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Round 2 Model Kits: DO… YOU… WANT… TO…PLAY… A… GAME…?
This may not turn into “Global Thermal Nuclear War” (well at least I hope it doesn’t), but I always like to post about things I’m kind of jazzed about when I’m working on Round 2 model kits. Usually when there is a lull in posts, it is because I’m busy working on a package or instruction sheet. Both are major time hogs but generally aren’t much to talk about. So when inspiration hits, I always try to write something out real quick.
Anyways, I’ve been working on some decals this week that have been pretty fun. Rather than come right out with it, I figured I’d make a game out of it. (Michael, our new creative director LOVES games. I hope he is proud of me.) So, the pic shows what I’ve been up to. I’ll give you twenty guesses as to what it is. Whoever correctly guesses first is the winner. I’ll send the winner a proof of the decal sheet when it arrives.
UPDATE: OUR WINNER… CHIANGKAISHECKY
I knew it wouldn’t take long but I figured I would have to drop at least one hint. We are bringing the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C back out by the end of the year and it will feature a nice size decal sheet featuring ALL NEW battle damage decals based on the original filming model. When I first started figuring out how much I would be able to include, I discovered that the ship was pockmarked with relatively small spots of damage. Once I had a map established, I discovered that if I concentrated on the hull opening itself but not include the black burn marks, I would be able to include every spot I could detect in the reference I had on hand. I figured most modelers could handle the little bit of freehand airbrushing that would be needed to complete the look. Even without the additional airbrushing, they look pretty good on their own. I’m showing one of the decals below along with the reference shot and how it will look with a little airbrushing.
Besides revised Enterprise-C registry markings, U.S.S. Yamaguchi registries will also be included. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like I will have room on the sheet for the U.S.S. Excalibur registries. The sheet size is determined by the bottom of the box and it looks like it will be pretty well packed. We will have a product page up our website soon.
Star Trek Models: 2012 Release Discussion
Round 2 Models announced at Wonderfest that we’ll be bringing back the Deep Space Nine kit in 2012. (working on a video of our presentation and hope to have it up soon) I mentioned our idea to inject it in clear plastic. Some liked the idea, some didn’t. I just took a look at the kit again today and it seems like a good candidate to do in that treatment. What say you?
I’ve seen conflicting reports about the DS9 kit scale. Some say its 1:3300, the box says 1:2500, my calculations say 1:3700. Thoughts?
If we wanted to throw in a small scale Defiant, would you rather see it in perfect scale with the Space Station or in 1:2500 to match our Cadet Series kits?
Next question is what ships would you like to see introduced in 1:2500 scale? I’m thinking Reliant, Voyager or we could go TOS and do the Romulan Bird of Prey. What enemy ships would you like to see in that scale? We wouldn’t be looking at the larger ships like Akira right now. I’m looking for subjects that we could do as kits with lower price points like our existing Cadet Series ships. The smaller they are at 1:2500 scale, the more we can do sooner rather than later.
What do you think of the little Klingon Bird of Prey and Ferengi Marauder kits that were included in the adversary set? They may be returning soon as well.
I’m all ears. The topic of the DS9 kit and suggestions for little kits is on the table. Your input on these Star Trek models counts. Let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: bringing up these questions in no way guarantees future product selections. Everything should be considered hypothetical until you see a kit on the shelves.
Round 2 Model Kits: This just in…
It seems like I can go on for months doing packaging artwork for our Round 2 model kits or working up PR plans and not have anything of great import to share on the blog. It sucks because I like to show the progress on stuff when I can. I received a package in the mail today that I thought would draw a little interest. Then I looked at what else was sitting around on my desk and thought, “hey, that’s not a bad lot of this and that.” So, there it is.
First, the thing that came in today is the mockup of the Lief Ericson. This is essentially the proof of concept model that the factory developed. Essentially, what it shows is that they understand and can execute all of the tooling changes I asked for to the UFO tooling. Usually, no tooling work is done at this point but this case may be an exception. I believe they are showing test shots for the first time of the clear parts. I hadn’t seen them before now but they’ve had the file long enough and the parts look crystal clear. I’ll be checking on that over night.
I’m also showing the Batmobile snap buildup that arrived the other day. Mike Wherry put this together from a resin mockup and parts from the early test shots. He did an awesome job especially the way he handled the striping. I’ll need to touch up some spots in photoshop including adding the doorbats, etc. The Corvette came in the same shipment. The Batmobile snap box is a package mockup that you’ve probably seen before (Makes for a bigger picture though).
Lastly, you see the Dark Shadows boxes. Barnabas comes from Tom L’s collection. The Werewolf is new to us. We found it just as we needed it. I haven’t started retouching the werewolf yet but I did Barney a while back. Anyone with appreciation for photoshop work should note that I edited out all of that type on the side of the box in order to re-typeset it. It was a bit of a challenge. Like I said. Some of this stuff isn’t so exciting…
Oh, one more thing. We like to put up polls on our website but we haven’t updated it in a while. The Batmobile buildup inspired one that will let you give us a little input on the final kit. Check it out on the Round 2 Models homepage.
Polar Lights Models: 1966 Batmobile Snap Kit Update
After a month of work, our factory has revised the tooling of our new 1966 Batmobile snap kit. The first test shots had their share of problems that was to be expected from a brand new tool. There is still work to do. The body still needs some blemishes worked out and more polishing. There are still a few fit and assembly issues to work out but all in all, the kit is really starting to shape up.
So here it is folks, for all intents and purposes, this is what it looks like. Like I said, we’ll still do some refining here and there. I also forgot to go ahead and glue in some parts that weren’t snapping. So fear not about the missing fire extinguisher. You know it’ll be there.
Star Trek Model Kits: Wonderfest Count Down. 2…
Today, I’m placing the focus back on Star Trek model kits. Some times we get to a point in our development plan when we have to figure out “is this kit worth doing?”. Or in the case of today’s kits “what could we do to this kit to make it worth doing?”. We have to weigh the expense of course. In the case of today’s first kit, our appetite was originally bigger than our mouth…
U.S.S. Enterprise 1701D 1:1400 scale. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this one before. Essentially the story goes like this. We wanted to eliminate the inaccurate raised detail from the ship, fix up some other details here and there, add a new base and add a set of Aztec decals. What we found out was that the raised details were probably added by the same means that the raised panels were added to the original AMT Enterprise Refit. We were told that the tools could not be modified this intensely and that new tools would be needed. The cost of which could have bought us two or three other entirely new kits. In addition to that, the mechanics of one of the tools was also substantially damaged. In the end, we canceled that iteration of the ship. So we took a step back and said “is there anything we could do with this kit at all?” After all, it is one of the most well known versions of the ship. After some serious thought, we thought about the requests we get for clear versions of various Star Trek ships. We figured, we’d fix the mechanical part, inject it in clear, fix up a couple fit issues here and there and add in our signature decals. So that’s what we’ve done. We’ll have our buildup with prototype decals on it as well as a clear test shot built on display at the show.
We’ll also have a prototype buildup of our new release of the U.S.S. Reliant. Again, we’ve invested in some key revisions in this kit. We have thickened the saucer, eliminated the inaccurate lines around the edge of the saucer as well as the “window” pock marks on the forward bulkhead and lastly, added ridge detail around the bridge dome that had been missing for unknown reasons. On top of all that, we are adding a new base which is essentially a bigger version of the one included in our 1:1000 scale Refit. To keep the price of the kit reasonable, we have decided to leave out the Aztec decals from this release and offer them as a separate item. The kit still includes all of the expected markings, etc. We’ve done our best to make this kit, if not 100% accurate, at least more appealing.
I’ve said before that The Reliant is probably my favorite Star Trek ship but of the enemy vessels, one has always really appealed to me. That is the Klingon Bird of Prey. I like it for the polar opposite reasons why I like its Romulan ancestor. The Klingon ship show conveys the aggression that is synonymous with its people. We’ve added some new and significant parts to this little birdie. First, we have adjusted the baffle angles to match the stance in Star trek III: The Search For Spock. In cruising mode, the wings raise above horizontal and as much as I like the aggressive attack stance, the original kit took it a touch to far. On top of that, we’ve decided to include a brand new “pose” for the kit- a “landed” pose. For the first time, the kit will include all of the parts to show the ship in its landed stance as seen in ST3 complete with ramp and a third set of wing baffles. We’ll add a little bit of real estate onto the decal sheet to finish it off. We will have a buildup of the adjusted wing angles and mockup parts of the landing gear to show off.
Tomorrow… Batmobile.
Round 2 Model Kits: China Trip – Day 4
I’m starting to write this one a little earlier and I feel well rested and ready for the day. The next two days will be spent at Doallser. Like I said, I am more familiar with the people here. This factory produces our Round 2 Models kits and Peanuts Forever Fun product. It seems to be an excellent company to be partnered with.
The owner, Mr. Dasam Hsu, takes a genuine interest in the well being of his employees. He has begun team building and wellness programs for them. He wants them to care for one another and work well as a team. They even take a break every day at 4:00 for dancing and back rubbing. It is quite a thing to see with line workers lined up front to back each rubbing the back of the worker in front of them. I saw training to use a fire extinguisher today. At first I thought it was kind of odd but then I thought about it. We take for granted that having a fire extinguisher nearby is good enough. I can’t recall ever trying one myself though. It seems like good practical training to me.
I was honored to meet our customer service staff- Grace and Fay, who communicate with me daily about model kit progress; Beckie who keeps us updated about our Forever Fun products; and Cola, who handles our die cast product (I think) with our guys back at the office. They seemed very interested to meet me but were quite timid. I was told that they might be shy but that they would be able to overcome this. Each greeted me in English. They fear that they don’t speak English well enough, but I understood everything they said (in English) the great majority of the time. They understood me most of the time and they have always written very well. They were intrigued by (but too timid to touch) my “whiskers”. They giggled to each other at the prospect. They were very proud to point out our product as we saw it on our initial tour of the factory and they were very anxious to talk with me directly about our projects. I have been looking forward to meeting these young ladies. It is always easier to deal with people where you can put a face to a name and email chatter. I started to sweat when they asked about learning Chinese. I had told them I would try to learn a little bit before I came. I had listened to a couple quick lesson on the internet the other night and I made up a small cheat sheet with me and received a couple more giggles because my notes weren’t written phonetically well enough. They set me right though and taught me how to say “China” and “watermelon” in Chinese. I wonder what I will learn tomorrow.
The facility is organized with a lot going on. Recent upgrades in technology in different areas have really raised their capabilities. We had been recently informed of their new CNC milling machine and electrostatic clean room for decorating high end collectible products. They have also purchased a larger format injection machine to inject our model kits.
Right now, they are running the new 1:32 scale 1966 Batmobile Collector’s Edition Tin, Double Dragster and K-7 Space Station kits. They have one final assembly/ packaging line that is devoted to our product. It was fun to see stacks of Batmobile boxes and bins full of bagged parts waiting to come together like a Reece’s peanut butter cup. Mmm… yummy model kits. No sooner had my camera let me down but then the batteries completely konked out on me. It was late in the day before I got more pics. I did take a video of some of the production lines. I’ll find a way to quickly edit them and put them out once I get back.
Dasam showed me some very special projects they are working on and they are AMAZING. Unfortunately, I am sworn to secrecy. I can say precision die cast fans would be impressed. The biggest one is a limited commercial project so I’m not sure if the majority of the public will ever get to see it. I hope so though.
After a long day at the factory, we ended up at dinner with the whole crew. I think besides knowing about the working conditions, I would expect everyone to be curious about real Chinese food. This was the third night in a row for me to eat Chinese. I was hoping to have something else but I think I liked tonight’s meal the best. I’m not sure if I could say why though. I have tried everything on the table and was complimented tonight on my bravery by Dasam’s sister, Amy. Along the way, the dishes have ranged from tofu dishes to BBQ pork, fish with the heads and tails on the dish and almost everything in between. I figure why not, the least that could happen is that I wouldn’t take a second bite of something.
I think the strangest thing I ate was last night and that was a red bean dish. I think it was served as a desert. It was the consistency of a soup and was somewhat sweet. The impression it left me was that it was kind of like a soup version of red velvet cake. It took me a few bites to decide if I liked it or not. I finally decided that I’m not a fan.
The best thing was probably last night also and it was a vegetable similar to a fork sized celery stalk almost like an elongated cabbage. I can’t remember what it was called. It was served in a buttery sauce. There have only been very few dishes that I would say I didn’t like and even then it is kind of a mild dislike.
All in all, it isn’t “crazy” food. There is a lot of variety. Compared to Chinese food at home, it is a bit more subtle. The tastes don’t really bang you over your head like at home. There aren’t many dishes with really spicy hot or sweet sauces. It is a more mellow food. Chinese dishes are brought to the table one after another until they have all been delivered. You start with what is first placed on the table and then eat the other dishes as they arrive every few minutes. Dishes are placed on a lazy susan so everyone can reach it. You eat from a tea cup sized bowl and you take just a few bites worth from the center dishes. It is difficult to really know how much you have eaten yourself. It is a very different way to eat with no sense of urgency what so ever.
I’ve eaten everything without asking what it is. Most times I was told first but not always. I’ve eaten so many different things and understood so little about what was in it that I can’t tell you everything that I’ve eaten. I’ve been a brave little monkey on this trip and I’m sure I’ll be ready for a hamburger once I get home.
Round 2 Model Kits: Leaving On A Jet Plane
Hi all. I know I’ve been pretty irregular with blog posts lately. The main reason has been we have started a system to really keep us on track with our release dates. This has caused us to have to do a whole lot of work up front to get a jump on everything. I hope to have some interesting stuff to write up real soon. It is just a matter of getting over this hump. I hope to be able to do the ten-day lead up to Wonderfest again this year.
One of the other reasons I have been so pressed for time is that besides getting everything on track with our deadlines, I’m also making a trip to China. I may even be on a plane by the time this blog gets posted. I’ll finally be able to see Round 2 model kits being made first hand. I’m wondering if there is anything you guys would like to see some pics of. I’ll definitely be hanging out in the factory for a few days. I hope to do a little blogging while I’m there. We’ll see how it goes.
Round 2 Model Kits: On the Air
We were recently invited to be guests on a radio show out west. I know you are thinking “why us”? and that’s exactly what we thought too. It turns out that Steve Kates hosts a radio program out west called the Dr. Sky show. It is a show about all aspects of space from real science to science fiction and pretty much everything in between. He contacted us to see if we would be interested in coming on his show and discussing some of our Round 2 model kits. To be honest, we were a little weary, not of Dr. Sky but ourselves. Bob can talk at the drop of a hat (though he won’t admit it) and I usually clam up under pressure. We felt like it was an opportunity that we just couldn’t pass up.
Feel free to give it a listen. You can download our interview here.
Round 2 Model Kits: A Genuine Article
I may have noted here or elsewhere that we are open to posting articles written by modeling fans on our website. The subject could be about any Round 2 model kit. It sometimes takes a while to get them edited and posted up but it is a great way to share insights with others about our kits.
The article can basically be about anything. If you want to review a new kit, write about an advanced modeling or want to talk about the history behind any given kit, feel free to submit a pitch. We ask that you be able to write well, take nice photographs as needed to communicate your story and be willing to take a little bit of direction if we feel something could be tweaked about the article itself. What do you get in return? Why kits, of course.
Be sure to see our website for past articles by Bob, Jim Small, Mark Budniewski, Kurt Brown, and myself. They cover many aspects of modeling but there are an infinite number of topics to explore. Take a look in our ARTICLES or WORKBENCH sections of the website.
Round 2 reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to use or not use any submitted Material. Any parties submitting any idea or written or photographic material (“Material”) warrants that the Material is original with the submitter and does not infringe the copyright or other right of any third party. Further, the submitter agrees that, by submitting the Material, Round 2 or its affiliates and assignees have submitter’s consent to use the Material in any manner whatsoever without further consent or authorization or without compensation to the submitter. By submitting the Material, submitter releases Round 2 or any affiliated party from any liability to submitter or any third party, and in the case of any claim by a third party, submitter agrees to indemnify Round 2.
Round 2 Model Kits, WeTube… see what I did there?
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