On May 14th I attended my second ever Wonderfest, the show for model & toy collectors of the sci-fi, horror and superhero genres. While I enjoyed the show and hanging out with some compadres, the show fell short of last year's (read that report here). Two of the things I was most interested in didn't happen. SFX legend Richard Edlund was going to be a guest, but he cancelled earlier this month. A highlight from last year was the premiere of the documentary "The Aurora Monsters: The Model Craze That Gripped the World." This year Wonderfest promoted the premiere of a sequel - "The Aurora Monsters & Beyond". Well, it's not finished, so all we got was a sneak peek. While the overall presentation was entertaining, it was a disappointment. Fortunately, Bossk DID show up. 
The model contest displays were the highlight of the show for me. I'm amazed by the creativity, dedication and skill it takes to make models like those below. Some of you may see these and think, "That person has too much time on their hands." I think the exact opposite is true. We live in an age of bountiful entertainment wonders. Even if you're just interested in a specific genre, such as science fiction, the availability of the new along with the archive of the past is staggering. There is no way to see, do, read, enjoy it all. Someone with the time and attention to make models like these is always thinking of his next dozen projects. All the things he'd like to do as well as the work of others he'd like to enjoy. There will not enough time for it all. That makes the hours spent on the finished product all the more impressive.
A snowspeeder from "The Empire Strikes Back". 
A 1:1 model of Nomad from "The Changeling" episode of "Star Trek". Fortunately, as its mission is to destroy all life, it appears to have been deactivated.
One of my obsessions left over from childhood is "The Black Hole", Disney's plodding, haunting answer to "Star Wars". Brightening up the unusually grim affair is the shiny silver and red robot named V.I.N.C.E.N.T., the cleverest and most capable crewmember of the Palomino. Here someone has made a life-size replica. Could a working model be far behind? 
That's about it from me. I recommend making plans for Wonderfest 2012. Where else are you going to get your Hannibal Lecter heads?!?
1 comment:
I was planning to go this year, but didn't make it. Glad it was a fun time. I just noticed at the last minute that the entry cost was $22. With gas and food, that's a lot of money to look at models for a few hours, even though I do love models.
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