The only one I ever got was the Forgotten Prisoner of Castlemare, (or Castelmare according to the box) which appeared much more macabre than the others, even though 'The Prisoner' was the only one of the set that didn't appear in film.
I was quite pleased to learn that Moebius have released a kit based on the original Aurora one.
Gruesome!
Monogram or Johnny Lightning (not sure which) also re-released the kit about 20 years ago. The good thing about it is that it still had the Aurora name on the base, unlike other kits which had had the bases updated for later issues by Monogram, etc. The box was also the long box version, but the reference to Famous Monsters of Filmland had been removed. I've read the comic strip on which the character was based and its similar to Poe's The Cask Of Amontillado.
ReplyDeleteIf that's the Moebius kit in your pic, then it's a re-issue of the Aurora kit.
Beautiful kit. I recall it so well. The very stuff of my childhood. Wonderful James Bama artwork, all of which capture the Sixties Monster craze like nothing else. Looks like you can still get the Moebius model on Amazon! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moebius-Forgotten-Prisoner-Castel-Mare-Kit/dp/B008VTLS76
ReplyDeleteI had to look up James Bama to see if he's still alive and painting and amazingly he is! If Wikipedia is anything to go by he's lead a colourful life and his Aurora monster paintings are just a fraction of what he's done. He appears to have done Wild West paintings for much longer. Wonder if the original Aurora artwork still exists?
ReplyDeleteSome of the monster art was painted over (with different paints) and extended to make them suitable for the later square box versions of the kits.
DeleteI always thought this kit was a bit mysterious... who was this guy? Who 'forgot' him?
ReplyDeleteWhen I first picked up the box at the toy store, drug it over to my parents and started the begging the comment was made, "That better not be a prisoner of war!"
I assured them it wasn't but really had no idea if he was or not.