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June 8, 2001
OVER THE HUMP...Well, here it is June already, which means 2001 is halfway gone now. My how time flies when you're hip deep in glue and paints, uh!?!!
WONDERFEST just concluded and ALL the boards and message forums are enthusiastically buzzing with everyone's stories and up-beat tales!! Once again there were a few who stated there "...just wasn't that much new this time around", and have to admit that statement still bothers me.
Not to worry, I won't go into another rant!
I'd just really wish they'd quantify that statement more thoroughly, like... "Just wasn't that much new in the (insert favorite genre here) area", or "...that much new in my price range", or something!!! The reason being is that I was re-arranging my 'New Release' page the last two days, putting all the new kits into categories for the annual GLUIE Awards, and the total number of kits I have listed up to June came in at 134 Garage kits.
(25 Busts, 20 Female, 22 Ships/Vehicles, 9 Props, 23 Horror, 31 Fantasy and 4 Science Fiction, if you really wanna know the break down).
So I'm not really sure what folks mean when they make that statement?! Could it be, because of the Internet, that many folks see all these kits on the web long before the shows come around, and by the time they do see them in the flesh they just assume they're old stock?
Maybe they're referring to 'show surprises'??! I know the news of MOJORESIN's new 'Adam West BATMAN' figure wasn't known til this weekend. If that's the case, then yeah, I guess there wasn't much in the way of surprise kits suddenly showing up. I know it was a real treat for me to spy the FIGHTING MONK STUDIOS' 'Animated Batman' at the last CHILLER and kinda made the whole experience memorable.
Maybe this act of secrecy is a pretty neat marketing tool for upcoming kits and their producers? Let the Modeling Masses spread their excitement and news of new kits via word of mouth (e-mails?) upon their return, thus creating waves of enthusiasm that will result in those of us that couldn't attend that particular show that much more incentive to open our wallets and order these kits? Or better yet, entice more folks that don't normally attend modeling conventions to make it a point to attend the next one?
Since CHILLER usually holds the first and last major show of the season, though, this isn't really good for WF or IMAGINE NATION which come in the middle of the year, unless producers hold back on a kit or two during the April CHILLER. maybe? Or the Producers figure out which of them attend each particular show and organize a scheduled Kit Release plan that covers all the shows? (Don't mind me, I'm just thinking as I type, here!) :)
Maybe do what Steve Iverson did with 'The Fly' kit... dribble out sneak peeks and then the box artwork a day or two before the show so that only those attending that particular show see the entire kit first hand there on his table? He did sell five of the eight he brought!! (Did Mark buy one, Steve??!) Again, might not be fair to those that don't or can't attend the shows, but one has to admit that the enthusiasm displayed on many message boards AFTER a show is pretty enthusiastic!!
...and 'sneak peeks' work very well for the movie industry!! Food for thought?
I will tell ya all that I'm really happy at all the kits folks did list as buying at the show! Of the many I've seen to date, there were at least 7 or 8 kits in the list per person, so that's great to hear!!
And speaking of the last rant back in Sprue #6, about the one dude who was the MOST verbal after CHILLER got over... you know, the guy who didn't even attend that show, but still berated it and Kit Producers?!! Well, guess whose table remained unattended throughout WONDERFEST!!??!
I don't know... maybe all the stock he casted up for the show suddenly had to be used up for a massive mail-order request and he didn't have anything left to sell at the show??! Yeah, that's it!!
Man, ya gotta love this hobby, don'tcha!!?!! :)
Around the hobby...
Rumors heard that Jerry Gustafson of POLAR LIGHTS was similarly 'let go' from the company as they continue their draw down. Depending on which bulletin board system you go to, of course. On the POLAR LIGHTS' board Jerry is simply on 'vacation'... and if you go to this thread on the CLUBHOUSE (page down to Big Daddy Dave's post), Jerry got bumped in order to get David Metzner back on the staff, who, as the story goes, was laid off from HobbyLand due to draw downs!!
Is David's return now that Lisa is gone coincidental... will Suzi get pregnant with Tom's baby and have to be shipped to a monastery in Tijuana... why does Brian walk around with that Michael Myers kitchen knife all the time!!?! Is HE pregnant?! And are the rumors of LAPCO getting all the casting responsibilities for future PL product really true??! Sheesh, we should publish a freaking tabloid available at your local Supermarket check-out stands just so we can track all these Soap Operas??!!
Unfortunately, if true about Jerry being let go, don't think most of the folks know how to contact him to let him know he'll be missed. I know Jerry helped me a lot of times during his tour there, and the extensive work he accomplished making the C-57D a reality makes this dismissal really un-fucking-believable!!
[sigh]
Ed 'Diceman' Bowkley got a lovely, heartfelt email back from the infamous David Merriman!! Subject matter concerned Model Contests and how 'professional' entries should be treated at same.
Now I read the 'Rec.Models.Scale' newsgroup everyday, and it's surprising that just the other day I was wondering where ol' Davey was?! I mean there must have been six or seven really juicy threads that have gone up over the past few weeks that are just homing grounds for Dave's usual replies, and yet he's been mysteriously absent?!?!! And then wam-O!! Outta the blue!!
Well, let it be known that it's good to at least know the guy's around and breathing!! :)
Happy as bat dip that everyone who attended WF arrived back safe and sound!! A hearty thank you to everyone who posted photo's and their crazy antics for all of us to share!!
Til next week...