presentation. Indeed, many kits include a base that requires as much or more work to complete than the figure, yet that aspect of the project must be ignored by the contest judges. In some cases, the stand-alone figure could hardly compete without the kit base - consider the classic Aurora Bride of Frankenstein or Moebius Models' kit of The Mummy. The parts count for the bases actually outnumber those for the figures; these are extreme cases, but why should any parts that come with a kit be discounted at contest time?

     

    Under current IPMS rules, a single figure and its base can only be judged together (I'm thinking here of the 1-2-3, rather than the Open judging systems) in these categories:

    • "Vignette" - but only if the host chapter defines a vignette as one to five figures; often the lower number is two figures. Since the vignette must also have a story-telling element, that leaves an otherwise well-constructed single figure and its base out of the running.
    • "Miscellaneous" - now a single figure and its base can be judged together, but against almost any other type of model. The judges, in effect, must compare apples and oranges.

    My proposal is for an extra category in the Figures Class, "Figure With Base". It would simply include the base for judging along with the figure. There will still be figure builders who not want to have the presentation of their models judged - some military subjects and large-scale Garage Kit models, I would think, and they are already covered by the existing categories. This new category would level the playing field for those modelers whose kits include elaborate bases or who choose to go the extra mile with scratchbuilding.

  14. I think ideas like this come if A: somebody is interested enough to find a constructive solution to a problem and B: if that somebody's chapter is supportive. In this case, as long as my idea for a new figure category didn't adversely affect the aircraft and armor guys they were fine with it. Good enough for me, good enough for the figure builders I spoke with, and no adverse effects on the aircraft and armor models!

     

     

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