# Finished MPC Barnabas Collins



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I built and finished MPC's Barnabas Collins kit this week. The model itself is pretty simple although the fit is a bit coarse and all of the main parts (arms, legs, torso, head) needed extensive putty and sanding work. At first I was worried about the coarse texture on the coat and how that would look after the sanding, but I was able to stipple the black plastic with MEK and an old paint brush to bring back some texture. 

The model was spray painted with a base coat of Tamiya Rubber Black spray paint. This is a nice, flat, extremely dark, grey color that is a good basis for the overall shades. The figure was then hand painted using Badger Freak Flex for the clothing and Vallejo Panzer Aces acrylics for the skin areas. The wolfs head cane was painted using Vallejo Super Silver, which looks like polished silver.



















I had bought the resin "TV Vampire" replacement head made by Cult of Personality through Cult TV Man, but was really disappointed in it. The likeness to Jonathan Frid is minimal at best and to me the face looked more like Mr. Rogers with plastic Halloween vampire fangs. The shape of the resin head (not the face but the whole head) is just wrong to my eye and a lot of the sculpting was actually quite crude (slashes with an X-acto knife into clay). The MPC kit head is not great but in a lot of ways looks more like Frid's Barnabas Collins than the resin one.


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

Great job on this one. I actually just started it this morning and have the parts gluing together right now. And I just received the replacement resin head from Cult a half hour ago as well. I really like your detailing and it looks excellent overall. What are you going to do with the bat?


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## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

Nice job- I like your paintwork. Glad to see this one reissued!
Steve


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I won't use the bat, spider or rat. I can use the bat with the Moebius Dracula or something.

I have the resin head half painted. I just did not like the way it looks and it also hits the back of the cape. Adjusting it is hard since the resin neck is too short.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Looks great! The clothing looks VERY real! You nailed the painting. The head looks great, too. :thumbsup:

I'm thinking I'm going to resculpt the kit head some to more closely resemble Frid and not show the fangs. Thinking now of putting him on the stairway through time as a base.


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## rat salad (Oct 18, 2004)

Looks great! Excellent job!


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## Bwain no more (May 18, 2005)

Nick; I am sorry to hear you were disappointed in the quality of my product. I know that guaging the accuracy of a likeness can be very subjective, so I am posting photos of the sculpt in progress (with a side by side shot of the sculpt next to the kit head) and the finished sculpture. No offense, but I would prefer that people judge my product on it's own merits rather than take your (admittedly) unhappy word for it. I do NOT have an image of Mr Frid handy, so perhaps someone else could provide one (with my apologies in advance for FURTHER derailing your thread.  )to provide comparison. Not sure what to make of the clearance issue you had with the cape and head, except to say the sculptor worked with my build-up (and the way I glued the kit parts in place), but I CAN say, this is the FIRST time anyone has had that problem (or at least, made ME aware of it...). 
Tom Parker
Cult of Personality Productions


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

Tom, if you recall, I ordered the replacement head/plate and Barnabas kit from you fairly early on to make sure I was able to get both, and I have to say I see no problem with Ray Santoleri's replacement head...in fact, I think it's one of the nicest replacements I've seen. What Nick was describing doesn't sound remotely like what I have...just my 2-cents worth...


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I guess with "accuracy" its a subjective thing. The replacement head was well proportioned, sharply done, VERY well cast. So its not like it was poor "quality". I was judging it mostly on accuracy compared to Jonathan Frid. Note I did not finish painting this, so it doesn't look that great...
























































To me the areas that seem off are the shape of the head itself. Frid's head is pretty round at the top and tapers down through his cheeks and jaw. For lack of a better description, its somewhat shaped like an ice cream cone. The plastic parts capture this better.

The shape of the nose on the resin head is just totally off from Frid, as is the shape of the jaw line, ears, shape of the side burns, etc. The shape of the chin seems off to me when viewed from the front. The resin head also looks much younger than Frid did as Barnabas.

The fit issue I had (relatively minor) may be because of the way I chose to build the figure itself. I found the cape and arms fit best if glued at the same time. That way you can adust all three parts so that the cape fits most snugly over the shoulders, and that the arms fit most realistically under the cape's folds. I then went to fit the resin head and found the back of the cape pushed the head forward. It was harder to just tilt the head back as the neck is a bit short. The plastic head did not hit the back of the cape and did not fit tipped forward. It would not be a hard fix but I did not feel like doing it.

I have a second Barnabas kit and will probably use the resin head on that one at a later date. I think it was a Cult of Personality Dr. Jekyll head that I used in the past that was very good. I may not be real happy with the Barnabas head but it would not keep me from recommending their products either.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I notice the hair in the photo that Tom posted is unlike the hair on the head I show. The hair on the prior photo is closer to Frid's around the sides


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## apls (Dec 5, 2005)

I think Tom's head impoves this kit overall. I am a big fan of their work. The MPC head to me looks a Ben Cooper Halloween mask. I have seen the replacement painted up, and it's great. Looking forward to the werewolf. I had hoped at one time that they would have done a replacement for the Invisible Man, showing his look at the the begining of the film, the googles, the toupee, and the nose.


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## tracy.net (Aug 30, 2009)

Just my 2 cents but i very much perfer the replacement head verses the blow pop shaped original ( cartoony vs relistic) From experence i have learned when you upgrade the head you also must also upgrade your painting skills or you dont get a upgraded look . This may be the root cause of your disapointment.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I said the resin one was not fully painted. I've been painting figures for a while. I'm not the best but not the worst either. I just don't think the resin head captures the likeness of Jonathan Frid very much so I stuck with the original head. It's not like painting it any other way will change the shape of the nose, the style of the hair, the proportions of the head itself, etc. But, thats just my opinion.


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## Stoney-VA (Oct 19, 2011)

You did your usual fantastic paint job on this, but I disagree about the replacement head. I think it looks more like Frid than the one that comes with the kit. This photo, to my eye, is pretty close.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Thats a good looking paint job too. From the front the head does look (to me) somewhat like Frid. Especially from the cheeks down. Its all up to the individual modeler. I have two Barnabas kits and the resin head so its not like I will not use it. Just not on this particular build.


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

Stoney-VA said:


> You did your usual fantastic paint job on this, but I disagree about the replacement head. I think it looks more like Frid than the one that comes with the kit. This photo, to my eye, is pretty close.


Nailed.


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

So DJ, I read what you said about the seams and how you managed to kind of retain the texturing while filling and fixing the absolutely awful seams on this model. I am in the process of doing that now and you were correct, some of the worse seams I have ever worked on and with that coat texturing that is molded in fixing it is a real job. I did a lot of scraping, a bit of filling, and then the softening of the plastic and trying to get some texture back and still have some work to do as a light coat of primer proved. I'm not sure when I'll be satisfied with the results and know I am going to have to put some more effort into it. And not trying to start more arguments but I am going to use the resin head, I'm not a perfectionist on which is better but it looks very good and I've already got some paint on it.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Sounds like you are making progress Bob. Another way to deal with the coarse texture is to use so me Mold Putty to make a rubber "stamp" and then spread a bit of Aves down the seam and stamp the texture back into it. Stippling the plastic with MEK and an old stiff paint brush did well enough too. I brushed and stippled some Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer on top of the seams as well, and also used that to fill the sloppy seams around the arms/body.

Be sure to fill the big mold knock out marks on the palms of his hands, too. At least the right hand, where you can see it. There was also a big mold mark inside the cape collar that I filled and removed just in case his head didn't hide it.


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## Stoney-VA (Oct 19, 2011)

I'm not sure who painted the above Barnabas head. The photo is from Tom Parker's original thread which discusses the replacement head. They did do a great job. IMHO.

Thanks for the tips on taking care of the texture on the seams. I was thinking something similar to make a texture stamp for it. I have plenty of other fish to fry before I get to Barnabas. I just wish I could mutli-task on some of these models.


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## Bwain no more (May 18, 2005)

Bruce; I am no Dave Fisher when it comes to painting, but I knew someone who was, namely, Dave Fisher. Terry and Dave at Amazing Figure Modeler have been huge supporters in the past, and continue to do so. Dave gave the replacement set a rave review in the last issue (#51, on newsstands now) and painted the head for me. Plus, the upcoming "Gothic" issue will feature a custom diorama utilizing the plastic Barnabas kit and the replacement set. It REALLY helps when the sculptor AND the reviewer are both HUGE fans of the subject matter. With a LITTLE bit of luck, there will be ANOTHER product review in the next AFM that will be of interest to "Dark Shadows" fans, as well as fans of Mr. Santoleri's work (members of the Clubhouse have already gotten a sneak peek :thumbsup:.)
Tom


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

djnick66 said:


> ...Another way to deal with the coarse texture is to...make a rubber "stamp" and then spread a bit of Aves down the seam and stamp the texture back into it...


That's what I did, _by far_ the easiest way to get rid of those seams.


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

PM, oh Bwain No More... :wave:


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## HabuHunter32 (Aug 22, 2009)

Bwain no more said:


> Bruce; I am no Dave Fisher when it comes to painting, but I knew someone who was, namely, Dave Fisher. Terry and Dave at Amazing Figure Modeler have been huge supporters in the past, and continue to do so. Dave gave the replacement set a rave review in the last issue (#51, on newsstands now) and painted the head for me. Plus, the upcoming "Gothic" issue will feature a custom diorama utilizing the plastic Barnabas kit and the replacement set. It REALLY helps when the sculptor AND the reviewer are both HUGE fans of the subject matter. With a LITTLE bit of luck, there will be ANOTHER product review in the next AFM that will be of interest to "Dark Shadows" fans, as well as fans of Mr. Santoleri's work (members of the Clubhouse have already gotten a sneak peek :thumbsup:.)
> Tom


I just checked out the post at the cluhouse. Another must have sir! Thanks to both Tom and Ray! Another out of the park!

Mike


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## apls (Dec 5, 2005)

I heard that someone is making a new base for this kit.


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

HabuHunter32 said:


> I just checked out the post at the cluhouse. Another must have sir! Thanks to both Tom and Ray! Another out of the park!
> 
> Mike


Can you tell me what post it is that is relevant to the Barnabus kit on the Clubhouse? I have looked around, and I am a member, but do not know which post everyone is referring to. Thanks.


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## HabuHunter32 (Aug 22, 2009)

rkoenn said:


> Can you tell me what post it is that is relevant to the Barnabus kit on the Clubhouse? I have looked around, and I am a member, but do not know which post everyone is referring to. Thanks.


PM sent


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

apls said:


> I heard that someone is making a new base for this kit.


Not sure but there are a number of existing bases that would work fine. I had thought about using the base from the Moebius Lugoisi Dracula kit.


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## Tanis-uk (Jan 8, 2011)

djnick66 said:


> I said the resin one was not fully painted. I've been painting figures for a while. I'm not the best but not the worst either. I just don't think the resin head captures the likeness of Jonathan Frid very much so I stuck with the original head. It's not like painting it any other way will change the shape of the nose, the style of the hair, the proportions of the head itself, etc. But, thats just my opinion.


First off, thank you for sharing the paintup, I was undecided about this kit but now its on my to do list, regarding the two heads both look good, but for me the resin one wins, never seen the show so can only go by the photos, You stated that painting the head another way isn't going to change anything, in this area I will disagree :devil: a painted shadow here or a highlight can completely change the look of the piece, ask any makeup artist, some didnt like the plastic head on Monarch's Nosferatu, but painting it made all the difference, as for seems and texture I use liqid polly brushed straight onto the plastic then stipple the area with an old stiff brush, I have enclosed a thumb nail pic to demonstrate howpaint and texture can transform even a basic kit into something special
Tanis-UK


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## BatFanMan (Aug 20, 1999)

I'd have to say that the replacement head is FAR superior to the original head that comes with the MPC kit. At the same time, the likeness - in my opinion - is not dead on either with the replacement head.

Frid's face is much narrower from the cheeks downward - even when his teeth are bared and fangs showing.

I'm NOT being critical - simply making an observation.

Fred
Modeler's Resource®


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Yeah that was my main comment - the head itself is well done it just is not the best likeness of Frid. Frid was also in his early to mid 40s when he started playing Barnabas and the resin head looks like a man in his 20s.


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

Stock head is a cross between Janos Skorzeny and Ernie from Sesame Street.


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## crazypredator2 (Dec 1, 2009)

very good work.


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## apls (Dec 5, 2005)

I am going to order the Barnabas head, is the werewolf replacement head almost done?


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## xsavoie (Jun 29, 1999)

Werewolf head?I wasn't aware about that one.I can hardly wait.


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## Bwain no more (May 18, 2005)

Werewolf head is complete and I should have the resin masters sometime this coming week. There will be a special preorder posted on the Clubhouse with 100% of the proceeds going to Wayne Hansen, who recently lost his house (and everything he owns) in a devastating fire. Wayne is just an outstanding individual, and one of what I would consider to be the "founding fathers" of the GK community. Many members and producers over on the CH have come forward to give him a hand, and the timing of another great sculpt from Ray is perfect. :thumbsup: Parts should be ready to ship sometime in May, CultTVMan will have them at WonderFest, and I will have them at Resintopia in Jersey in June.
Tom


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## Yasutoshi (Dec 5, 2007)

My Barnabas is here.:wave:
It 

Hi Tom.
I need Werewolf head!!!!:thumbsup:


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## Bwain no more (May 18, 2005)

Yasutoshi! I LOVE your Barnabas build! ALWAYS great to see what an artist can do with my stuff! :thumbsup: Would you mind emailing any other pics you have to me at [email protected]? I will email you the Werewolf info...
THANKS!!!
Tom


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

Yasutoshi, you haven't been around in a while. That is a great comparison and obviously the Cult resin replacement head guy went on a diet. Anyway, that really points out the difference and why I am using the resin head for my build.


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## xsavoie (Jun 29, 1999)

That resin head is great.A real improvement over the old MPC head.I'm sure that the werewolf one will be even more appreciated since the MPC head looks like a giant hairy pumpkin on the kit's body.:thumbsup:


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

Absolutely amazing, Yasutoshi-san! Thank you for sharing, and glad to see you back here!


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Excellent work Djnick!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Chris.


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