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| Aurora Penguin Kit, circa 1968. A bit dusty, with cigarette and umbrella missing |
Back in the late 1960s, I starting to get interested in model kits, starting first with Airfix Spitfire aircraft and Royal Navy ships, and then progressing to acquiring the TV-series-related models advertised on the back of US comics, following the acquisition of the Stingray kit as previously advertised in TV21.
I remember then getting the Seaview submarine (from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea), and then my fancy was taken by the adverts for the Aurora kits of DC heroes (Batman, Robin, Superboy, etc) and villains. Throughout this period, my Dad was the one making and painting the kits for me, as I leaned over his shoulder and breathed in the smell of the glue…
I have no clue what happened to most of the kits (probably sold to the guy who ran the Timeslip shop in Fawcett Rd in Southsea in the early 1980s), but as luck would have it, I still have The Penguin kit (plus box and instructions). The kit was purchased from the Fratton Bargain shop in Fratton Rd, Portsmouth around 1968.
Around the mid 1970s my pal Geoff Cousins had a go at repainting the model to more closely approximate the dress of Burgess Meredith as the Penguin, and did a pretty good job (IMHO).
I was very impressed by the quality and detail of the rendering of Burgess Meredith as the Penguin, and was very disappointed by lack of detail and realism of the Batman kit that Aurora re-issued around 1974.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the differences in detail between the Penguin kit and the other Aurora kits? Just compare the facial detail on the Penguin kit with the facial detail on the Batman kit issued at the same time. Like night and day.
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Here’s the box, instructions, a few transfers and the original tube 50+ year old Humbrol 77 model cement. |
As you can see from the photo at the top of the blog, the kit itself is a little bit worse for wear (Penguin cigarette holder missing and umbrella handle missing) and dusty but I’m sure could be restored to prime condition.
I remember seeing these advertised in the comics back in the day and always thought they looked amazing. Seeing your model they certainly don't disappoint. I never bought any of these particular kits but recall being very tempted when I saw a series of Aurora kits around 1975 with the Hulk, Spider-man, Superman , Tarzan etc that came with free comics.The Tarzan model came with a Neal Adams 8 page comic that I always wanted to see (ditto Spidey that came with a Romita comic).
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing those ads for the
DeleteMarvel Aurora kits around 1975 McScotty, but never saw them in the shops around my way. I think the only mid-70s kit I got was that disappointing Batman re-issue. That Neal Adams comic with the Tarzan kit intrigued me, as I’ve been recently collecting those Tarzan paperbacks from the early 70s purely for the Neal Adams covers. I wonder if there is any connection?
Those Adams Ballantyne Tarzan book covers are amazing . I found this article from Comic Book Creator (18) on Adams work on Tarzan and although the Aurora and Ballantyne work were both completed in the same time period (1974 and 1975 respectively) there doesn’t seem to have been a direct link to them both.
DeleteComic Book Creator issue 18 (2018)
https://13thdimension.com/neal-adams-swings-with-his-jungle-man/
Thanks for that link McScotty. I’ll see if I can back order that issue of Comic Book Creator, which is a great magazine. As you say, those Tarzan covers were amazing, and I think some of his finest work.
DeleteI've got that Aurora Tarzan model, and as far as I know, it has the comicbook inside the box. Was given it a few years ago, but haven't built it yet, don't think I'll ever have the time now. There was an earlier attempt at a Tarzan model which was turned into Hercules & the Lion, as there was problems acquiring the licencing rights at the time. That Penguin model strikes me as having that same 'flat' quality as the Batman model. Perhaps it was easier to make the moulds if they were simpler?
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember that the Penguin kit had many more parts than the Batman kit, Kid (from probably a faulty memory, though). I take your point about it being easier to make the moulds for simpler production and construction.
DeleteThe Tarzan kit was definitely made back in the 60's just as was the Hercules with the lion. Two distinct kits.
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