Andrea Press

The Complete Bill Horan

by  Bill Horan

Reviewed By  Dave Morrissette, IPMS# 33653

MSRP: $95.00 ($83.00 on the street) ISBN: 84-96527-35-2 . 978-849652735-5 www.andrea-miniatures.com Bill Horan is one of the few people in modeling (in this case miniature figures) that has become an icon while still alive, so much so that this volume is about him, his kits and method of making the kits. Mr. Horan is well known for his conversions and scratch built 54mm figures. This book chronicles his amazing career from its start to the current time. The book begins with an intro by Shep Paine and some of his observations about Mr. Horan and his incredible work. A short biography follows and when I was reading this, I realized Bill Horan is a young 49. He has produced an amazing amount of work of impeccable quality at a very young age! The next three sections show the process by which his figures are created. There is an example of a solo figure (Yogi Berra), a mounted figure (a Private of the 21st Lancers) and a three figure vignette (1870 Siege of Metz). Each of these shows the progress from balls of clay to positioning to building up parts to detailing. Each section is also finished with a painting section. One interesting note, Mr. Horan uses Humbrol enamels to paint, which is not what I would have expected, but it looks wonderful. Each of these chapters is a work of art on its own, and he explains his tools, process and materials during each. The last 2/3 of the book is dedicated to Mr. Horan's miniatures, with superb pictures taken of many of his works. These sections are broken down by time the year the piece was made and include captions for the pictures. The depth of his research and passion is obvious from his historical figures and vignettes to his many baseball figures. Each of the baseball players is captured in a unique pose representing that player. From Shoeless Joe Jackson to Joe DiMaggio, there are a host of excellent pictures. One thing that strikes me is the emotion and movement that Mr. Horan is able to get in characters that are no more than 54mm high. The facial expressions are fantastic! So are the paint jobs. This book is gorgeous and a wonderful insight into one of the modern masters of figure painting. From the "How-To's" through the figures themselves, you can spend hours looking at the detail and wonder of these captured moments in history. I can recommend this book with no reservations to all fans of the art form. Thanks to Andrea Press and IPMS for giving me the chance to review the book and also to Mr. Horan for inspiring figure modelers to enjoy the hobby and to excel.

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