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Post by desslock on May 9, 2011 22:43:15 GMT -5
Some comments on the "questions" on Trevor's page, to see if we can put some of these to bed: www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/quest.html>>Any Canadian or European versions of the 1974 boxes.I don't believe these exist, or that the 1974 kits were even distributed in Canada in any meaningful way (i.e. at department stores, etc., like the others, although some may have been specially imported by hobby stores). Several Canadian posters, including myself, here/yahoo/hobby talk have indicated that they don't recall ever seeing these kits on Canadian shelves at all, so it's virtually impossible that there were any unique Canadian boxes. The only Canadian kit that seems prolific was the Allosaurus (which had the one-part base, which may also explain that "missing link" between the 71 and 72 American kits -- I don't think American cases had the one-part base). In fact, I think there are only a few kits that have Canadian boxes, so you should stick to individually identifying them rather than assume each kit had one. Aurora didn't have manufacturing facilities in Canada - just packaging facilities in Rexdale Ontario, although they did farm out Canadian production of a few kits to third parties, but those would likely have been overflow orders -- not systematic production Any of the 1st 14 kits with a 1974 side panel. These clearly don't exist. But I have never seen 1971 kits in 1972 non-domestic boxesThe Cro-magnon Man has a 1972 Canadian box. I got this little item in one of the Revell-Germany kits that I ran across.I'm curious if this actually came with the kits, or did someone just throw this in the box that I got.To further confirm your update, that insert appears in all the RG boxes I've seen. |
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Post by TAY666 on May 10, 2011 17:55:58 GMT -5
But I have never seen 1971 kits in 1972 non-domestic boxesThe Cro-magnon Man has a 1972 Canadian box. Doh!  I even have that picture on the page showing the variations. Nice catch. As to the ones that more than likely don't exist. I too am 99% certain that they were never made. But I still keep my eyes open, just in case. As to Canadian issues. I know for a fact that the first 14 had Canadian releases. They might not have been widely distributed. But they do exist. I have seen them all in auctions at one point or another. I spotted them because the instructions, and if the box photos weren't good enough to confirm, I contacted the seller to confirm they said "Made in Canada" and "Printed in Canada" on the flaps. Now if I could just figure out the system used for the instructions. www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/instruction/instypes.htm |
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Post by desslock on May 28, 2011 23:43:30 GMT -5
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Post by desslock on May 28, 2011 23:50:16 GMT -5
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Post by TAY666 on May 29, 2011 11:44:34 GMT -5
Yeah, I know what the book says.
But last year when I talked to Ray Meyers at Wonderfest he said the only kit he sculpted was the Sabertooth.
Which is why I changed the info on my site.
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Post by TAY666 on May 29, 2011 11:55:24 GMT -5
Actually, a little clarification on my statement. "only found on 71 issue kits so far" That Cave, while in a 72 box, is still a 71 issued kit. I should probably re-phrase that on the site for all those first 3 examples. A better way of saying it would be only found in first wave kits that originally were issued in 1971. As I have never seen those styles used with any of the 2nd wave kits. Those seem to have a mix of the 4th and 5th styles. I do really appreciate you participation in this thread. I need to go back and make a few edits to the site now. And that is a good thing. Either to clarify things, or to correct things. That means I am learning more. Also, the more I can talk about this stuff then the more my thinking gets pushed in different directions. Almost done with all my WF stuff. So, hopefully in a couple weeks I can turn my attention back to the PS section of my site. I've got several things to update and tweak. |
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Post by TAY666 on May 29, 2011 12:21:56 GMT -5
Yeah, I know what the book says. But last year when I talked to Ray Meyers at Wonderfest he said the only kit he sculpted was the Sabertooth. Which is why I changed the info on my site. Actually, I re-read the thread from last year.And Ray did say he did the Tar Pit. Now I have to find the research I was doing after the show last year, and figure out why I never changed the Tar Pit. Because if I remeber correctly some of the books actually conflict with each other. That was one of the reasons I was really hoping that Andy would be at WF this year. IT was one of the things I had hoped to talk to him about. |
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Post by desslock on May 29, 2011 16:42:17 GMT -5
Good stuff --I just love the detailed info on the site so much that I want to try to contribute any additional info I come across in case it's of interest, even though a lot of it may be old info that you and other vets here have long known.
My latest project has been tracking down the reference artwork that was used by Lemon and Meyers - there's a lot of stuff that was clearly influential if not directly copied because it's so similar - and then there are "direct hits" where clearly the sculptor basically copied the artwork, as I mentioned in the Yahoo forum. I just found the "Giant Bird" reference art that Lemon clearly used - and the Neanderthal and Jungle Swamp artwork is also clearly identifiable. Maybe I'll post that stuff in a separate thread when I finish my research.
If you ever want/need more pictures of kits (boxes, unassembled, or sealed, or just parts or instructions) I now basically have a complete set of all the original kits, many sealed, but I'm going to be gradually opening them so let me know if you want sealed shots of any.
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Post by TAY666 on May 29, 2011 17:16:02 GMT -5
While I don't have nearly that much interest in the reference material.
I have been following that discussion with curiosity. I can appreciate the work you and the other have been doing with that.
And that is another cool thing about this stuff. There is a little something there for everyone.
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Post by TAY666 on Jun 13, 2011 19:23:19 GMT -5
Well, I can now confirm a Giant Bird European edition. Box and instruction.
Now I just have to cross my fingers and hope I can win the auction.
Would love to add that to my collection.
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Post by desslock on Jun 15, 2011 20:15:56 GMT -5
Nice - good luck. I saw the auction but didn't notice the different cover until your post. There have been a bunch of good bird kits on sale lately, so hopefully you'll get this one cheap. I'll stay clear of it, at least.
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Post by desslock on Jun 15, 2011 20:23:29 GMT -5
Hey Trev, one suggestion on your new checklist page - maybe it would make sense to "black out" or otherwise highlight/remove the boxes that are n/a (i.e. because there was no model of that type in that year), so it doesn't look like you're missing more than you really are.
Also, we're not yet in 2012!
Also: Happy Birthday today.
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Post by TAY666 on Jun 16, 2011 19:41:15 GMT -5
Hey.
Thanks for catching that type-o
And that is a good idea to mark out what doesn't apply.
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Post by desslock on Jun 18, 2011 21:16:26 GMT -5
No bid, Trev, or did it get too high?
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Post by TAY666 on Jun 19, 2011 11:04:51 GMT -5
Too high.
It was above my max before it even got close to the time I would have bid.
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Post by TAY666 on Nov 30, 2014 2:40:06 GMT -5
Resurrecting this thread. I have a new question thanks to a better picture. www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/74pennycat.jpgIt says that the 3 kits are sold as a set (mammoth, sailback, armored) Now, I know the rex had it's own box for JCPenny's. I am wondering if that 3 pack had it's own box as well. |
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Post by psgreat on Nov 30, 2014 21:31:10 GMT -5
Wow.... look at those prices.... sigh.....
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Post by desslock on Dec 9, 2014 1:50:50 GMT -5
Resurrecting this thread. I have a new question thanks to a better picture. www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/74pennycat.jpgIt says that the 3 kits are sold as a set (mammoth, sailback, armored) Now, I know the rex had it's own box for JCPenny's. I am wondering if that 3 pack had it's own box as well. Great find. |
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Post by prescenes2 on Dec 9, 2014 21:06:29 GMT -5
Wow.... look at those prices.... sigh..... Yah, at those prices I think we all would own a few......hundred.......Thousand kits!!!! |
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Post by Cro-Magnon Man on Aug 7, 2015 19:03:09 GMT -5
the reference artwork that was used by Lemon and Meyers - there's a lot of stuff that was clearly influential if not directly copied because it's so similar - and then there are "direct hits" where clearly the sculptor basically copied the artwork, as I mentioned in the Yahoo forum. I just found the "Giant Bird" reference art that Lemon clearly used - and the Neanderthal and Jungle Swamp artwork is also clearly identifiable. Maybe I'll post that stuff in a separate thread when I finish my research. The original inspiration for the box artwork interest me too, and I think I've spotted it some of it as I was watching or reading things. I know that people will probably disagree over art and its inspirations, and I don't expect to convince anyone, but my ideas on the PS artwork are as follows: The film 'One Million Years B.C.' (with Racquel Welch) was the first inspiration, and watching the film you'll see the Cave, especially the rock bench and other floor and wall details, the Three-Horned Dino fighting a much taller T-Rex dino (it's possibly a Ceratosaurus really), the smaller Allosaurus, and the pool where the caveman with a spear kills the Allosaurus. The pool's appearance in the film is repeated in the Jungle Swamp box art, and the Pteranodon's method of carrying Racquel by the arm was imitated in the kit's concept art (see Trevor's site). But Aurora got more ideas from two books by the East European palaeontologists Spinar and Burian, 'Life Before Man' and 'The Dawn of Man'. In 'Life Before Man' there is the Mammoth's exact posture from the kit, the Giant Bird, the Spiked Dinosaur (Styracosaurus) in avocado green, the Sailback Reptile poised on a rock above water and a smaller reptile and the Diplocaulus, the Meganeura dragonfly, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon people, the bird clinging to the side of a tree, the archaeopteryx, the pyhton, the flying reptile, the Cave Bear's almost-exact posture from the kit and fighting Cro-Magnons, the sabre-tooth tiger and various swamp scenes. 'In The Dawn of Man' there is the woolly rhino trapped not in a tar pit but in a man-made pit and with its head bloodied by rocks thrown at it by cavemen, one man holding a rock above his head Neanderthal-style. There are Neanderthals walking with caught birds slung over their shoulders and carrying flint 'knives' just like the kit's accessories, and pictures of burials involving large bones and cave bear skulls. All in all, the only kit or scene that does not seem to be lifted from the film or the two books is the Armoured Dinosaur, though a smaller type of armoured dino appears in Life Before Man, perhaps justifying Aurora's design of the kit as a young Ankylosaurus, as the instructions say. |
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