I'm not sure whether he will be Cornelius or his son, Caesar. The ruins around him would make him more likely be the latter. Straight away I really didn't go for the pose recommended on the box.
I decided to add some good 'ol fashioned 'ancient sacred scrolls' to make the pose work a little better. That's blu-tac standing in for fingers there for the moment.
The feet also needed some attention. I guess the original sculpt for this was in the late sixties early seventies when thongs or flip-flops were all the rage. What appears to be bare feet in the films are actually 'ape boots' shaped like the simian's feet. I've started filling in the areas with Tamiya putty.
I really love the detail in the face. It's going to be a challenge painting this guy. I want to get across the subtle detail that was present in the chimpanzees' make-up on the show. The color scheme for this will be ochers and olive greens. I was also going to try for a sandy environment around him. I haven't exactly figured out how to do that just yet.
4 comments:
This is a great kit. The likeness to Roddy McDowell is surprising for a little plastic kit!
Oddly enough, I think the setting is from the underground cave of "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," even though Cornelius never appears in those scenes! The Dr. Zaius model from the same Aurora series is definitely from BtPotA, and yet... the Urko from the same series appears to have a cool "set" from the TV series. It's all over the place!
Funnily enough, I think that adds to the charm of them. These kits were designed before the days of the 'uber-collector' thing.
Maybe it's just a healthy dose of nostalgia pumping through my veins.
They do seem to be a more of Gist of the Planet of the Apes rather than specific moments. I had this kit when I was a kid, along with Aldo. If I remember correctly, Aldo came with what appeared to be the ruins of a treehouse or a funeral bier of some primitive design, so he was a little bit more screen-accurate, I suppose.
Looking at some photos of the box art, the soldier apes' color schemes are pretty fanciful. I think Mego must have copied them for their Urko/Ursus figure, which came in cream or tan and lurid purple rather than black and plum or burgundy.
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