Over the years pirates, pirate guns, and pirate ships have been a popular subject for kit makers. In 2006 Lindberg decided to get a little more milage out of their old, full-size human skull kit, by releasing it as The Pirate Skull. Indirectly cashing in on the popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, the first of which had been released in 2003, with a second in 2006.
Like the rest of the Lindberg anatomy kits, the Skull was a re-issue. The Superior Plastics version had a copyright date of 1960 on the box, and was moulded in their standard Superlon plastic. The anatomy kits then went to Educational Products in the later 1960s, and finally to Lindberg. Some issues of the Skull included a human brain.
The box-top of The Pirate Skull (or Le Crane de Pirate on one side of the box) showed a well-weathered skull, sporting a bright red headband, and shiny gold tooth, with a green and black snake crawling over it.
The box boasted: 'Life-Size Anatomically Accurate Unassembled Plastic Model Kit'. Skill Level 2. Features were: 'Movable Jaw'; 'Molded in Bone White Plastic'; but 'Decorative Accessories Not Included'. The gold tooth could simply be painted on, but you would have to find your own headband and snake.
The side of the box gave further details. 'This finely detailed kit with removable skull cap can be used by doctors, educators, and schools for study purposes. The teeth can be drilled and filled for demonstration'. A display stand, and anatomy chart were also included.
Kit number 71302, with a copyright date of 2006. J. Lloyd International Inc. Made in U.S.A.
This was one of several pirate kits that Lindberg did around this time, most of which had Caribbean Pirates on the box.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
I've become a bit of an aficionado of plastic skull kits. When i was making props for the 1980s Mission:Impossible TV series, we ended up using a lot for a Nazi gold episode. Most of ours were sadly the Revell version, which is smaller than the Lindbergh model. The prop buyers also found us some skulls from a local museum. They were at least the right size, but strangely smooth. As I repainted them, I found they had a coating of plaster. I scraped a bit deeper and came down to an under layer of real bone...
ReplyDeleteSpooky!
Gruesome. I remember the 1980s Mission: Impossible. In one episode Peter Graves gets his briefing in a 'USAF' F-111 strike jet, which still has its Australian fin flash and squadron markings on the tail. Obviously, an Australian F-111C.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Scalemates, the Revell skull was a re-issue of the old Renwal kit. Plastic skull kits - rather a niche market.
More great detective work, Paul. I used to love those small kit brands like Superior, Educational, Adams, Palmer, Premiere, Renwal, etc. They had such interesting and unusual kits. SF_Ziggurat
ReplyDeleteThank you. Many of these smaller firms tried to carve out their own niche in the model world with kits that no one else made. The anatomy kits, architectural, cannon, dinosaurs, hunting trophies, and other oddities. I do not recall seeing any of these in New Zealand, except for a few dinosaurs. Most of these firms had disappeared by the 1970s anyway, and I doubt they were exported the way Airfix or Revell were.
ReplyDelete