Happy Medium Press

SciFi and Fantasy Modeller No. 14

Reviewed By  Dave Morrissette, IPMS# 33653

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MSRP: £13.95 (~ $23.00 USD)
Website: www.scififantasymodeller.co.uk

As a fan of figures and Sci-Fi, this magazine has been a classic since its inception. It probably never got enough justice here in the U.S., as it was a little hard to find. Happy Medium Press publishes this magazine on heavy paper stock with full-color pictures.

The magazine cover is a stunning, scratch-built "Space Jockey" from the original Alien movie. The contents point to the 12 articles listed:
  • Batman FX Miniatures, part two
  • Gradius Review
  • Anderson-esque Transporters
  • Revell Star wars mini-kits
  • Alien Space Jockey Project
  • Bandai Batmobile review
  • Revell Star Destroyer Review
  • Moon FX Miniatures
  • Seagull X-Ray concept build
  • Eve On-line: from pixels to plastic
  • Pegasus Martian War machine
  • SFM:UK Show Report

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Let’s take a look at a couple articles. First, being a fan of the movie Alien, I loved the cover of the Space Jockey. At first, I thought it was the Halcyon kit that was around but when I opened and read the article, I was awed by the fact that the author had scratch built the entire thing based on movie pictures, studio shots and other research. Step by step from researching the studio version to assembly, to paint, the author takes us through what is clearly a passion for him. The build was phenomenal and, as of this reading, he was negotiating to have it purchased and produced as a pre-painted collectible. The pictures are also very crisp and clear.

Another great article is the build of the 1/35 Bandai Batmobile -- the Dark Knight version. This kit has been around a while and is small but the author takes it to a new level showing how he built it in sub assemblies and with replacement parts as needed for a super build.

This magazine is great – I’m glad to see it is around. If you have an interest in the genre, this is a must have for you. Highly recommended. I can’t wait to see what’s next. My thanks to Happy Medium Press for the sample copy.

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