The old Renwal Visible Man and Visible Woman kits, both released in 1959, have been mentioned a few times on MC.
Each included a skeleton, body organs, and outer shell in clear plastic to show off the interior. Each stood about a foot tall, the Man being slightly larger than the Woman.
This is a similar kit, but issued as a partwork a few years ago. Funny Bones - Discover the Human Body was published in 77 weekly parts by DeAgostini. The price in Britain was £3.99 per issue, in New Zealand it was $11.50.
As with many partworks, the first one or two issues were sold at a reduced price, to get you to start collecting the series. Binders for the magazines were also available, at an additional cost.
There is a copyright date inside of 2003 © RBA Coleccionades S.A., followed by slightly later date for DeAgostini. What looks to be the same kit, or one very similar, was also available from National Geographic, under the name How Your Body Works.
Each part came with a 16-page magazine, and one or more parts for the model. This stood 1.1m tall, or just under four feet. That seems to be life-sized for a boy of about 6 years old. So it was a good deal larger than the Renwal kits of the 1950s, but you did not have to wait a year and a half to collect all the parts needed for the model - with the Renwal kits everything came in the box.
There was a weighted stand from which to hang the assembled model. The bones were a creamy colour, while the organs and muscles were either opaque or clear-coloured plastic. Our guide to the world of anatomy is Arthur, a rather crazed looking skeleton, with large, staring eyes.
The magazines not only explain how the human body works, but there are sections on the anatomy of various animals. Part 59, which I recently excavated, covers the Brown Bear (known as the Grizzly Bear in North America). Pages are devoted to its form and skeleton, hibernation, and other bears.
There is a two-page quiz section called Arthur's puzzle pages. Then two pages called Your guide to building Arthur. The back cover shows the contents of the present issue; and what will be included in your next issue.
Most illustrations I could find show only the skeleton and internal organs, without the muscles that were also part of the finished model.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
