Model Art Co, Ltd

Model Art Modeling Magazine #711, September 2006

by  author

Reviewed By  Patrick Keenan, IPMS# 31192

MSRP: Approximately $8.50 USD (1000 Yen) The first thought I had when I looked at this magazine was "Holy Guacamole", I can't read Japanese! How am I supposed to do a review on it?" People say pictures are worth a thousand words AND this magazine does have a load of photos; so, I figured I'd give it the "old college try". With that being said, when reading my review, please remember the important fact that I since I can't read Japanese, any comment I make regarding the magazine's lack of English content is NOT a negative facet of the publication, but a limitation of mine, the reviewer. However, being that I am a non-Japanese speaker and that most of the IPMS/USA readership also probably fits in this same category, I felt it was VERY important to review the publication as it will seen by a majority of the main audience of this review; as non-Japanese speakers/readers. Now on to the review…. For those of you who have never seen one of Model Art's Modeling Magazines, the format is VERY similar to Fine Scale Modeler. It has "features", small build articles, new kit news, special "departments" (air, armor, auto, etc), and a bunch of advertisements for cool new products. Model Art's size is a bit shorter in length and narrower than traditional American magazines, but it is THICK with tons of large, high quality glossy photographs. The text is entirely in Japanese with only a few English words, mostly some of the article headings. There is no English summary, so I can only imagine what the text "said". To be honest, I was very disappointed I couldn't read these articles because they looked to be excellent as evidenced by the photos that are present. The one good thing is that the Japanese language uses the traditional Arabic numbering system, so one can determine the scale of each model, and many times you can identify a particular vehicle (i.e. He-162) The contents of Issue number 711 is as follows: Model Features  · CVN-68 USS Nimitz Aircraft Carrier Special - Includes many models of the Nimitz in different scales (Trumpeter 1/350 & Pit Road 1/700) and highlights and models of the Aircraft that flew off of her, including an 1/48 F-14A Tomcat of VF-84 "Jolly Rogers" and an F-18E of VF-41 "Black Aces"  · 1/350 Hasegawa Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyer Yukikaze (1940) New Kit Reviews  · 1/32 Special Hobby Morane-Saulnier Type N Monoplane  · 1/72 RS Models Nakajima Ki-27a & b and Manshu Ki-79a & b as well.  · 1/35 Bronco A34 Comet  · 1/35 Tamiya Char B1 bis  · 1/48 Tamiya He-162A "Salamander"  · 1/24 Ferrari F430 & F430 Spider (manufacturer unknown) Special Departments/Small Model Features (Examples Include)  · Report from Dragon-Expo 2006 from Anaheim, California  · He-162 Salamander "Photo Detail Album"  · Zero Fighter Illustrated (Color Drawings of Detail Parts of the Aircraft)  · JASDF T-2ccv aircraft  · 1/35 Dragon Sdkfz 234/4 Armored Car  · WW II Era "Z-Class" IJN Destroyers (Z23-Z39)  · "43 Garage" (a Section that specializes in 1/43 automobile kits) New Kit News (Examples Include)  · 1/72 Hasegawa JU-88A-4 Bomber  · 1/48 Hasegawa P-400 Airacobra  · 1/48 Hasegawa FW-190A4  · 1/48 Hasegawa F-104DJ Starfighter  · 1/48 Hasegawa F-14B Tomcat (VF-143 Pukin' Dogs Last Cruise)  · 1/32 Trumpeter SBD-3/A-24 Dauntless The number and high quality of the photographs provided in this magazine is top notch. There are many very large photos with incredible detail shots provided as well. Also, the magazine was chock-full-of photos. Tons of them. So, you get quality AND quantity with Model Art Magazine photos. To me, the number and quality of the photographs more than made up for the fact that I couldn't understand 99% of the text. Again, that's my limitation. As a non-Japanese speaking/reading individual, I really didn't get nearly as much out of the magazine as I would have liked. The quality and depth of the photos did make "reading" this magazine fun and interesting non-the-less. I saw some great work by top modelers, and some cool advertisements for "Asuka Hobbily (that's right 'Hobbily') Modelers Shop" and "Hobby Shop Joy", so how can one top that??? The quality of the print medium was also outstanding. The photos were mostly in a large color format, with clear and beautiful views. The text was in large, dark, easy to read fonts and the paper used was top-shelf, thick and glossy stock. This magazine is more like a soft-cover book! Think Squadron/Signal Publications or Concord Publications. Thanks to Model Art Co., Ltd for the opportunity to review Issue No 711. Recommended.

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