The PopCult Toybox

rmx-mastheadLast week the world’s largest scale plastic model kit manufacturer, Revell Inc., announced an exclusive three-year licensing agreement with acclaimed custom car designer Chip Foose that will add six new model car kits to its existing Foose collection. Two will replicate Foose’s real-world car designs, complete with original tooling, for the first time ever in the scale plastic model marketplace. The other four will be re-issues of earlier Revell model kits that will be Foose-ified with Chip’s personal design modifications.

The Foose 2015 Chevrolet Corvette C7, soon to be a Revell Model kit

The Foose 2015 Chevrolet Corvette C7, soon to be a Revell Model kit

Revell’s first ever pre-decorated model glue kits featuring Foose designs, the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette C7 and Dodge Challenger SRT8, will be released late this year. They will feature Foose-created paint schemes, wheel designs and special Foose renderings used only on the Revell box art.

1935 "Grand Master" Chevy Master Sedan, one of the candidates that fans can vote into kit form starting next month

1935 “Grand Master” Chevy Master Sedan, one of the candidates that fans can vote into kit form starting next month

The two exclusive Foose cars will be selected by Foose fans and Foose himself from a list of six Foose masterpieces: his 1934 Ford Mercury-inspired “Stallion”, 1935 “Grand Master” Chevy Master Sedan, 1936 “Impression” Ford based roadster, 1965 “Impostor” Impala, 1956 Ford F100 pickup and Hemisfear custom supercar coupe. Collectively, the six candidates have won six major industry awards, including the prestigious Detroit Autorama Ridler award and America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) award. Voting will open on the Revell and Foose social media sites next month.

The series will include full glue and paint model kits as well as Revell’s first Foose pre-decorated glue kits. These kits will be released over a three-year period.

Foose with the Dodge Challenger SRT8

Foose with the Dodge Challenger SRT8

“Chip Foose is an icon in the custom car world and admired by every car enthusiast, including our customers. Being able to work on his cars through our kits gives builders an up close look at the details of Chip’s designs,” said Lou Aguilera, Revell VP and General Manager. “Our new Foose kits will give both the casual model builder and hard-core enthusiast more opportunities to do that, ‘own’ their own Chip Foose cars, and have the thrill of ‘building’ them just as Chip does with his full-scale, one-of-a-kind vehicles.”

“I grew up making models, and it put me on the path to being a car designer,” Foose said. “Partnering with Revell lets me share the pleasure of both model building and custom car design with others, including people who have seen my work at car shows or on TV programs like Overhaulin’. Revell’s model kits make it possible for anyone to literally get their hands on the one of my car designs.”

It’s cool to see a model company continue to revive this once-ubiquitous pastime by partnering with the very TV-friendly Foose. The exposure can only help elevate model-bulding as a hobby, and possibly help it attract new blood as the “next step up” from playing with LEGO.

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While today’s news focuses on the automotive end of the model-building hobby, this weekend sees the huge WonderFest, a convention for fans of S-F, horror & anime models, held in Louisville, Kentucky.

Nicotero and friend

Nicotero and friend

WonderFest is THE annual expo for model and toy collectors of s-f, horror & comics subjects–especially plastic kits & garage kits. Revell just happens to be one of the sponsors, and this years show features guests like Greg Nicotero-the executive producer of The Walking Dead, Adult Swim personality-C. Martin Croker and author Mark Cantell, who wrote a wonderful book about Weird-Ohs artist Bill Campbell. Some of Campbell’s original art will be on display.

That all happens this weekend. Check this link for more information. It’s less than a four-hour drive ib I-64 West from Charleston, folks.