SCALE MODEL NEWS

After problems last year with its owner, the Modelzone chain, Amerang is back with a bang in 2014, which is excellent news for all, as it includes the Kosho diecast range (1:18 scale 1959 Le Mans Triumph above) and plenty on offer for lovers of science-fiction and fantasy miniatures. Mat Irvine: Amerang, the model and collectible import and distribution company (stand logo above) hit the headlines last year when it got entangled with the demise of the model shop chain, Modelzone. This was because Modelzone owned Amerang, so when the parent company got into terminal financial problems, it didn’t look good for Amerang itself. However, help was at hand from one of the oldest UK model companies, Ripmax. Ripmax specialises mostly in radio-control planes, helicopters, ships, and cars, so adding Amerang’s diverse catalogue to the existing range was a logical move. Consequently Amerang is back up and running, and had its usual stand at the London Toy Fair 2014. As you can see here, Amerang de...

SMN report: More Batmobilia today, with this totally over the top 1:6 scale Tumbler model from Sideshow Collectibles. This really is about the biggest, baddest, and best Tumbler we’ve come across so far. Wallet-buster It's fair to say though, that this Tumbler does come with a price to match those three Bs - a gulping hazard-to-your-wallet $469.99 USD. However, if you’re into Batstuff, then you might think of this large - 737 mm (29 in) long - replica as a good investment, and in fact Sideshow offers an installment plan if a cash purchase is out of the question. What do you get for your money? So what does this Tumbler-extreme have to offer? Well, the general spec is pretty much up to what you would expect, with a cockpit packed with detail that includes a particularly convincing head-up display. The cockpit is also the right size for a separately available 1:6 scale Batman figure to take command in the sculptured seat. There’s room in the passenger seat for a second figure if you ...

Mat Irvine reports If there was one thing that the original Aurora Plastic Company of Hempstead, Long Island, was famous for, it was monster figures. Other companies may have done figure kits, some may have had similar subjects, but it was Aurora that became synonymous with these creatures of the night. Monsters DVD The original Aurora company is long gone - as dead as most of its monsters - and as long ago as 1976, most of the tooling that survived was acquired by Monogram. But Aurora certainly hasn’t been forgotten. And to this end, enthusiasts Dennis Vincent and Cortlandt Hull bring you ‘The Aurora Monsters’ - the DVD. With extras, this provides two hours of stories and interviews with people associated with creating the Aurora monster legend, all hosted by Zacherley the Cool Ghoul, with Gorgo the Gargoyle. What's on the disc? To UK TV viewers, Zacherley’s name will almost certainly be unfamiliar, but in the US, particularly in earlier years, his was the face that introduced all...