AURORA's Metaluna Mutant

Metaluna Mutant Model Kit Illustration
Original Art (Aurora, 1974).

Having found great success with the Monster Scenes, Comic Scenes, and Prehistoric Scenes model kits, Aurora planned to produce a series of Science Fiction Scenes.

These models were to include the Time Machine, the "War of the Worlds" spaceship, Gort from "The Day The Earth Stood Still," Robby the Robot, and the Metaluna Mutant from "This Island Earth." Although artwork and even a few prototypes were produced, the line never came to pass!

Seen on eBay, here is artwork prepared by comic great Dave Cockrum, presumably as a guide to the sculptor in creating a 3-D version of this monster. Cockrum provided extensive text notes on the various details of the creature's appearance. Signed by Cockrum in the lower right corner, this artwork measures 11" x 13.75". (Photo & description taken from an eBay auction)

This painting was posted by
Lee Lee on Facebook.

Lee tells us that this image appears on the
Aurora DVD 'The Monsters That Shook The
World'... the section with Andy Yanchus talking
about the late Dave Cockrum.

(5/2019)



Metaluna Mutant Model
Acetate sculpt (sold on eBay).

In the early 2000's, the acetate sculpture of the Metaluna Mutant appeared on eBay and was bought by Phil C.



The Phil Ceparano / Al Reboiro
limited resin release

In 2002, Phil & Al teamed up to offer a resin version. It was to be
limited editions and each would receive the kit and a "Certificate
of Authenticity".

(update) Al wrote and said, "A total of 26 Mutant kits were produced in 2002.
13 were sold to list members. The others were either proofs, gifts
to friends and personal copies. You didn't think Phil and myself wouldn't
keep a few for ourselves?"

(thanks to Face Book, Hobby Talk & the Yahoo Aurora group)



The 2017 Styrene version

In April 2017, a styrene version of the Metaluna Mutant
was spotted at CHILLER.

Here's what I've gathered:

Phil C. walks into CHILLER's vendor area with a shopping bag containing 4
of the kits, (11 more are in his car), in one hand and a build-up of the Metaluna
Mutant in his other. He then proceeds to go to a few vendor's, (who we're
all familiar with), and inquires if they'd like to sell said kit from their tables.

He knows the cost that has to be covered, what he'd like to make above
that, and asks each one what profit margin they'd like to get?

Chuck H. tells us, "I was at Chiller and bought one of these kits. It is an injection
molded styrene kit. The base is new to this release. There are no decals or box,
just a bagged kit. There are actually 110* in existence as of now."

Robb R. says, "The reason why there is only 110* is that the molds did not last,
they were damaged while running more. They only got the 100 or so sets out and
thats it for those molds."

(* hearing now it was actually 107.)

Tom P.: "Apparently one of the two dozen or so castings done by Al Rebeiro
back in 2001 were sent to China where it was scanned, tweaked, engineered,
broken down, etc, then tooled."

"Parts breakdown does NOT match that of the original pattern, BUT arms
are jointed/moveable at the elbows (and of course they rotate at the shoulders)
and the pincers/claws are separate parts and also moveable. There ARE
some fit issues, but no worse than on a vintage Aurora. Apparently these are
the equivalent of "test shots" but the tooling was never tweaked."

Phil: "Mr. Lee showed up at my house & says, are you Phil,
the monster guy, and pulls out a mutant kit. I said where did this
come from, & how did you get this?"

"He's not a model guy. I think he got ahold of a resin kit, knew about the
value of it... sent it to China with someone, had a mold made, he said
& shot the kits."

"He would have had more made but he says high pressure damaged the
mold after 107 kits. I was asked to help sell the kits because I sold the
12 resin kits years ago."

"I have had them for about 5 weeks before Chiller. I think its great to have a
styrene kit, since I never built my resin kit. Will he have the mold repaired?
I HOPE so!"

The different color versions seen so far...
red versiongray version
blue version
glow version
In October 2020, Phil had a box made up to go with it!

So, there you have it! I think it's a great looking piece!

In November 2021, Steve (CultTVMan) informed us that Atlantis will
be coming out with this kit on Mar 30th, 2022.

It's HERE!

Buc - (May 2022)

Junk Drawer | Phil's Collection