# Modeling in the 70's



## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

Going through old collections of photos and trying to organize. While doing that, I found a few from the mid- to late-70's that are both fun and embarrassing to remember.

Here was the boy-cave circa 1979.









That's the original smoothie refit kit along with a selection of Trek, Galactica, Space:1999, Buck Rogers and Star Wars. The odd thing in the upper left was a version of the ship in the bottle. The kit contained the Apollo and Soyuz ships from their linkup mission and it was in a plastic bottle complete with cork. The blue Enterprise is mounted on one of those fiber optic light kits you could buy from Spencer Gifts in the 70's. Those were my source for kit lighting back then. I know I also lit a Galactica and Star Destroyer the same way.

I spent way too much time trying to get home-made FX shots. Here are two with Eagles.

















And finally, the embarrassment. You wanna talk gridlines??









No, I don't know what I was thinking. Yes, I know the number's wrong. Chalk it up to a 12-year-old's very slowly developing modeling skills.


----------



## wayvryder (Apr 11, 2010)

Great shots! I had much the same looking shelf setup populated with most of the same kits. One question - no Farrah Fawcett beach blanket background/ nipple poster? Every pre-pubescent boy in school had one (including me).


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Wow, memory lane.
And yeah, where's Farrah?:thumbsup:


----------



## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

Ha, no wall space combined with a mom who would veto such things.


----------



## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

Also on display are the Trek and Tolkien book collections (still have most of those), slipcases loaded with Starlogs, original Starfleet Tech manual and calendars for (left to right) Galactica, Superman The Movie and the animated Lord of the Rings.:thumbsup:


----------



## CLBrown (Sep 8, 2010)

wayvryder said:


> Great shots! I had much the same looking shelf setup populated with most of the same kits. One question - no Farrah Fawcett beach blanket background/ nipple poster? Every pre-pubescent boy in school had one (including me).


Nah, I didn't have one of those... I had one of THESE... 

Damn, but I still have "fantasy flashbacks" to that one... :wave:


----------



## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

I did have this poster on my wall for sure.


----------



## Scorpitat (Oct 7, 2004)

Farrah! Farrah! Farrah! :thumbsup:


----------



## starlord (Mar 30, 2011)

way back in 1980 I got my first Battlestar Galactica model and it still hangs in my living room, along with another one that I found at a yard sale and I have painted it all black.


----------



## btbrush (Sep 20, 2010)

Oh yeah. In the early 70s I was living in Phoenix and working at Tower Hobbies, in Tower Plaza. Built a 1/72 Albatross from Master of the World and it was in the window long after I left. Also built the Eagle from the Yes Fragile album and the only kit-bashed N scale Erie triplex Matt H. Shay. For the train buffs out there, it was a 4-8-8-8-4 articulated. Ah, those were the days.


----------



## BrianM (Dec 3, 1998)

Very cool...thanks for the step back in time. I like the stereo too, Emerson, Kenwood???


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Here's my room in 1971:


















Monogram and Hawk heavy.
I apparently didn't get a shot of the shelves.


----------



## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

BrianM said:


> Very cool...thanks for the step back in time. I like the stereo too, Emerson, Kenwood???


Don't remember, but it was certainly one of the cheaper brands. Turntable and radio. Cassette was an added component. Then finally CD in '87. Still have my very first CD. It's this one.


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

My very first album was the Best of Simon & Garfunkel, gotten as a present in 1973 when I also got a Lloyds stereo turntable/receiver for my room. I still have the album, plus the replacement I got when it wore out, plus a replacement CD.


----------



## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

Here are two I did, and worked to make them appear realistic. The Hindenburg was done around 1977 and Moonbase Alpha was set up in a dirt area of my backyard around 1979.


----------



## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

Nice. I did the same thing with an Alpha kit on a patch of dirt in my parents' garden. No pics though.


----------



## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

My wife just said "your room looks the same now as it did then!" Hmph.

Actually, I have MORE models in my office now than I ever had in my bedroom in the 70's...


----------



## Nova Designs (Oct 10, 2000)

Those pics are so awesome! I wish I still had some from my room. :/


----------



## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Hormonal changes caused me to give up such childish things in the 70's. After pursuing...uh, er...'certain things' (censored), I reverted back to models in around the late 80's. 

Went from trying to build a harem, to building a collection! So what happened?  Got out of it for about fouteen years and about seven years or so ago I got back into it.

The one constant in the universe is styrene.

Well, actually, that's not all together true. I think I do remember filling the need to build plastic inbetween girlsfriends, here and there. 

hal9001-


----------



## Edge (Sep 5, 2003)

John P said:


> Here's my room in 1971:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your room reminded me of this:
http://futurelisa1.deviantart.com/art/CAN-T-SLEEP-CLOWNS-WILL-EAT-ME-156798406


Can't sleep, planes will fall on me.


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

^I sometimes miss that roof notch over my bed. I used to hear squirrels run up and down it late at night. :lol:


----------



## wayvryder (Apr 11, 2010)

jheilman said:


> I did have this poster on my wall for sure.


Tying people up with her magic lasso and making them tell the truth now sounds funny as an adult. She's still beautiful to this day.


----------



## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

btbrush said:


> Oh yeah. In the early 70s I was living in Phoenix and working at Tower Hobbies, in Tower Plaza. Built a 1/72 Albatross from Master of the World and it was in the window long after I left. Also built the Eagle from the Yes Fragile album and the only kit-bashed N scale Erie triplex Matt H. Shay. For the train buffs out there, it was a 4-8-8-8-4 articulated. Ah, those were the days.



I never knew there was a model of The Albatross from The Master of The World let alone in 1/72 scale, who made it any photos ? thanks. Karl


----------



## btbrush (Sep 20, 2010)

Scratch-built.


----------



## MGagen (Dec 18, 2001)

JHeilman - Great photos! Stirs up lots of memories.



John P said:


> My very first album was the Best of Simon & Garfunkel, gotten as a present in 1973...


That album was the first one I got on 8-track...

Yeah, I'm as old as that dirt in the Moonbase Alpha snapshot.

M.


----------



## MightyMax (Jan 21, 2000)

John P said:


> Here's my room in 1971:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Where's my Crossman? :thumbsup:

Max Bryant


----------



## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

MGagen said:


> JHeilman - Great photos! Stirs up lots of memories.


Thanks. Hey, you're online in the new R2 video from Wonderfest.

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=371324


----------



## kenlee (Feb 11, 2010)

*Wish I still had this*

built this in 1979, all I had for reference was my memory and a few pics of the full size prop and the set, It had full interior and an opening airlock.


----------



## CLBrown (Sep 8, 2010)

jheilman said:


> Thanks. Hey, you're online in the new R2 video from Wonderfest.


That video was great... I have been wondering who, among the crowd there, was actually someone I may have "spoken with" online.

I'd bet that several folks from this forum were in that video. But I have no idea who is who, except for Jamie, Gary Kerr, and ClubTepes.

So... who else was there? (And why did NONE OF YOU VOTE FOR THE ROMULAN BIRD OF PREY!?!?!?! GAAAGHHH!!!)


----------



## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

CLBrown said:


> That video was great... I have been wondering who, among the crowd there, was actually someone I may have "spoken with" online.
> 
> I'd bet that several folks from this forum were in that video. But I have no idea who is who, except for Jamie, Gary Kerr, and ClubTepes.
> 
> So... who else was there? (And why did NONE OF YOU VOTE FOR THE ROMULAN BIRD OF PREY!?!?!?! GAAAGHHH!!!)


This is getting way off topic if we go down this conversational route, but if I knew who people were, I could go in and post youtube annotations putting handles and or names to faces if people wanted to be so recognized. I'd have to check with Jamie if he wanted that in his video, but otherwise, it's a simple matter of people telling me their handle and where they are sitting, what they're wearing and what time it is they occur at.

And then there's the notion of privacy. Apart from the 'cool factor', another use for handles is some semblance anonymity. With cameras set up around the room, no one at the Presentation can be surprised that they are on video, but the people standing around the booth had no idea they were being filmed for public consumption, so I blurred their faces out. Next year, Jamie will have to put up a 'videotaping in progress' sign or something.

-------------------
As to modeling in the 70's, that certainly was a heyday. I can't imagine there are any photos of any of my models. They certainly hung from my ceiling and adorned my room into my early 20's, but no where near the prodigious quantity as J.P.'s photo. That is quite excellent. I just showed it to my GF and she wants our ceilings adorned with space ships! (Now that's my kind of woman!)


----------



## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

CLBrown said:


> I'd bet that several folks from this forum were in that video. But I have no idea who is who, except for Jamie, Gary Kerr, and ClubTepes.
> 
> So... who else was there? (And why did NONE OF YOU VOTE FOR THE ROMULAN BIRD OF PREY!?!?!?! GAAAGHHH!!!)


I can be seen on the video quite a lot as I was sitting on the front row. I am wearing a blue 1701 shirt and I asked the question about how they were able to continue modifying the molds after each test shot. (He responded that they hadn't been hardened yet.)


----------



## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

I'm not outing anyone more than I have.


----------



## paustin0816 (Nov 8, 2006)

kenlee said:


> built this in 1979, all I had for reference was my memory and a few pics of the full size prop and the set, It had full interior and an opening airlock.


That's an awesome Jupiter II, would love to see more of it. Also I hate to ask of its fate.


----------



## kenlee (Feb 11, 2010)

paustin0816 said:


> That's an awesome Jupiter II, would love to see more of it. Also I hate to ask of its fate.


These are the only two pictures of it I can find right now, if I find more I will post them. In the mid '80s' when Lunar Models released their 16 inch model I sold this one through my local comic book shop to raise money to get the Lunar kit. I have no idea if it still exists since I do not know who bought it.


----------



## Maritain (Jan 16, 2008)

Modeling in the 70's one word...Firecrackers! Yep that was pretty much the fate off all my models sooner or later in the 70's. Thank goodness for re-releases!!!


----------



## kenlee (Feb 11, 2010)

Maritain said:


> Modeling in the 70's one word...Firecrackers! Yep that was pretty much the fate off all my models sooner or later in the 70's. Thank goodness for re-releases!!!


Lighter fluid and a "fiery crash" was also the fate of a lot of kits from back then as well.


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Maritain said:


> Modeling in the 70's one word...Firecrackers! Yep that was pretty much the fate off all my models sooner or later in the 70's.


LOL!!! Yeah, Corvettes, random dumb Christmas car models, broken Robots, even the hallowed Enterprises- they all met their explosive fates, and even 32 fps on Super 8 could not adequately capture it!


----------



## roadskare63 (Apr 14, 2010)

Chrisisall said:


> LOL!!! Yeah, Corvettes, random dumb Christmas car models, broken Robots, even the hallowed Enterprises- they all met their explosive fates, and even 32 fps on Super 8 could not adequately capture it!


32 fps.......OMG!!!:lol::lol::lol::lol:...as i remember, that was cutting edge tech too


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

roadskare63 said:


> 32 fps.......OMG!!!:lol::lol::lol::lol:...as i remember, that was cutting edge tech too


Yeah, shoot at 32, project at 18, and the models STILL seemed to just disappear, LOL!:tongue:


----------



## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

Here are a couple shots of my desk and a shelf in my room - wish I had other shots of my room. These were from late 1960's. Room was pretty small - about 6'x10' but did a lot of modelling on that desk. My bed was actually built above the desk for more room.
Steve


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

kenlee said:


> built this in 1979, all I had for reference was my memory and a few pics of the full size prop and the set, It had full interior and an opening airlock.


Awesome kid work, Ken!!! Brilliant.


----------



## kenlee (Feb 11, 2010)

Chrisisall said:


> Awesome kid work, Ken!!! Brilliant.


That was actually my second Jupiter 2. The first was built out of balsa wood in 1976 when I was 16, it had no interior or landing gear. It looked a lot like the ship drawn in the viewmaster reel booklet. My uncle worked at Southern Plastics and after seeing this asked if I thought I could make a better one out of plastic. He brought me 3 24 X 36 sheets of 1/16 inch thick styrene along with a cutter and showed me how to score and break the plastic, he then told me to have at it. It took me about a month to put this one together, it also had interior lights and looked really cool in the dark. After I finished it he took it to work and showed everyone there what I had built from the plastic they made, I think he was just as proud of it as I was. The dome on this one was also used on the original balsa model, it came from another sci-fi model but I do not remember which one.


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

In the 70's I made one out of cardboard, in flight mode, with my Mom's cling wrap for the view port.... 2' wide, no real interior but for the chairs & console. The silver spray paint would come off on my hands when I handled it...:freak:

I had no camera, & my parents didn't think to take pictures, so when it died the fiery death of firecracker/lighter fluid carousel, no record was made, sadly...


----------



## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

Opus Penguin said:


> Here are two I did, and worked to make them appear realistic. The Hindenburg was done around 1977 and Moonbase Alpha was set up in a dirt area of my backyard around 1979.


You had the Space 1999 bug bad. But that is cool as heck!


----------



## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

wayvryder said:


> Tying people up with her magic lasso and making them tell the truth now sounds funny as an adult. She's still beautiful to this day.


I remember when my grown sister got cable-HBO wow! back in the day. I watched this R rated movie-kinda Grindhousey- and there was a nude scene of her and her boyfriend. As a pre teen, I was dumbfounded.


----------



## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

kenlee said:


> These are the only two pictures of it I can find right now, if I find more I will post them. In the mid '80,' when Lunar Models released their 16 inch model I sold this one at through my local comic book shop to raise money to get the Lunar kit. I have no idea if it still exists since I do not know who bought it.


Like I said in an earlier thread. You are a scratch-building monster. 

I knew a guy who had the J2 fever BAD. 6th grade-1977...he scratch build a large scale J2 out of cardboard and chipboard. As God is my witness, he had a full paper crew, robot, two decks and a working elevator. Have not seen him since, and he saw my flying Aquafoil on TSDS Facebook page. Now I'm am friends with him again. Unbelievable.


----------



## kenlee (Feb 11, 2010)

kdaracal said:


> I remember when my grown sister got cable-HBO wow! back in the day. I watched this R rated movie-kinda Grindhousey- and there was a nude scene of her and her boyfriend. As a pre teen, I was dumbfounded.


Bobbie Jo And The Outlaw, in case anyone is wondering.


----------



## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Not only did I blow up some model trucks with firecrackers, I integrated it into a super-8 feature (that never got finished). The plot was a giant monster attack on a construction company. 1/25 AMT trucks, dump trucks, flatbeds, etc. I pre-scored them for best shattering. I invited my friends to bring their cameras and spent the 4th of July 1976 blowing them up in a sand lot. Yep, shot it all at 36fps! I might have the original footage somewhere...


----------



## TrekFX (Apr 15, 2004)

That's cool! I sort of started in "the biz" in similar way. We must have been 14 or fifteen, building "Command Center" sets in the basement out of refrigerator boxes painted with Krylon silver spray paint... uh, ... what was the question? Oh... ;-) Lit with the absolutely prerequisite industry-standard Christmas lights.... kitbashing all sorts of Trek models and whatever then torching them for the big UFO attack scenes (I wish I had half of them to put on ebay right now!)

My proudest moment was setting up a metal Dinky (brand!) UFO Interceptor for a "space shot." I used a strong key and no fill and it looked absolutely authentic (as super-8 goes...) compared to the rest of our FX work. I suppose the obvious streams of charcoal starter fluid "pyro" gushing into the frames killed suspension of disbelief a bit as well.

But we had some serious fun and it kept us off the streets. Good days.

Of course, there was the time it was my turn to be the "box carrier." I just pulled the big-ass fridge box right over me and had my friends direct me. Moral of the story: be careful who you trust when you're blind!


----------



## Dyonisis (Nov 11, 2009)

Chrisisall said:


> Wow, memory lane.
> And yeah, where's Farrah?:thumbsup:


She's dead. 



jheilman said:


> I did have this poster on my wall for sure.


_THAT'S _what I'm talking about!! Her legs are too skinny, and her hips are too wide, but I'd take her over Farrah anyday! 



John P said:


> Here's my room in 1971:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Rub it in, why don't ya?? Mine looked a little like that, only my models weren't so carefully, or even accurately for that matter! 



hal9001 said:


> Hormonal changes caused me to give up such childish things in the 70's. After pursuing...uh, er...'certain things' (censored), I reverted back to models in around the late 80's.
> 
> Went from trying to build a harem, to building a collection! So what happened?  Got out of it for about fouteen years and about seven years or so ago I got back into it.
> 
> ...


 Been there, done that, brother! You're not alone in this world, or in spirit. 



kdaracal said:


> I remember when my grown sister got cable-HBO wow! back in the day. I watched this R rated movie-kinda Grindhousey- and there was a nude scene of her and her boyfriend. As a pre teen, I was dumbfounded.


 You watched a video of your sister, and her boyfriend? Or you watched a dirty movie with lovely Linda? Linda Carter boobs? I saw that movie when I was younger, but I don't remember seeing her naked, or anything like that!


----------



## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

These pics and tales bring back alot of old memories ! I had the Jaclyn Smith poster, the Farrah Fawcett poster, and several Evel Knievel posters on the wall. I also had a large set of metal shelves that took up one wall in my room and had all my models on them. At night my room glowed in the dark. I had all the monster model kits. Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Godzilla, King Kong, etc. They all came with optional glow in the dark parts, which I used. The first model plane I ever built was a B-17G Flying Fortress. But it's fate was to crash and burn !!! As did a few other kits like the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Draconian Marauder. I was sure it was going to fly high before exploding. As I had taped and glued on enough bottle rockets to send it to the moon !! M-80's, firecrackers, and sparklers also sealed the fate of many other models like the X-wing fighter and various model cars. But just like many others, my hormonal urges took over my life. And models fell to to side. Now at nearly 48 years old, here I sit, with a wife, and 3 teenagers. Playing with my toys and models once again. And now finally understanding why "peace & quiet" was so valuable to my parents ! And being grateful for the distractions my toys and models provide.


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

DCH10664 said:


> But just like many others, my hormonal urges took over my life. And models fell to to side. Now at nearly 48 years old, here I sit, with a wife, and 3 teenagers. Playing with my toys and models once again. And now finally understanding why "peace & quiet" was so valuable to my parents ! And being grateful for the distractions my toys and models provide.


I am right there with ya, pal!!!!:thumbsup:


----------

